Krungthai Mizuho Leasing Company Limited

Data collection for customer management via Excel is becoming increasingly difficult as the number of contracts continues to grow.

－First, could you explain the business of Krungthai Mizuho Leasing Company Limited?

Mr. Kurosu : Our company is a joint venture between Krungthai Bank, a publicly listed Thai bank, and Mizuho Leasing Co., Ltd. of Japan. We primarily operate in Thailand, leveraging this partnership to provide services across various industries in the country, while also supporting Japanese companies seeking to expand their business into Thailand.

Ms. Vilasinee : We offer comprehensive leasing services to large corporations, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. Our services include financial leases, operating leases, and hire purchases of machinery, production equipment, office equipment, vehicles, and other business assets. We also provide fleet management services and leasing solutions for agricultural machinery and equipment to small-scale farmers.

－How can KANNA support your operations and address your challenges?

Ms. Vilasinee : We have implemented KANNA to manage our agricultural machinery leasing business, such as tractors and rice harvesters, which we officially launched in April 2024. During the loan application process, we require documents to verify the customer’s identity, residence, occupation, and financial status for credit approval. Additionally, we must monitor the repayment status of our customers throughout the entire loan period—from the start of the contract until its conclusion.

－Which of these businesses did you introduce KANNA to, and what challenges prompted the introduction?

Ms. Vilasinee: We introduced KANNA to our third business line—the installment finance services for individual farmers. This initiative officially started in April 2022, focusing on assisting farmers with the purchase of tractors and other agricultural equipment. The nature of this business requires us to collect documentation related to the customers’ financial status for contract approval, as well as to manage customer relationships continuously, ensuring proper machinery maintenance and smooth installment payments.

To support this, we have sales representatives stationed throughout Thailand who visit farmers, gather necessary documentation for contract approval, and maintain frequent communication post-contract. However, the methods of sharing this information with headquarters varied greatly—some used email, while others relied on phone calls—resulting in inconsistencies and difficulties in consolidating information.

Before KANNA, information shared through email or phone was manually stored in our core system by administrative staff. This process was inefficient, leading to scattered data and significant time spent on consolidating information. Additionally, to finalize contracts, we required not only standard documents but also various images as proof, such as photos of the equipment or property. Previously, image exchanges were done via email, which caused further complications.

Mr. Kurosu : As I mentioned earlier, our customers are primarily individual farmers. Unlike corporations, we can’t simply ask them to submit financial statements. Their income is seasonal, tied to harvest periods, which is quite different from a regular salary that someone working for a company would receive. For this reason, we need to assess their financial capability by verifying their real assets, such as property or vehicles, to determine their ability to repay and evaluate their creditworthiness.

Previously, our staff would take photographs of a customer's property or vehicle and share them with our head office. However, higher resolution images result in larger file sizes, which often exceeded email attachment limits. To share the files, we had to reduce the image quality, which was inefficient and compromised the usefulness of these images as financial documents. The process of editing and downsizing each image took considerable time, especially with the large volume of photos we handled.

Additionally, because farmers' income is seasonal, extra care is required to manage payments after the contract is signed. We used to track payment statuses using Excel, but as the number of contracts grew year after year, this approach became increasingly impractical. It was at this point that we decided to implement KANNA to streamline and improve our operations.

Customizable features that can be fully adapted to desk-based industries, such as financial institutions, along with multilingual support (including Thai), were key factors in our decision.

－ You needed a unified system for sharing information, including image documents, as well as managing customer statuses. What led you to choose KANNA to meet these objectives?

Mr. Kurosu: We had reached a point where managing everything manually was no longer sustainable, especially as we tried to grow our customer base. The traditional methods were limiting our ability to scale and improve operational efficiency. We realized that leveraging digital tools was essential for streamlining our operations and expanding the business.

Initially, we considered using a CRM tool specifically designed for customer relationship management. However, what we needed was something simpler—a system that could manage customer status in a straightforward, project-based format, where each customer would be treated as a unique project. While many CRM tools focus on enhancing customer loyalty, we felt that this would not address our core challenges. We needed a tool like KANNA that could offer both operational clarity and efficiency.

(*) Periodic management refers to overseeing borrowers who have received loans, ensuring they repay their debts according to the terms agreed with the financial institution, and monitoring whether these repayments are being made on time.

At one point, we considered developing our own application, but the time and costs involved in both development and ongoing maintenance were significant. Additionally, any setting changes would require going through a third-party vendor. While we were debating what to do, Aldagram, the developer and operator of KANNA, opened an overseas office in Bangkok. At the right time, I had the opportunity to attend an event hosted by Aldagram in Thailand, where they introduced the KANNA service.

Initially, I was a bit skeptical, having heard that KANNA was primarily designed for non-deskwork industries. I wasn't sure if it would address our particular challenges. However, when I learned that KANNA could manage the detailed status of each process and that the process names could be customized, I realized that it wasn’t just for construction and factory settings. It also perfectly suited our needs for "status management for each customer." This flexibility gave us high expectations.

After hearing the service presentation, I spoke directly with Aldagram's President, Mr. Nagahama, and shared our specific issues. His response was exactly what we hoped for: “If you treat each customer as a project, KANNA is fully capable of managing it.” What sealed the deal for us was KANNA’s multilingual support, including Thai and Japanese. This meant that our Thai staff, who primarily communicate in Thai, could seamlessly use the app in their own language.

Information Sharing Integrated into KANNA’s Reporting feature, with KANNA Supporting Urgent Disclosure Requests

－Now that you have implemented KANNA, what operational system have you adopted?

Ms. Vilasinee : As Mr. Kurosu mentioned during the initial study phase, we have adopted an operational approach where "one customer is treated as one project." For example, in a typical construction project, the status would progress through stages such as "Estimate Preparation," "On-Site Survey," "Construction in Progress," "Completion," and "Invoice Issued." However, we have customized the status display items in KANNA to better align with the specific needs of our leasing operations, using terms like "New Application" and "Examination." This allows us to tailor the workflow to match the tasks required by the leasing company.

The actual KANNA interface used by Krungthai Mizuho Leasing Company Limited displays status items highlighted in the red frame.

The system is currently set to the Thai language.

In addition, we have transitioned from traditional methods of sharing customer information, such as email and phone calls, to utilizing the reporting function within KANNA. Given that Thai employees tend to have a stronger preference for messaging apps compared to others, many initially used the chat function in KANNA, which operates similarly to messaging platforms. However, we have since streamlined this process by moving to the reporting function, allowing for more organized information sharing, which can also be exported when needed.

The ability to export reports has greatly improved data management, and we have adopted a unified operational policy that centralizes information sharing within KANNA's Reporting feature. Minor updates, inquiries, or contact are now handled through the chat function. Additionally, image documents are stored in KANNA folders rather than being sent via email, making it easier to manage and locate files specific to each customer. Projects are structured as "one customer per project", which facilitates document retrieval and management. With KANNA, images can be uploaded without any storage limitations, eliminating the previous need for editing and reducing stress on our staff.

Mr. Kurosu : In addition to managing customer status and information sharing, we have also integrated the KANNA Report into our reporting processes. The Central Bank of Thailand has mandated that financial institutions propose new repayment plans for customers who are unable to meet their payments. Since January 2024, we have been required to provide detailed information on these proposals, including specifics on when, who, how, and what kind of proposal was made.

KANNA's Reporting feature has been instrumental in this process, allowing us to create forms directly within a smartphone app. This means we can generate documents immediately after making a proposal or even while still with the customer, which is crucial given that our clients are often farmers in remote areas. This capability significantly reduces travel time. Additionally, when faced with disclosure requests, we can export the documents we've created, streamlining the process. Prior to using KANNA's Reporting feature, I would have had to gather information from scattered emails and Excel files, often under tight deadlines (laugh).

KANNA as a Single Point of Entry Enhances Operational Efficiency

－KANNA is not only used for customer management and information sharing but also facilitates urgent information disclosure requests. Can you describe the system's effectiveness in this regard?

Ms. Vilasinee : As the person responsible for managing the information provided by each team member, we faced significant challenges in consolidating data before adopting KANNA. Different methods of information sharing created inefficiencies, as I had to search through email archives and various document files, compile the data into Excel, and then prepare reports. The diversity of tools we used created a highly inefficient workflow.

However, since implementing KANNA, all customer status updates and related documents have been consolidated within one platform. This has drastically reduced the man-hours previously spent on accessing emails, files, and Excel, leading to more streamlined operations. This improvement in efficiency is not limited to me as an administrator—it benefits the entire team.

Previously, for lease contracts, we had to take photographs of assets, send them to a PC, reduce the image size for email, and then forward them to headquarters. Now, with KANNA, these photos can be uploaded directly from a smartphone, and they are instantly accessible to our head office. This change has significantly boosted productivity.

Mr. Kurosu : The main difference before and after implementing KANNA is that we now have a single point of entry for all operations. Whether reporting customer communications, uploading photos, or tracking status updates, everything is centralized in KANNA. This consolidation of tools like email, telephone, and Excel has clarified our workflows, ensuring that every team member can proceed with their tasks confidently.

Expansion of KANNA to Partner Companies and Future Prospects

－ How does your company plan to develop with KANNA, and what are your future prospects?

Ms. Vilasinee : We fully implemented KANNA in February 2024, and within six months, we have already seen tangible benefits. However, there are still features, such as the process chart, that we have yet to fully utilize. We recently learned that KANNA has introduced an offline functionality, allowing operations to continue in areas with limited connectivity. In the future, we aim to take advantage of this new feature to further enhance our operational efficiency, while also integrating KANNA with our core internal systems.”

Mr. Kurosu : Looking ahead, we plan to link KANNA with our core systems and add a dashboard function to visualize status and performance data. This would not only resolve operational challenges and boost efficiency but also serve as a powerful tool for business analysis and growth.

In addition, we are expanding the use of KANNA by granting access to our partner companies. Just as KANNA has addressed our internal business challenges, we believe that effective collaboration with our partners will require similar tools. Moving forward, KANNA will serve as a gateway for enhanced collaboration with our partners, enabling us to further expand our business.

Company name: Krungthai Mizuho Leasing Co., Ltd.
Business activities: Finance services, General leasing business
Date of Establishment: Febuary, 1992
Number of Employees: 138 people
Website: https://ktmizuho.co.th/