Shimadzu, other companies launch HPMA

Ajinomoto Co., Inc., SCSK Corporation, OMRON Corporation, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, Shimadzu Corporation, JMDC Inc., Nippon Life Insurance Company, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation announced today, June 30, 2023, the establishment of the Health & Productivity Management Alliance. We are also pleased to announce that, on behalf of these eight lead managing companies, Yoshihito Yamada, Chairman of OMRON Corporation, has assumed the chairpersonship of the Alliance.

Promoting health and productivity management® (H&PM) has become imperative in practicing human capital management, an approach of perceiving employees as company assets, along with corporate productivity enhancement. Many company-run health insurance societies are facing financial difficulties, and their sustainability is at risk. Recognizing these management challenges as social issues commonly faced by Japanese corporations, eight companies from different industries will lead the initiative to encourage other companies to participate in the Alliance.

As of its inception on June 30, 2023, over 100 companies and organizations, who resonate with the Alliance’s vision, “To revitalize Japanese companies and achieve sustainability of company-run health insurance societies by promoting employees’ well-being,” have announced their participation. While continuing to call for participation, the Alliance will take data-driven approaches to identify issues, implement solutions, and evaluate measures thus taken by promoting health collaboration between companies and the societies. By consistently implementing the PDCA cycle based on a data health plan, the Alliance intends to design a model for H&PM, co-create solutions to make it work, and implement them in the industrial world.

Message from Yoshihito Yamada, Chairperson, Health & Productivity Management Alliance (Chairman, OMRON Corporation)
With the much-touted advent of the “era of the 100-year lifespan,” extending healthy life expectancies is a challenge common to all humankind. With its population being by far the world’s oldest, Japan attracts international attention for its resolute attempt to solve challenges in the country’s super-aged society.

The mission of the Alliance, which we have just launched, reads, “To increase the competitiveness of Japanese companies and achieve sustainability of company-run health insurance societies by promoting employees’ well-being.” Sharing the purpose with leading companies working on health & productivity management, we have established two goals that we will pursue. The first goal is to accelerate value creation by human resources. In the past, companies have enhanced corporate value by expanding their tangible assets. Going forward, however, human resources will be the source of value created. We intend to help enhance corporate value by fostering an environment where employees work happily and in good shape. The second goal is to achieve sustainability of company-run health insurance societies. In recent years, many health insurance societies have been on the verge of running a deficit. As the length of service of their members increases, the number of physician visits by the elderly rises, aggravating the financial situation of health insurance societies. To address this issue, health insurance societies are organizing projects to promote their members’ health, but they have yet to establish an effective process. The Alliance will assist health insurance societies in achieving fiscal soundness by utilizing healthcare data to ensure early intervention for members with health risks.

We at the Alliance are determined to take the lead in practicing H&PM and developing and implementing relevant solutions by facilitating cooperation with government agencies and research institutions, as well as among our member companies from different industries, types of businesses, or corporate groups. In so doing, we vow to empower Japan.

Makeup of the Alliance

MB Bureau