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2026-07-28 · Seasonal offers

How to Plan a Legacy System Migration in Japanese Manufacturing

Most manufacturers in Gifu and Aichi that we speak to have at least one system they know needs replacing. The reasons it has not been replaced yet are usually the same: the system still works, the person who built it has retired, and nobody wants to be responsible for the disruption of changing it. This guide is for the operations manager or IT lead who has been handed that problem and needs to think through it clearly. Read more →

2026-07-14

Reading the IPA SME Security Guidelines Without Getting Lost

Japan's Information-technology Promotion Agency publishes security guidelines for small and medium enterprises, and the 2026 edition is the most detailed yet. At 87 pages, it is not a document most business owners will read cover to cover. This article pulls out the sections that are most relevant to the manufacturers and distributors we work with in Gifu and Aichi, and explains what they mean in practical terms.

2026-04-22

Why Fixed-Fee Consulting Produces Better Outcomes Than Hourly Billing

Most consulting firms bill by the hour. There are good reasons for this: it is simple to administer, it protects the consultant against scope creep, and it is the model clients are used to. We billed by the hour for the first two years of Knot Lab Mesh. In January 2020, we switched to fixed-scope, fixed-fee engagements for every project. This article explains what changed and why we think the fixed-fee model produces better outcomes for clients.

2026-02-10

Cloud vs On-Premise for Japanese Manufacturers: A Practical Framework

The cloud-versus-on-premise question comes up in almost every infrastructure assessment we run for manufacturers in Gifu and Aichi. Vendors on both sides present their position as obviously correct. The honest answer is that it depends on factors specific to each organisation. This article sets out the framework we use to think through the decision.

2026-05-19

Where to Start with Process Automation in a Mid-Size Japanese Company

Process automation is one of the most talked-about topics in business technology right now, and also one of the most misapplied. The organisations that get the most value from automation are not the ones that automate the most processes. They are the ones that automate the right processes, in a way that their team can actually maintain. This article sets out how we approach automation prioritisation with clients in Gifu and Aichi.

2026-03-11

How to Run an IT Vendor Selection Process You Can Actually Trust

Choosing between competing IT platforms or service providers is one of the decisions our clients find most difficult. The vendor sales process is designed to make every option look like the right one. This article sets out how to run a vendor selection process that produces a decision you can defend, based on criteria that reflect your organisation's actual needs.

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