Orix Bank Corporation creates sustainable office culture with better communication enabled by Microflex Ecosystem

Customer Profile

Orix Bank Corporation is a Japanese banking institution renowned for its unconventional approach to banking services. With a strong emphasis on sustainability and a commitment to innovating traditional practices, Orix has garnered attention for its distinctive business model that eschews physical branches and ATMs in favor of internet and telephone-based deposit services. By challenging established norms, the bank sets itself apart in the industry and strives to deliver exceptional value to its customers.

In line with a sustainability- and employee-focused management policy, Orix embarked on a comprehensive two-year office reform project to evolve its way of working. The endeavor included the renovation of conference rooms to create diverse workspaces that enhance communication among teams, support flexible work styles and allow for new ways to use available rooms. 

Challenge

The bank recognized a need for collaboration environments and equipment that stimulated effective communication, especially through improvements in sound quality and user-friendliness.  

Although web conferencing had become a standard business communication tool, users mainly relied on their personal laptops, using built-in microphones and speakers. When multiple participants gathered in a conference room to join a call, communication barriers arose for those sitting at the far ends of a table or room who struggled to hear and actively engage in the conversation. Existing room systems (mainly speakerphones) were also inadequate both in terms of acoustic and functional performance

The General Affairs team was often called in to address sound-related issues during meetings, which further created an operational burden on top of poor user experience.  

To overcome these obstacles, Orix sought a comprehensive audio solution that provided high-quality audio, that seamlessly integrated and adapted to various conference rooms, and ensured ease of use for all employees.

Solution

With support from ITC systems design and construction partner Uchida Yoko and system integrator Sanken Systems, Orix implemented varied combinations of Microflex Ecosystem solutions to cater to the characteristics and needs of each environment.  

A café lounge (the “Studio”), large seminar room, large and medium-sized conference rooms, and a flexible multi-purpose space with moveable walls were all equipped with MXA910 and MXA920 Ceiling Array Microphones, IntelliMix P300 Audio Processors, and MXN5W Networked Loudspeakers. A Microflex Wireless System with Handheld Microphones was also provided to give an alternative option for different presenter preferences.

All solutions seamlessly integrated with the conference room control systems, making it easy for anyone to use the audio system. Simple networked installation using LAN cables also made the Microflex Ecosystem highly compatibility with IT infrastructures and workflows, which further added to user-friendliness from an IT operations standpoint.

We considered solutions from several brands, but the overall power of Shure was on a whole other level. The Microflex Ecosystem solved a variety of issues with a single architecture and was the best fit for Orix’ needs.

Mr. Ryusuke Ota, Office Enterprise Division, Uchida Yoko

Advantages

The Microflex Ecosystem solution has been praised for its effectiveness in business and operations. Users have commended the simplified interface, improved audio quality and aesthetics with comments such as "easier to use", “easier to understand who is speaking” and "looks better".  

Moreover, Orix’ General Affairs team no longer receives reports of problems or complaints regarding audio quality. Consequently, they have been able to streamline operational support and no longer require dedicated personnel to monitor and maintain conferencing equipment.  

We were able to solve various acoustic and user issues in multiple conference rooms using the Microflex Ecosystem. The conference room can now be used without even thinking about the technology and it is easy to converse with clear audio.

Mr. Tomokazu Ikezoe, Manager, General Affairs and Human Resources Department,  Orix Bank Corporation