Our company has the technical capabilities.
That alone doesn't convey the message.
- Five pillars for conveying invisible technological capabilities -

Hello, this is Haga from the BtoB team.
As we work on renewing the websites of B2B companies (especially those in the manufacturing industry), there is one thing we often hear from corporate web managers:

Our company has the technical capabilities.

When you actually talk to them, you get the sense that Japan is home to many B2B companies with amazing technology that they can be proud of on a global scale, such as producing products that hold the world's top market share or having unique strengths that cannot be imitated.
However, even if we say "technical ability," the content varies from company to company. The word "technical ability" alone certainly raises questions such as "Is it true?" and "What kind of technical ability does it refer to?"

Technical ability does not come from a single element, but is often made up of several elements.

Furthermore, the company's employees may not necessarily be fully aware of this, and there may be aspects that they are unaware of.
Furthermore, even if you are aware of this, it is not easy to clearly communicate it to users and have them understand it through your website.

To date, we have worked on the websites of many BtoB companies, driven by our desire to "communicate the amazing technology of BtoB companies to as many people as possible."

So, what are the key points when communicating technical capabilities?
How can we express this on our website so that it can be conveyed to users?

In this article, we will introduce some key ideas we consider important when creating content that conveys a company's technical capabilities to users in website production, and how we actually incorporate them into the content.

The Importance of Frameworks

When we create content that conveys our technical capabilities and think about how to communicate this to users, there is a framework that serves as the basis for our thinking.

First of all, why use a framework?
The reason is that when thinking about something, having a focal point or not can greatly affect how you proceed and the precision of your content.

When figuring out what exactly technical ability means, you can use the framework to interview companies and then incorporate that into your content. Having a core will help prevent deviations in your thinking and create consistency.

Based on the knowledge we have gained from creating corporate websites to date, we have come up with five key points to consider when communicating our technical capabilities.

<Five axes for conveying technical capabilities>

People, things, and money are often cited as three elements of management resources, and these five axes were developed from these as a way of thinking about conveying technological capabilities.

Next, I will explain the content of each axis.

1. Humans

First, let's talk about "people," an essential element of any company.

One of the essential elements for a company to exist is the presence of people. By people, I mean the company's employees.
We believe that focusing on employees from the perspective of "what kind of people work here," "how they work," and "how they develop their skills" is important in communicating our technical capabilities.

For example, you can post content that delves deeply into the human resources that are the source of technical capabilities, by using interviews with employees or roundtable discussions with other employees to tell users things like "What department do they work in?" and "What kind of attitude do they have toward their work?"

In addition, if a company has its own unique employee training system or backup structure, communicating this in the form of content will show that the company has solid systems and structures that serve as the foundation for improving the technical skills of its employees.

2. Things

Next, I would like to talk about the axis of "things" that support our technological capabilities.

The term "things" here refers not to the products themselves, but to the "facilities" used to manufacture them. Having a good set of facilities means that you have the foundations to make good products.
By introducing the equipment that produces technological capabilities from the perspective of "what kind of equipment do they use for manufacturing" and "what kind of lines do they have," we can convey that the company has the foundation for making quality products.

For example, you can create content to introduce your factory and introduce its equipment and production lines. By using photos, illustrations, and videos, you can convey explanations that would be difficult to understand with just text in a visual way.

Additionally, if a company has the facilities to properly carry out research and development and quality testing, it can introduce the facilities where such research, development, and quality testing is carried out and communicate that the necessary environment is in place.

3. Things

The third axis is "Koto" (=initiatives).

If there are efforts to improve and maintain technical capabilities, focus on those efforts. It is not enough to simply convey that the "things = equipment" mentioned earlier are in place. It is also necessary to convey how the equipment is being utilized.
We will communicate this from the perspective of "What do we do to maintain quality?" and "What processes are used in manufacturing?"

The content will include reports on unique in-house projects, study sessions, and research and development.

In addition, users would be able to gain a deeper understanding if there were a page that explained the quality verification system, structure, and workflow (such as the production line and research and development system).

4. Know-how

Next, I would like to introduce the axis of "know-how."

We focus on the know-how and knowledge that a company has accumulated to date, proving the high level of the company's technological capabilities. Outputting this knowledge also leads to trust in the company.
We will communicate from the perspective of "what kind of know-how do you have?" and "how do you prove that know-how?"

For example, we will compile reports on key points and know-how for product production and industry trends, and introduce them as content.

If your company has any writing or speaking engagements or has been featured in the media, you can list this to convey that you have a wealth of know-how.

5. Results

The last dimension is "results."

Here, we focus on "symbolic results" that have been achieved thanks to advanced technology. If there is a significant achievement that has been recognized by users, or a work that can be called a work of art that has been created using advanced technology, posting it will serve as proof that the results were produced by technical ability.
We will be communicating this information from the perspective of "what kind of evaluations have they received from third parties?" and "what are some examples of cases where they have produced particularly successful results?"

For example, if you have any patents or awards related to your technology, you should include them.

Case studies are also effective, but rather than simply listing examples, be sure to also clearly communicate any particularly successful cases or works that were created using your technology.

lastly

What did you think of the "Five axes for communicating technical capabilities"?

In business activities, people use things to establish things, which accumulate and become know-how, which then leads to results. Breaking down each of these things and communicating them to users from various angles through our website is proof that "we have the technological capabilities."

We hope that web managers will take another look at the appeal of their company from the perspective of these "five axes" for communicating their technical capabilities, and use this as a hint for future website operations.