UESUGI Shiro
   Department   Matsuyama University  Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business Administration
   Position   Professor
Publication Date 2007/06
Type
Peer Review With peer review
Title Consideration about Successful Introduction of Smartcard:A Comparative Case Study of IC Card Business in Shikoku
Contribution Type
Journal Journal of Entrepreneurship Research
Journal TypeAnother Country
Publisher Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs
Volume, Issue, Pages 95-126頁
Details Smartcards used in public transportation services in Japan now is more than e-Ticket; it works as e-Money and provides strong marketing tool. Railway operators are in a position to utilize the smartcard in restructuring their transportation business by reducing personnel expense, and increasing services to riders. Bound with the function of e-Money, and/or loyalty program (a points program) embedded in the smartcard pass, the benefits are not limited to restructuring but also expanding the scope of businesses. For example, Kotoden in Kagawa, a small rural regional railway operator, intends to utilize the IruCa smartcard system for the benefit of the regional economy. Iyotetsu in Matsuyama, another local operator in Shikoku, is using the IC e-Card as to collect marketing information for its subsidiary department store. This paper discusses factors for the successful introduction of smartcard. A comparative analysis about Kotoden and Iyotetsu is used for this purpose.
ISBN 09135685