Hello, I'm Matsubara, a CRM consultant/CRM expert and CRM evangelist.

"Through CRM, we aim to enhance Japan's value in the world and create a world where smiles abound."

This is the mission of Arcus Japan Co., Ltd.

Arcus Japan, a CRM specialist company, has supported a wide range of companies, from large corporations to startups, in "building customer relationships." However, its true nature is that of more than just a system vendor or a consulting firm.

This company prides itself on being "Japan's first and world's leading group of CRM experts," advocating a new concept called CRM 4.0, and aiming to transform Japan's CRM culture itself.

This article explains what kind of company Arcus Japan is, what fundamentally differentiates it from other companies, and why EMOROCO CRM Lite was created, along with its philosophy and history.

The philosophy behind our company name: "Artists for Customer Success"

The company name Arcuss Japan is a coined word derived from the phrase **"ARtists for CUStomer Success"**.

The word "Japan" indicates that we are not a company focused solely on the Japanese domestic market, but rather a group of Japan-based experts dedicated to delivering global customer success .

There's an even deeper meaning to this. Arcus Japan believes that "Japanese people have the cultural foundation to best handle CRM." The traditional Japanese spirit of "omotenashi"—putting yourself in the customer's shoes, understanding their unspoken needs, and providing service that exceeds expectations—is precisely what aligns with the essence of "co-creation with customers" that CRM 4.0 aims for.

We believe that top CRM experts should come from Japan, and we are proud to say that Arcus Japan is the company that will make that happen—this statement encapsulates our fundamental self-awareness as a company.

Furthermore, as a global CRM company, Arcus Japan Co., Ltd. values ​​its connections with customers through a spirit of hospitality that treats both the customer and the client as one, and its commitment to providing CRM solutions based on trust and satisfaction underlies all of its services.

The history of CRM as led by CEO Shinsuke Matsubara

When discussing Arcus Japan, my own career as CEO, Shinsuke Matsubara, is inseparable.

I was involved in the launch of Dynamics CRM at Microsoft Japan and was the first Japanese person to receive the Microsoft MVP for Dynamics CRM award (2007), making me one of Japan's top experts in the CRM field.

Tracing their history reveals why Arcus Japan is so committed to CRM.

During my time at Accenture: I gained cutting-edge experience in corporate transformation and IT strategy at one of the world's largest consulting firms. I honed my skills in solving management challenges for large corporations from both a systems and strategy perspective.

During my time at Infragistics Japan: I participated in the establishment of the Japanese subsidiary of a US-based IT company. As a technical evangelist, I led product marketing and helped get the business on track.

During his time at Microsoft Japan: As a founding member of the Dynamics CRM team, he worked as a pre-sales engineer, advocating CRM 2.0: Platformed CRM (xRM), creating numerous solutions, and pioneering new markets, earning him the Circle of Excellence award, given to Microsoft's top performers worldwide. He contributed to growing Dynamics CRM, which was a latecomer to the CRM market and a first for Microsoft, into one of Microsoft's strategic products in just five years.

Independent since 2012: Spinning out from Microsoft in 2012, the company has consistently worked to popularize and implement CRM in Japan. At the time, it focused on consulting services such as customer success, customer journey mapping, CCO (Chief Customer Officer) setup and implementation support, business improvement, change management, and customer strategy planning, which were still largely absent in Japan. It also provided end-to-end support for the implementation, operation, maintenance, and improvement of Microsoft's Dynamics CRM (now Dynamics 365) system.

Arcus Japan was established in July 2020 through a business spin-off from Artisan Co., Ltd. In its CRM business, Arcus Japan is a top-class organization in Japan with extensive CRM experience and achievements, led by a leading expert in platformed CRM (CRM 2.0). As a leading CRM company in Japan, it provides unparalleled success know-how at high quality and low prices, supporting domestic and international customers and many CRM vendors.

In 2024, he published his book " Versatylist: How to Become a Top Performer (One in 10,000) by Age 35" with Kodansha . He actively engages in activities that support the growth of business professionals by sharing insights that go beyond the realm of CRM.

A fundamentally different definition of CRM compared to other companies.

What fundamentally sets Arcus Japan apart from other CRM companies is its definition of CRM itself.

Generally, CRM is understood as "a tool or system for managing customer information." However, Arcus Japan defines CRM on a completely different level.

CRM is the sole management strategy that handles the brain and service (hospitality) of a company. It is a concept that views a corporation as a single human being and considers it as human psychology, or in other words, "corporate psychology." Without CRM, a corporation becomes an emotionless human being, making it an essential and crucial management method for becoming a trustworthy company.

"It's not about 'installing tools,' but about 'companies having emotions'"—this is Arcus Japan's view on CRM.

Furthermore, Arcus Japan prides itself on being a unique group of CRM experts led by a leading CRM expert, the originator of CRM 2.0, and a specialist in corporate psychology (CRM Doctor/CRM Consultant).

One of Arcus Japan's important intellectual contributions is the systematization of the evolutionary path from CRM 1.0 (digitalization of customer ledgers) → CRM 2.0 (platformed CRM/business integration) → CRM 3.0 (personalized CRM/individual customer understanding) → **CRM 4.0 (creative CRM/co-creation)**.

Arcus Japan's "End-to-End CRM Support"

Our business activities are diverse, including providing our own products and services (planning, development, and operation), CRM consulting support, CRM system requirements definition, design, construction, and development support, and various support services related to Microsoft products for corporations (business consulting, SI proposal support, construction support, development consulting, development support, operation, manual creation, and training).

What's particularly noteworthy is their approach of "handling everything from strategy to implementation seamlessly."

Many IT companies tend to consider their work finished once a system is implemented. However, Arcus Japan supports the entire CRM lifecycle, from customer strategy planning to system design and construction, on-site implementation support, and the design of operation, maintenance, and improvement cycles.

Main areas of support:

• Customer strategy planning: Designing the direction for implementing CRM, including the purpose and the type of customer relationship to aim for.
• CRM system development: Building an enterprise-level CRM centered around Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Provided by EMOROCO CRM Lite: No-code CRM for small and medium-sized enterprises, starting from ¥1,500 per month.
• Operation and maintenance services: Subscription-based support for continuous CRM improvement even after implementation.
• Training and Education: An educational program that supports the adoption of CRM within your company, from its underlying philosophy to its practical operation.

We support customers both domestically and internationally, as well as numerous CRM vendors, and our track record of supporting a wide range of companies, from large corporations to medium-sized and small businesses.

Why was EMOROCO CRM Lite created?

There is a clear philosophy behind Arcus Japan's creation of EMOROCO CRM Lite, a service priced at just 1,500 yen per month, despite being an expert in enterprise CRM.

We want to focus on the EMOROCO solution. At Arcus Japan, we call EMOROCO a solution rather than a product because it's not a finished product. CRM is completed by incorporating the requirements of the company or organization that implements it, so no two are exactly alike.

In short, EMOROCO is not just software. It's a solution that "grows" to match the business workflow, customer characteristics, and organizational structure of the company that implements it.
This is the essence of the concept of "CRM that grows to suit your business needs."

Furthermore, the reason EMOROCO targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) stems from Arcus Japan's mission. It is a reality that has become clear after more than 20 years of supporting large corporations— there are countless SMEs in Japan that continue to rely on individual efforts to maintain customer relationships without being able to benefit from CRM —and it is a strong desire to change that reality.

EMOROCO is designed based on cloud services provided by Microsoft, and uses AI to collect and analyze customer information, supporting effective marketing tailored to customer preferences, emotions, and characteristics. The unique value that only Arcus Japan can offer lies in providing an enterprise-level design foundation while maintaining a user-friendly price and operation for small and medium-sized businesses.
EMOROCO CRM Lite Product Page

"The unity of host and guest"—the spirit that Arcus Japan cherishes.

The keyword that best symbolizes Arcus Japan's corporate philosophy is **"Customer-Person Unity"**.

The concept of "service and customer unity" means that "the provider (service) and the recipient (customer) become one." It reflects not just fulfilling customer requests, but also taking the customer's success as one's own and walking alongside them.

This perfectly aligns with the CRM 4.0 philosophy of "treating customers as co-creation partners." Arcus Japan itself is putting CRM 4.0 into practice in its relationships with client companies.

"Through CRM, we aim to enhance Japan's value in the world and create a world where smiles abound"—this mission is not merely a slogan. It is a statement that encapsulates the CRM knowledge accumulated over more than 20 years, the pride in Japan's hospitality culture, and our determination to share it with the world.

Summary — Why Arcus Japan is "One of a Kind"

If we were to describe Arcus Japan in one sentence, it would be **"Japan's only group of CRM specialists capable of providing comprehensive support for CRM philosophy, strategy, systems, and implementation."**

For any company considering implementing CRM, Arcus Japan is not just a company that sells tools. It is a unique partner that works alongside you from the very foundation of your business: "how to design relationships with customers."

As a first step, try the free trial of EMOROCO CRM Lite. Starting small at just 1,500 yen per month, the CRM knowledge and philosophy that Arcus Japan has cultivated over more than 20 years will support your company's customer strategy.

Related article: [What is CRM? - A complete explanation of the evolution from "customer management" to "co-creation with customers" up to CRM 4.0]

Related article: [Why start with SMEs when it can be used in enterprises? — The strategic reasons behind EMOROCO CRM Lite]

Related article: [What is required of a CRM consultant? — A complete explanation of the skills, qualifications, and mindset required in the CRM 4.0 era]