Uvance Wayfinders redefines human–AI collaboration

“Japanese companies are quick to diagnose problems and create ‘prescriptions’—but few actually take the medicine,” remarks Shunsuke Onishi, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Fujitsu. He describes how many digital transformation (DX) efforts end at proof-of-concept (PoC), and structural reforms fail to take root across organizations. To overcome these barriers and build companies that not only transform but continue transforming, Fujitsu launched Uvance Wayfinders, a new global consulting initiative. From the outset, Wayfinders has operated under a global framework—bringing together leaders from inside and outside Fujitsu to create a consulting model that supports clients from strategy through execution.

According to Onishi, Wayfinders was created to fill a critical gap: despite Fujitsu’s comprehensive value chain—from research and development to system operations—the company lacked a team dedicated to translating technology into business impact and accompanying clients through actual implementation.

The decision to house this capability within Fujitsu’s core organization rather than a subsidiary stemmed from experience. Through internal initiatives such as Fujitsu Transformation (Fujitra), the company had learned that its own transformation journey could serve as a powerful source of insight for helping clients realize change.

In Japan’s IT industry, companies have long tended to delegate large-scale system implementations entirely to vendors, while vendors, seeking to hedge risk, often limited their scope of responsibility. The result was many projects that failed to deliver meaningful business outcomes—despite large investments.

“Fujitsu was no exception,” Onishi admits. “We needed to bridge the gap between engineers’ technical perspectives and executives’ management perspectives.”

From 2019, he began a fundamental reform focused on uncovering and cultivating internal talent—people capable of understanding management challenges and walking alongside clients through implementation. This initiative led to the creation of Fujitsu Uvance, a business framework for co-creating a sustainable future. Wayfinders now stands as the final piece of this transformation: a consulting organization that unites technology and business execution to deliver continuous change.

To accelerate the next phase, Fujitsu also brought in external leaders capable of acting as transformation navigators—among them Shin Shuda, who joined the company in March 2025.

Wayfinders was global from the start. Rather than exporting a Japan-proven model abroad, it was designed for global collaboration from day one. Under Shuda’s leadership, regional leads have been appointed across Japan, the U.S., Europe, and Oceania, enabling cross-regional knowledge sharing and unified execution as One Global Team.

Looking ahead, Onishi emphasizes the growing importance of AI and emerging technologies. “While AI dominates the spotlight today, many transformative technologies are on the horizon—and Fujitsu is well-positioned to harness them. Our role is to propose not just technology itself, but how to apply it effectively in business. That’s the essence of Wayfinders.”

Through initiatives like Wayfinders, Fujitsu continues to pursue transformation that inspires an entire nation. “Many believe Japan’s economy has stagnated,” says Onishi. “We want to prove otherwise. Fujitsu’s transformation aims to be the spark that ignites renewal across Japan.”
He extends an invitation to leaders beyond Fujitsu: “We cannot transform Japan alone. To companies that share our vision—let us create the future together. By building a globally relevant transformation model from Japan, we can leave behind an economy the next generation will be proud of.”
Shuda adds: “No Japanese company has ever developed its own consulting model and expanded it globally. This is the first step toward winning on the world stage. With more partners joining us, I’m confident that Japan-born transformation will reach the world.”

Fujitsu’s Uvance Wayfinders initiative—powered by advanced technology, deep industry expertise, and a spirit of co-creation—is already shaping the future of management in the AI era.