Zenken Boosts Lean Sales Team With ChatGPT Enterprise

Zenken, a Japanese company specializing in web marketing and overseas human resources, is leveraging ChatGPT Enterprise to improve efficiency across its operations. By integrating advanced AI tools, the company has streamlined knowledge work and enhanced sales productivity. This shift is part of a broader trend as businesses adopt generative AI to reduce costs and improve decision-making according to OpenAI.

The company reports that ChatGPT Enterprise has enabled employees to save 30 to 50% of time on knowledge tasks. Monthly time savings of 5 to 15 hours per employee are being reinvested into higher-value work. These gains have contributed to a 50 million yen reduction in outsourcing costs compared to the previous year.

Zenken's adoption of AI is particularly evident in its sales process. Before ChatGPT Enterprise, sales teams spent significant time on preparation tasks like research and proposal creation. The AI tool now helps automate these steps, allowing teams to engage more in strategic client conversations according to OpenAI.

Why Did This Happen?

Zenken selected ChatGPT Enterprise for its advanced reasoning capabilities and security features. The company evaluated multiple solutions but found that ChatGPT Enterprise was the only one that met all 12 of its critical requirements.

Data security was a major concern for Zenken, as it handles sensitive client and internal information. The company noted that ChatGPT Enterprise guarantees that data will not be used for AI training. This feature was a deciding factor in the adoption process.

The availability of OpenAI's 2024 reasoning model was also a key driver. This model supports complex thinking and strategic decision-making, which is critical for Zenken's web marketing business. It has improved the quality of strategy planning and helped the company address management challenges more effectively.

How Did Markets React?

Zenken's use of AI has led to measurable improvements in sales performance. Proposal approval rates have increased by about 30%, and the win rate for new deals is up 5 to 10%. The ability to respond to client inquiries in real-time during meetings has also contributed to more personalized and consultative conversations.

The company's overseas human resources business has also benefited. Previously, translating job postings and contracts was a significant challenge due to context and nuance limitations in conventional tools. ChatGPT Enterprise has enabled accurate translations across multiple languages, reducing outsourcing costs and improving communication efficiency.

Employee adoption of ChatGPT Enterprise is strong, with over 90% weekly active usage. The average employee sends about 900 messages per month, indicating high integration into daily workflows.

What Are Analysts Watching Next?

Zenken's success with ChatGPT Enterprise may influence other companies in the AI tools market. The broader AI apps market is expected to grow rapidly, with a projected CAGR of 38.7% from 2025 to 2030. Zenken's experience could serve as a case study for how AI adoption can drive productivity and cost savings in small to mid-sized businesses.

Analysts are also monitoring how Zenken continues to refine its use of AI. The company has already started using the reasoning model to examine its own management challenges and new business opportunities from a strategic perspective. This could indicate a shift toward more sophisticated AI applications within the company.

The integration of AI is not without challenges. While Zenken has seen significant gains, it is still early to determine whether the trend will scale to larger organizations or whether other companies will face different adoption hurdles. The key will be how effectively businesses can align AI tools with their specific workflows and strategic goals.