TechnoPro Holdings Inc

TSE:6028

Earnings Call Transcript 2023-Q2

[Toshihiro Hagiwara, executive]

I am Hagiwara, CFO of TechnoPro Holdings. Thank you for your time today. Last December, we published a new integrated report with more sustainability-related contents and then provided an opportunity for the investors and our outside directors to directly communicate. We hope that those who participated would have gained a further understanding of our solid governance structure.

We also plan to hold small meetings presented by operating leaders such as TechnoPro COO and Robosoft CEO. In order to indicate the progress of the midterm management plan, we have been disclosing KPIs related to the solution business every 6 months, but based on the requests from multiple investors, we decided to disclose them on the company website's fact book on a quarterly basis from now on, including not only quarterly but also YTD and LTM data.

TechnoPro has been named the Best IR award for 2 consecutive years by the Japan Investor Relations Association. We believe this is due to our efforts to reflect the insights we have obtained through our dialogue with investors in our information disclosure and market communication.

As mentioned during the previous briefing for the first quarter of this fiscal year, we revised upward our full year guidance based on the results of the first half and the KPI forecast of the second half. Although there is a concern about a global economic slowdown, we currently expect our second half performance to remain solid.

I will explain the financial results and current outlook along with the earnings presentation materials. First, let's look at the financial overviews on Page 2. Revenue for the first half of this fiscal year was JPY 98 billion, up 13.5% year-on-year, while GP was JPY 26 billion, up 19.0% or plus JPY 41 billion year-on-year, resulting in GP margin of 26.6%, 1.2 points improvement year-on-year. As shown in various KPIs, the increase in GP is due to core and solution businesses in Japan being in good shape.

The second quarter usually has more working days compared to other quarters and generally delivers a higher GP margin. The GP margin for the second quarter of this fiscal year was 25.7%, down 1.2 points year-on-year or down 1.8 points quarter-on-quarter mainly due to the impact of allowances for paid leave and year-end bonus.

As previously explained in the last financial results briefing, the first quarter of this fiscal year had a decrease of JPY 520 million in paid leave allowance year-on-year, while the second quarter recognized its partial swing back up JPY 370 million year-on-year, which has a downward effect on GP.

Furthermore, as the financial performance has surpassed the initial plan, the company decided to potentially raise its financial results linked to year-end bonus for engineers, which is scheduled to be paid in August this year by approximately JPY 1 billion and reserved around JPY 500 million for 6 months in the second quarter. If GP and operating profit announced today are lower than expected by investors and sell-side analysts, these allowance-related factors may be the reason.

Core operating profit for the first half of this fiscal year was JPY 11.1 billion, up 23.0% year-on-year, and operating profit was also JPY 11.1 billion. But due to put option liability reversal gain of about JPY 1.8 billion in the second quarter of the previous fiscal year, the year-on-year increase was limited to 0.9%.

The full year revised guidance indicates revenue of JPY 200 billion as well as core operating profit and operating profit of JPY 22 billion each. Operating profit forecast of JPY 22 billion is based on the assumption of paying JPY 1 billion more in financial results linked bonus for engineers than the initial plan.

Inflation is progressing in Japan. And the momentum for wage hike is also surging. Engineers are an important asset for the company, an investment in human capital through its financial results, linked bonus contributes to retention, attraction and motivation to acquire new technical skills. And we believe that there is sufficient justification for a reasonable return.

Page 3 shows the progress of investment for medium-term management plan implementation. We have positioned the first 2 years of the medium-term plan as an investment phase for building a solid foundation for the evolution of our core business. And for the current fiscal year, a second year of the plan, we have budgeted medium-term plan implementation cost of a little less than JPY 2.2 billion, part of which has been spent within the expected range so far.

The recruiting and training costs for solution talent in the first half of this fiscal year exceeded 50% of the progress rate. While the recruitment of presales consultants and project managers is still struggling, the recruitment of engineers with high technical skills and ability to provide high value-added services is making progress as planned.

Last year's training program was not prepared from the start, but this fiscal year, it is progressing smoothly, and the number of certifications acquired is increasing. The strategic investment appear to be slightly delayed, but the company's IT digital investment has been on track. The budget for strategic investment also includes M&A-related expenses. And there may be deviations depending on the status of M&A projects and the closing period.

Pages 4 and 5 show the quarterly performance of each PL item as well as the historical results of the key KPI that make up domestic revenue, along with the forecast for the second half of this fiscal year. So please check each one.

Pages 6 and 7 show the segment-wise performance for the first half and the second quarter, respectively. The robustness and growth potential of the R&D Outsourcing is indicated by its financial results. But please note that there may be some fluctuations in the first quarter and the second quarter on year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter basis due to the allowances mentioned earlier.

The Construction Management Outsourcing faces the largest decrease in billing hours due to COVID-19-related holidays and is also struggling with recruitment, making it less favorable compared to the R&D Outsourcing. However, as it is a business with higher profit margin originally, we can expect sufficient profit contribution if it recovers to a double-digit revenue growth like before COVID-19.

The other businesses in Japan are small in scale, and its impact on our consolidated results is minor. However, both operating profit in the first half of this fiscal year and the full year forecast are down year-on-year. The main cause is the decrease in demand for executive search for foreign companies, which flourished in the previous fiscal year due to personnel cuts and hiring freezes reported by tech companies in the U.S.

On the other hand, this segment also includes training and education business for engineers. And the recent trend in human capital investments such as re-skilling presents a significant business opportunity. By leveraging our training programs, contents and data management, we aim to launch end-to-end solution service offerings from consulting to outcome realization. This is expected to become a pillar of the engineer training business laid out in the medium-term plan.

The overseas segment significant year-on-year growth rate in the first half of this fiscal year includes the effect of Robosoft, which was not yet consolidated in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. The details for each foreign subsidiary will be explained in separate slides later.

Page 8 shows balance sheet and cash flows. The first half of this fiscal year saw a negative cash flow of JPY 3.7 billion, including the payment of corporate income taxes and year-end dividends as well as additional shares purchased in Robosoft in the first quarter. However, when considering only the second quarter, the operating cash flow was able to sufficiently cover the investing and financing cash flows.

The company's cash balance as of December 31, 2022, was JPY 33.6 billion, but this needs to be adjusted by JPY 3.5 billion for social insurance premium payments due in the following month because of the bank holiday. So please think of it as around JPY 30 billion in real terms. The end of our second quarter is usually a bank holiday, which makes the cash balance appear higher than it actually is, and this can also happen in other quarters depending on the calendar.

From Page 9, the key KPIs of the domestic business are presented. The number of engineers at the end of the second quarter of this fiscal year was 22,653 and increased 605 compared to the end of June last year. And the expected number of engineers at the end of June this year has been updated from the initial forecast of 23,600 to 24,000.

The average utilization ratio in the first half of this fiscal year was 96.0%, up 0.4 points year-on-year. The utilization ratio at the end of last December reached 96.3%. And in the second quarter, it was maintained at 96.0% or higher each month. Our utilization ratio includes around 1% equivalent of leave of absence because of maternity, sick, et cetera, in the denominator. So the actual utilization ratio exceeds 97%, suggesting a continued shortage of resources.

The next topic is the situation of recruitment and turnover. In the second quarter of this fiscal year, 800 engineers were hired, following 812 in the first quarter. And although the competition for IT talent has intensified, the company was still able to deliver results.

The strong demand led to an increase in the number of new graduates to join this April from 900 to 980. And the overall hiring plan for this fiscal year has been updated from 3,800 to 4,100, including new grads. The turnover ratio for permanent employees, which slightly worsened in the first quarter of this fiscal year, recorded a historical low of 6.0% in the second quarter. LTM-based turnover also achieved the company's target of 7.5% for the first time.

While it is premature to judge the effectiveness of the new personnel system introduced in July last year, the company will continue to work on reducing engineer attrition by increasing its financial results linked bonus along with other measures.

The details of the number of assigned engineers and year-on-year growth rate by technology area and industry sector can be found on Pages 11 and 12. The customers with March-end fiscal year are currently in their budgeting process. Some customers with a high proportion of overseas sales may become cautious in using external engineering resources due to a return to yen appreciation after rapid yen depreciation.

On the other hand, the mood of wage hike in society is considered a tailwind for the company. So we plan to be aggressive in price negotiations through contract renewal in March, while closely monitoring the situation.

Page 13 shows change in its waterfall chart in unit sales price which is one of the growth drivers towards the midterm plan target. In the first half of this fiscal year, the average monthly unit sales price increased by 1.7% to JPY 661,000 compared to JPY 650,000 in the previous period. The base charge or contract price for existing dispatch engineers at the end of December last year was up 3.4% year-on-year, and it has recovered from the stagnation caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The charge-up and shift-up efforts during March contract renewal are expected to show good results and will be realized in the figure at the end of the fourth quarter.

Next is the update of our overseas subsidiaries. Please refer to the comments section on the top of Page 14 for information on the exchange rate effect of yen depreciation compared to the previous period and the sales ratio by customer region.

North American existing customers' investment restriction led to a tough performance in Robosoft in the first half of this fiscal year, but the pipeline for new customers has been building up. And the GP margin is also improving, with growth trajectory becoming visible from the third quarter.

At the operating profit level, there are increases in SG&A expenses due to new investments such as the expansion of sales organizations in end customer markets like North America and Japan and the office opening in the U.K. There is a slight lag in the bottom out of operating profit due to these initiatives. Robosoft with March-end fiscal year is currently in the process of budgeting for its new fiscal year and is viewed as a harvesting phase for planting in this fiscal year, aiming for a year of regrowth.

Sales cooperation with Japan and Singapore is also advancing, and the entry of Robosoft into the group has made the company's overseas strategy more concrete. The performance of the China business in the first half of this fiscal year was affected by the tightening of the Zero-COVID policy. But it was still able to grow its revenue and profits due to the increase in offshore projects from Japan and transactions with local Japanese subsidiaries.

Although there is expected to be a negative impact on operations in the second half due to a surge in the number of infections caused by the shift in Zero-COVID policy, the company is still confident of maintaining full year profit at least at the same level as the previous fiscal year by shifting to high value-added solution areas.

Helius is performing the best among our overseas subsidiaries. Previously, it faced the risk of customer concentration as its sales to DBS in Singapore accounted for 80% of its total, but it has now reduced to around 30%, successfully shifting to other customers with higher GP margin.

In addition, Helius has achieved black figures soon after opening its bases in Thailand and Vietnam. And this fiscal year, it has entered Malaysia, further diversifying its regional presence in Southeast Asia. In line with our medium-term strategy, Helius is also aiming to transform into a solution company and is working to strengthen its human resources and organizations and build new capability through collaborating with Robosoft.

Orion, which posted its best performance since its founding in the first half of the previous fiscal year, has maintained the same level as the second half of the previous fiscal year despite the impact of high inflation and economic recession in the U.K. At full year's financial results briefing in August last year, I mentioned that this fiscal year would be a year in which we would assess Orion's suitability for the group's global strategy. And we also plan to consider cooperation with Robosoft's U.K. base.

Page 16 has the revised full year guidance and Page 17 has a breakdown by segment. While the revised operating profit is expected to increase by approximately JPY 1.3 billion, net profit is still expected to decrease due to the nontaxable gain on the reversal of Helius put option liability in the previous fiscal year.

Therefore, as shown on Page 18, the full year dividend forecast remains unchanged at JPY 72 per share with a dividend payout ratio of 51.7%.

Please look at Page 23 of the data references. According to the 2020 National Census, the number of engineers in Japan is 2.69 million and has increased by 260,000 in total compared to 5 years ago. Among them, IT engineers are 1.25 million and have increased by 200,000.

The turnover ratio of IT engineers is relatively high, and under the assumption that 10% of the total flow into the job market, the potential recruitment population is 125,000 people every year. However, every company in all industries is looking for IT talent, so relying solely on this resource pool is insufficient for the company.

Therefore, it is increasingly important to adopt a trainee program for less experienced hires from a wider range of occupations and to adopt immediately marketable global hires targeting foreign nationals. This recognition has led us to step up these efforts from this fiscal year.

That's all for my presentation. Thank you very much.

[Takeshi Yagi, executive]

I am Yagi, CEO of TechnoPro Holdings. Thank you for joining us today. I will explain the current business environment, the progress of the medium-term plan and our sustainability management.

Firstly, as a regular item, I will provide an overview of our business environment based on domestic KPIs. Page 2 has the contract renewal status. The contract renewal ratio at the end of December last year was 92.9%, but it could have reached at 94.1% if we had not requested cancellation from our side following our shift-up strategy.

March, which is the fiscal year-end for many customers, has a high number of development projects ending. So the number of contracts up for renewal is the highest, and the renewal ratio tends to be also low. As of now, there are no large cancellations in sight, and we expect the March renewal ratio to be around 90.5%, a similar level of the previous year.

Page 3 shows the quarterly trend of new order numbers. Although some fields have decreased compared to the same period of the previous year or the first quarter of this fiscal year, the volume of orders is sufficiently secured, and we are not worried at present. The actual situation is that while the resources of standby engineers are depleted, we are not able to respond enough to customer orders. Furthermore, in the machinery field, new orders for advanced technology continues to grow.

Page 4 displays the quarterly trend of mid-career hires by technology area. As explained by CFO, Hagiwara lastly, we have started hiring less experienced engineers and non-Japanese engineers actively. The specific number of hires has been disclosed in the comments of this page. These are carried out through a combination of OJT, alliance partners in our education program, which takes more efforts than regular recruitment but can be fully recouped through improved retention ratio.

The bar graph on Page 5 shows the proportion of IT engineers in each industry. Compared to a year ago, the proportion of IT engineers has increased in almost all industrial sectors. This may be due to the expanding portion of IT engineers in our talent portfolio, but it also shows that the priority of R&D is shifting from hardware to software across all industries. And this is in line with our strategy to focus on the digital domain.

In summary, our business environment is robust, and a shortage of engineers, particularly in the IT and digital area, continues in the medium to long term. Based on the upward revision of this year's world economic growth forecast by the IMF on January 30, some people might see that the pessimistic views are diminishing.

However, considering various risk factors, we must avoid excessive optimism and closely monitor our customers' R&D budget for their new fiscal year as well as their budget consumption status from this April while focusing on steady business operations in the second half of this fiscal year.

Next, I will explain the progress of the medium-term management plan. Page 7 has an updated slide of the midterm plan figures. Although it does not change the final year target, it reflects the updated guidance for the current period.

Operating profit for the fiscal year ended June 2021 and 2022 included the government subsidies for continuous employment and the reversal gain from Helius' put option liability. Accordingly, it is recommended to refer to core operating profit for the evaluation of business performance in real terms.

2-year CAGR for core operating profit is expected to be 11.7%, which exceeds the 11.3% CAGR for revenue. In the June 2021 fiscal year, recruitment expenses were significantly reduced. But in this fiscal year, we have spent such expenses in full scale. So it can be understood that the actual growth ratio of core operating profit is even higher. Net profit for the initial 2 years is expected to exceed the medium-term plan by JPY 6.4 billion in total.

Page 8 shows both planned and actual revenue with its composition ratios for each business together with other KPIs. The shaded bar graphs and the X points represent the forecast values for the current period based on the revised guidance.

Starting from this time, the revenue composition ratio of the core business and the solution business in Japan has changed to the ratio to the total revenue of the R&D Outsourcing and Construction Management Outsourcing segments. The total must be 100%, which we believe makes it easier to understand the progress of evolution and transformation in our business model.

The revenue composition ratio of the overseas business is based on percent of the consolidated revenue. Both of the solution business and the overseas business have been exceeding the initial plan for the first 2 years. In particular, revenue of the overseas business in this period is expected to be JPY 24 billion, growing at a good pace towards the final year target of JPY 30 billion.

GP margin is also expanding at a pace above the medium-term management plan. OP margin would decline slightly compared to the previous fiscal year, which included the put option-related gain but is expected to exceed the initial plan for the second year.

This fiscal year's SG and ratio will remain around the 15% range as we are still in the period of focused investment, as was the case in the previous fiscal year. Number of engineers and unit sales price also reflect the upward revised forecast. So far, number of engineers has increased at a pace of 8% to 9%, exceeding the 5-year CAGR of 6.2% in a medium-term plan.

On the other hand, unit sales price for this fiscal year will be JPY 669,000 per month, and its year-on-year growth is slowing down. It is recognized that further measures are necessary to reach the high target for the final year of the medium-term plan.

Please go to Page 9. While we have been spending on medium-term plan implementation cost over the first 2 years, a large portion of them are not just expenses but investments in human capital that must generate future value. We are strongly conscious of the relationship between these investments and financial performance.

Therefore, we break down the components in relation to the management and financial goals of the entire organization, set appropriate KPIs for each strategy and policy and then carry out monitoring and evaluation. Although the numerical measurement method for intangible assets such as human capital has not yet been established, we will strive to provide a persuasive explanation on how these investments are connected to financial performance and ultimately, shareholder value enhancement, taking into account the mandatory disclosure in the near future.

Page 10 shows the LTM-based GP margin development. We aim to improve GP margin by increasing the proportion of solution business in each segment. In the R&D Outsourcing segment, this fiscal year, it goes on at a level of over 25%, surpassing the previous year level. The slight decrease in the second quarter is due to the allowance-related impact from additional year-end engineer bonus as well as paid leave swing.

In the overseas segment, the effect of Robosoft inclusion had diminished, but it is still maintaining around 27%, which is higher than the R&D Outsourcing segment. Robosoft is currently in the investment phase and has been affected by pay hike in India. However, as CFO, Hagiwara explained, it has started to show signs of regrowth, and we expect GP margin to improve from the third quarter onwards.

Page 11 lists the digital technologies and solution offerings that we are focusing on. It's a reprint of past materials, so no explanation is given.

Page 12 shows continuous disclosure items related to revenue, average number of assigned engineers and average unit sales price in the Japan solution business. The figures are changed into the LTM-based, and there are some modifications as noted in the footnotes.

Also, starting from this time, the ratio of revenue and assigned headcount is not in consolidated comparison, but in comparison with the total of both R&D Outsourcing and Construction Management Outsourcing segments. While the ratio of assigned engineers is only 18%, the ratio of revenue was over 22%, which is due to the fact that solution business has a higher average unit sales price enjoying premiums.

Both revenue and number of assigned engineers in the solution business have grown by more than 3% on a quarter-on-quarter basis. On the other hand, it is possible that some technologies may become commoditized and that the allocation of junior engineers may lead to dilution of average price in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to improve technical skills in areas with customers' higher willingness to pay and to boost the number of high-priced project managers.

As announced yesterday, PC Assist, the company in charge of our engineer training business, has signed an authorized training partner agreement with the U.S. Project Management Institute. This will accelerate to build our capability to train and secure project managers.

Page 13 has an update on the progress in training engineers. During the first half of this fiscal year, we have trained additional 1,183 engineers in such fields as AI, machine learning, data science, cloud and ERP, bringing the total to 3,650. The number of certifications has also increased to 2,078 as of December end last year, backed by the increment of cloud-related ones particularly. We are targeting 3,000 AWS cloud certifications by June 2025 through collaboration with Amazon. And there has been approximately 40% progress towards this goal.

We have also entered into a strategic alliance with dentsu Japan with the aim of training 500 DX talents over 5 years, as announced in November of last year. We will continue to invest in creating engineers in high-demand fields through collaboration with alliance partners and strive to expand the value-added and high-profit solution business.

Page 14 summarizes our solution providing model, which differentiates us from other competitors like strategy consulting firms and SIers, as has been explained since the announcement of the current medium-term management plan. TechnoPro engineers work on site with customers and are able to quickly identify their real pain points.

We are able to offer the optimal solution delivery that goes beyond just planning and proposal and includes design and implementation. Customers' issues captured by engineers are concentrated at a business headquarter through one-click reporting.

Page 15 shows the results from these one-click reporting. Number of orders has increased and the contract winning rate has improved without significantly adding new sales reps.

Also, the proportion of new project type services not just driven by headcount augmentation needs has expanded, resulting in revenue growth. At the end of last year, the one-click reporting system was rolled out to other group companies, so further results are expected going forward.

Page 16 is a retelling of the overseas strategy slide. We aim to grow the overseas business in an integrated manner with Robosoft as the core and are considering bolt-on type M&A as well involving Robosoft in the deal process. Robosoft plans to soon hire over 20 analytics talents as a team to complement its capability and service value chain. As explained by CFO, Hagiwara, Robosoft is proceeding with its organization enhancement while also strengthening collaboration with other overseas and domestic subsidiaries.

Page 17 has an update on our digital transformation progress. The new main systems for the core business are being refreshed through in-house development projects, with a plan to release them gradually this year. Development is also underway for a new system for the solution business, which requires different processes and management than traditional staffing business.

In the engineer training business, the progress is being made in the launch of learning management system and the sales activities in collaboration with operating companies to expand external sales. As the need for human capital management is surging for our customers, we continue to tap into their needs and enhance consulting proposals by utilizing data and educational programs.

Development of AI engines in the DX promotion business is proceeding as planned. We are also collaborating with the University of Tokyo to visualize skill networks, creating skill management methods as announced in October of last year.

Furthermore, the back-office efficiency is improving by expanding the use of RPA. All efforts are aimed at having the company's engineers participate in system development and accumulating expertise within the company to utilize it in external sales. We've committed to achieve our internal DX initiatives to grow related businesses and enjoy operating leverage.

Next, I will explain about sustainability management. Page 19 has our value creation process, also shown in our latest integrated report. Starting from the purpose, we aim for the outcome of a sustainable society through the investment of management resources centered on technology and talent.

While evolving our core business, we would like to resolve the increasingly complex and sophisticated challenges of our customers by evolving our capabilities and gradually transforming our business model, leading to value creation and contribution to society. I would be grateful if you could also take the time to read my message at the beginning of the integrated report.

Page 20 is the organizational structure supporting sustainability management. The Sustainability Committee and the ERM Committee, which oversee entire risk management, were established with the start of the current midterm management plan. The Chairman of both committees is myself as CEO. And while being supervised by the Board of Directors, we integrate sustainability pursuits with appropriate risk management.

Following discussions in the Sustainability Committee, which has been held 3 times in the first half of this fiscal year, we started disclosing the information based on the TCFD framework in October of last year. Additionally, a Supplier Policy was established at today's Board of Directors meeting. The Supplier Policy is publicly disclosed on our website today, and our efforts will be made towards ensuring a sustainable supply chain.

Please go to Page 21. The Sustainability Committee has started discussing human capital management as talents are the source of value creation in our business model. Since joining the company as an executive in charge of human resource 10 years ago, I have worked on improving HR and welfare systems, including health management and DEI initiatives.

We use the results of an employee satisfaction survey conducted every year to consider and evaluate HR-related initiatives. From this presentation, taking into account the opinions of investors, we have decided to disclose the engagement index, which is the actual ratio of employees who did not answer unfavorably to the questions in the employee satisfaction survey. The ratio has increased from 65.7% in 2013 to 85.1% in 2022.

As to the new personnel system for engineers introduced in July of last year, I explained it in the presentation in August of last year. I hope this new system would end up reducing turnover ratio, promoting skill improvement and increasing unit sales price.

Please go to Page 22. We have identified 4 areas of materiality, human capital, technology, social responsibility and governance, which are closely related to our business strategy. We've added new KPIs considering the alignment with the midterm management plan, and the number has increased further to 61 so far.

It makes sense that the number of KPIs related to human resources is the highest, given our business model. I believe the contents have become more substantial and well rounded.

We maintained AA rating in the latest MSCI ESG Rating Report released last month. As noted in this page, TechnoPro is also included in various ESG indices, which we would like to highlight again.

The last Pages 23 and 24 show KPIs and targets for each materiality. We are confident that the expansion of these materiality and KPIs has further clarified our stance of pursuing sustainable growth by considering ESG agenda and our business operation in an integral manner.

Additionally, the evaluation acquired from outside and our proactive information disclosure are also believed to contribute to the improvement of employee retention and candidate attraction.

That concludes my presentation. Thank you very much.