UPWARD’s series “Redesigning the Last Mile of Financial Sales” was featured in the *Financial Economy News* (Part 2: Data Scientist Richard Rodriguez)
The second installment of UPWARD’s series “Redesigning the Last Mile of Financial Sales” was published on page 5 of the June 15, 2026, issue of the *Financial and Economic News*. In this series, members from various departments at UPWARD take turns writing each installment. For the second installment, UPWARD data scientist Richard Rodriguez wrote an article titled “Mathematical Optimization Solves the ‘Opportunity Cost of Travel’ in Client Visits.”
In the second installment, the author identifies the structural opportunity cost—where sales representatives lose time to daily “travel” and miss out on customer interactions that should be prioritized—as the “last-mile problem,” and discusses solutions using mathematical optimization. UPWARD is an AI agent specialized for field sales (outside sales) equipped with features such as an AI scheduler and AI meeting minutes, supporting the transformation of sales operations across various industries, including financial institutions.
Please read this issue for more details on the concept of using data to address “opportunity loss due to travel” in regional financial outreach activities and to improve sales productivity.
* This article is reprinted from the print edition of the *Financial and Economic News* (it is not available online; it is published here with permission to reproduce the print version).
Click here to read the article ( Financial and Economic News, June 15, 2026, Page 5)
About the Series
"Redesigning the Last Mile of Financial Sales" is a series published by UPWARD that explores the transformation of sales operations at financial institutions.Each installment is written by a different member of UPWARD’s diverse team—including the Vice President, Data Scientists, Customer Success specialists, and the CEO—who discuss the “last mile” of financial sales from their respective areas of expertise.
Series Part 1 (Vice President Masaki Ishida): https://upward.jp/info/20260609-1/
Introducing the Authors of Issue 2
UPWARD Co., Ltd.
Data Scientist
Richard Rodriguez
Graduated from the School of Information Engineering at Nagoya Institute of Technology and completed a master’s degree at the Graduate School of Information Science at Nagoya University. During his student years, he conducted research on machine learning. He came to Japan on a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). In 2019, he worked as a machine learning engineer engaged in research and development of image analysis.
Since then, he has been working as a data scientist engaged in AI research, development, and consulting.
About the *Financial and Economic News*
The Financial and Economic News is a specialized newspaper published every Monday that focuses on finance and the economy. It provides in-depth coverage of regulatory developments from the Financial Services Agency, the Ministry of Finance, and the Bank of Japan, as well as detailed news on various financial sectors, including megabanks, city banks, trust banks, regional banks, credit unions, labor credit banks, agricultural cooperatives, securities firms, life insurance companies, property and casualty insurance companies, credit card companies, consumer finance companies, and consumer credit firms.
Source: Kinkei Shimbun Official Website https://www.kinkei-press.co.jp/
▼Learn more about UPWARD
Product page for "UPWARD," an SFA/CRM system specialized for field sales: https://upward.jp/
ABOUT UPWARD CORPORATION
Guided by its purpose to “unlock the creativity of field workers and accelerate the growth of businesses and society,” UPWARD, Inc. provides AX services specifically designed to address the challenges faced by field workers who visit client sites and create value through in-person interactions with customers. By leveraging technology to create an environment where workers can perform their duties using just a mobile device, the company aims to build a world where people can thrive regardless of their location or circumstances.
Company Profile
Company name UPWARD Co.
Location 26F Marunouchi Eiraku Building, 1-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative Ryusuke Kaneki, CEO and Representative Director
Year Established July 2016
Capital 100 million yen
Business Activities: Development and provision of the field sales AI agent "UPWARD"
Press contact
UPWARD Co., Ltd. Corporate Headquarters, PR Team
Tel: 03-6897-3683
Mail pr@upward.jp
The names of the companies mentioned in this document are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.
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