[AI x Input Design 11] Tanaka-kun, turning a 60-point report into a 90-point one with AI - AI utilization techniques to transform raw field information into words that reach the reader
👥 Character Introductions
🌱 Tanaka-kun (Left side of screen)
In his 20s.
A man of action who is full of curiosity and tries things out as soon as he becomes interested in them.
He was a beginner with AI, but
"Let's just give it a try"
thanks to this personality, he is gradually expanding the scope of his usage.
The protagonist of this work.
☕ Hayashi-san (Center of screen)
Early 30s.
Tanaka-kun's friend.
A type who listens well to others and is good at taking care of people.
With a personality that can genuinely be happy for others' growth,
he is the person who sparked Tanaka-kun's interest in AI.
In this work, he also plays the role of posing questions from a perspective close to the reader.
🏭 Mr. Sato (right side of screen)
Early 40s.
Extremely capable at work, but
never shows it off.
He doesn't look down on or dismiss others,
but listens carefully to what they have to say,
guiding them by helping them reach their own realizations.
Rather than just being a power user of AI,
he is a reliable senior colleague who uses AI naturally
as a result of years of continuous improvement activities.
This is an article in the Tanaka-kun series.
Tanaka-kun, turning a 60-point report into a 90-point one
Tanaka-kun stood in front of the department manager's desk, feeling a little nervous.
In the report he submitted, he had intended to write about what he saw and felt on-site, as well as points that could be improved.
He certainly hadn't cut any corners. In fact, he had written it quite seriously.
After looking through the report, the manager paused for a moment and said,
“Tanaka, about your report. The logic isn't bad”
Tanaka-kun felt a little relieved.
“Thank you very much.”
However, the manager continued.
"But as it stands, it's a 60-point report."
"60 points... is it?"
Tanaka-kun's expression clouded over slightly. He had thought he had written it reasonably well himself.
The manager did not go so far as to reject the report right there.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying your ideas are bad. Your eye for the field is not bad either. In fact, I value that part."
Tanaka-kun looked up.
"Then, what is missing?"
The manager pointed to a part of the report.
"There isn't enough explanation to reach the reader. When someone who doesn't know the field reads this, it's a bit hard to understand why this is a problem or why this improvement is necessary."
"I see..."
"Tanaka, you've been using AI a lot lately, haven't you?"
"Yes. I've been using it a little to organize reports and review my writing."
The manager nodded.
"Then, why don't you try taking this to 90 points with the help of AI?"
Tanaka-kun was a little surprised.
"With AI?"
"Yes. I don't mean you should just dump it on the AI. Try having it organize the good parts of your report, the missing parts, and the parts that a reader might have questions about."
The manager continued.
"The material in this report isn't bad. It just hasn't fully taken the form that reaches the reader. If that's the case, you should just use AI to find the gaps in your explanation."
Tanaka-kun nodded after thinking for a moment.
"I understand. How should I ask the AI?"
The manager wrote a simple note on a piece of paper.
"Ask it like this."
Read this report and organize the good parts, the parts that are difficult to understand, the parts where the explanation is insufficient, and the parts that supervisors or other departments might have questions about.
Without changing the intent of the report, provide suggestions for improvement to make it easier for the reader to understand.
Tanaka-kun looked at the note with wide eyes.
"I think I can ask that."
"Exactly. AI is not a tool to write reports for you. It is a tool to refine your thoughts into a form that reaches the other person."
Tanaka-kun adjusted his grip on the report.
The word "60 points" from earlier no longer sounded like just a critique.
Now, it looked like a starting point to get closer to 90 points.
The manager said at the end,
"What matters is not whether you used AI or not. It is whether your thoughts properly reach the reader. Go polish that with the AI."
Tanaka-kun nodded clearly.
"Yes. I will try."
Tanaka-kun hits the wall between 80 and 90 points
Tanaka-kun was repeating the same question over and over while staring at the screen with the AI.
"Please make this report better."
The AI replied immediately.
Making the conclusion clearer and supplementing the basis for the numbers will increase persuasiveness.
Also, writing the proposed measures concretely will make it easier for the reader to understand.
Tanaka-kun made the corrections as suggested.
I asked the AI again.
“What should I fix to make it even better?”
The AI answered again.
“You should make the conclusion concise, clarify the rationale, and make the countermeasures concrete.”
Tanaka-kun furrowed his brows in front of the screen.
“...It’s not much different from before.”
It wasn't that the AI's answer was wrong.
But he felt it hadn't reached the 'last 10 points' Tanaka-kun was looking for.
The report, which he had revised through repeated exchanges with the AI, was open on the screen.
He was confident it was much better than when he first submitted it to the department manager.
He had moved the conclusion to the front.
He had added the numerical basis.
He had made the countermeasure proposals concrete.
He had also included a perspective on preventing recurrence.
Considering the '60-point' status the department manager had mentioned, he had made significant progress.
Tanaka-kun himself thought he had reached about 80 points by now.
Even so, something was missing.
“Hmm... where should I tighten it up for the last 10 points?”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind him.
“Oh my, Tanaka-kun. It looks like you're working hard with the AI, but you have quite a gloomy expression on your face.”
When Tanaka-kun turned around, Sato-san was standing there.
“Sato-san... actually, I'm stuck on revising my report.”
“I see. Is it the report you submitted to the department manager?”
"Yes. The manager told me that while the logic isn't bad, it's only a 60-point report as it stands. So, he suggested I try aiming for 90 points with the help of AI."
Sato-san nodded slowly.
"So, how far have you gotten?"
"In my view, I think I've managed to bring it up to about 80 points. I've had the AI review it many times, organized the conclusions, and added the necessary figures. I also believe I've made the countermeasures quite concrete."
"I see."
"But I don't know how to get those last 10 points. Even when I ask the AI, it just keeps giving me the same feedback... Honestly, it's giving me a headache."
Sato-san peered at Tanaka-kun's screen.
After reading the report in silence for a while, Sato-san murmured a soft "Hmm."
"Tanaka-kun."
"Yes?"
"This report is very well done. As a report written by someone who sees the front lines, the logic is quite sound."
Tanaka-kun's expression brightened slightly.
"Really?"
"Yes. Really. However, there is one thing that concerns me."
Tanaka-kun immediately straightened his posture.
"What would that be?"
Sato-san pointed to the text on the screen.
"There is too much jargon specific to the field."
"Specific to the field, you say?"
"That's right. You know the manufacturing floor well. That's why you're able to write in language that people on the floor understand. That is your strength."
Sato-san paused for a moment and continued.
"However, not everyone who reads this has the same field experience as you."
Tanaka-kun looked at the screen in silence.
"For example, the department manager can still read it because they have field experience. But when managers from other departments or people in management read it, it might be a bit difficult for them to understand it the same way."
"In other words, it's not that the content is bad, but..."
"Exactly. It's not the content, it's that the translation is insufficient."
"Translation..."
Sato-san nodded.
"We people in the field tend to explain things using field jargon. Lots, setup, rework, contamination, man-hours for verification, recurrence prevention. These are all important terms, but their significance is hard to convey to people who don't know the field."
Tanaka-kun thought about it for a moment.
"You're right, I might have been writing under the assumption that the reader already understands."
"That's it. Your report is very clear to people in the field. But to those who don't know the field, it's hard to see why it's a problem or how big the impact is."
Sato-san looked at Tanaka-kun.
"So, you should try changing how you use AI."
"How should I change it?"
"Don't ask the AI to make the report better. Ask it to translate your field jargon into language that someone who doesn't know the field can understand."
Tanaka-kun was struck by the idea.
"Use it as a translator..."
"Exactly. The AI doesn't know the field in your place. But if you provide the field information, it can organize it into a form that reaches a general reader."
Sato-san wrote something briefly on a notepad.
This report contains many expressions from the manufacturing floor.
Please rephrase technical terms and site-specific jargon so that they are easy to understand for managers with little on-site experience and people in other departments.
However, do not weaken the intent of the site or the seriousness of the problems.
Tanaka-kun stared at the text.
"I see... I was only asking the AI to 'make it better'."
"Even so, you can get to 80 points. But to get to 90, you need to be clear about who the report is for."
Sato-san said calmly.
"Turn the language of the site into language that reaches management. That's where you use AI."
Tanaka-kun's expression gradually brightened.
"Sato-san, I think I can close the gap by another 10 points with this."
"That's right. What your report was missing wasn't enthusiasm or information volume. It was a bridge to the reader."
"A bridge to the reader..."
"Yes. You have the raw information from the site. AI will help you build that bridge."
Tanaka-kun turned back to his computer once more.
The report, which had seemed so heavy until just a moment ago, now looked a little different.
I felt like I could finally see the places that needed fixing.
"Alright... I'll ask the AI one more time."
Sato-san smiled with satisfaction.
"That's it, Tanaka-kun. The final job of turning an 80-point report into a 90-point one isn't about adding more text. It's about increasing the number of people who understand it."
Hayashi-san finds another wall in the report
Tanaka-kun read the report on the screen over and over again.
The language of the site was organized with surprising clarity.
"This... this might actually work."
The corners of Tanaka-kun's mouth relaxed just a little.
The time when the department manager told him it was a '60-point' report felt like a long time ago.
Based on the advice he received from Sato-san, Tanaka-kun had been interacting with the AI repeatedly.
Turning the language of the site into language that managers and people in other departments can understand.
Since realizing that approach, the report had become much easier to read.
He had the feeling that a bridge was gradually being built over the places where he had been stuck just a moment ago.
"Alright... this might actually be getting much better."
When Tanaka-kun muttered this to himself, he heard another voice.
"Tanaka-kun, it looks like you're working really hard on that report."
He turned around to see Hayashi-san looking at him.
"Hayashi-san."
"I saw you getting some advice from Sato-san earlier. You look much brighter now, but how is it coming along?"
Tanaka-kun smiled, looking a little embarrassed.
"Yes. Sato-san suggested I try translating the language of the field into words that would resonate with the reader. I'm working hard on it with the AI right now."
"I see."
"Would you like to take a look?"
Hayashi-san leaned in slightly.
"If you're working that hard on it, let me take a look."
Tanaka-kun turned the screen toward Hayashi-san.
Hayashi-san began to read the report slowly.
At first, he read it while nodding.
However, halfway through, his expression clouded over just a little.
Tanaka-kun noticed the change immediately.
"Um... is there something that concerns you?"
Hayashi-san said, without taking his eyes off the screen.
"Hmm. I think it's very well done. It's much better organized than before."
"Really?"
"Ah. It's become much easier to see what's happening on the ground, including the problems and the countermeasures."
Tanaka-kun felt relieved.
However, Hayashi-san paused for a moment there.
"But, Tanaka-kun. There are still some expressions left that require a bit of specialized knowledge."
"Specialized knowledge, you say?"
"That's right. Sato-san has a lot of experience, so I think he can understand this well enough. The department manager also watches the field, so he can probably read it too."
Hayashi-san pointed to a sentence in the report.
But, there are some expressions that are a bit difficult for me. I sort of understand the meaning, but it doesn't sink in right away.
Tanaka-kun was a little surprised.
"Even you feel that way, Hayashi-san?"
"I do. Even among people in the field, there are words that aren't understood if the processes handled are different. Let alone if people from other departments or the management side read it, they might get stuck on it even more."
Tanaka-kun stared at the screen in silence.
With Sato-san's advice, he thought he had changed the field jargon into words that the management side could understand. But with Hayashi-san's point, he realized there were still people it wasn't reaching.
But, with Hayashi-san's point, he realized there were still people it wasn't reaching.
"Then, what should I do?"
Hayashi-san smiled a little.
"Why don't you try rewriting it so that even a junior high school student could understand it?"
"Even a junior high school student?"
"Yes. Of course, I don't mean to make the content childish. It means not presenting difficult topics in a difficult way."
Hayashi-san continued.
"A truly easy-to-understand report isn't a text that only experts can read. It's a text that is accurate even when read by experts, and whose main points can be understood by those outside the field."
Tanaka-kun nodded slowly.
"In other words, you mean to break it down further while maintaining accuracy."
"That's right. You should try asking the AI like this."
Hayashi-san wrote briefly in Tanaka-kun's notebook.
Please rephrase this report so that even a middle school student can understand the main points.
However, do not weaken the accuracy of the content or the severity of the problems occurring on-site.
If technical terms are necessary, please add brief explanations.
Please organize the text in the order that the reader should understand first.
Tanaka-kun looked at the text and his eyes widened.
"I see... I thought about 'making it understandable for management,' but I hadn't thought about 'making it understandable for people outside the field.'"
Hayashi-san nodded.
"That might be the final 10 points."
"The final 10 points..."
"Sato-san taught you how to translate field language for management. From my perspective, the next step is to make it language that anyone can understand."
Tanaka-kun looked over his report again.
The text was certainly quite polished.
But there were still parts that required the reader to have prior knowledge.
"Maybe my report was making the reader work a little too hard."
Hayashi-san smiled, looking a bit happy.
"That's a good realization. A report isn't meant to show off the writer's effort. It's meant to make it easier for the reader to make decisions."
Tanaka-kun nodded deeply.
"I'll ask the AI again."
"I think that's a good idea. This time, instead of asking it to 'make it an amazing report,' ask it to 'make it a report that anyone can read and make decisions from.'"
Tanaka-kun placed his hands on the keyboard.
The report until just a moment ago was written for people who know the field.
With Sato-san's advice, it became a document that also reaches management.
And with Hayashi-san's words, the need to reach an even wider audience became clear.
Tanaka-kun entered a new instruction into the AI.
"Please rephrase this report so that even a middle school student can understand the main points. However, do not weaken the accuracy of the content or the seriousness of the issues."
The moment he pressed the send button, Tanaka-kun's expression was no longer dark.
He felt like he could finally see the final path to bringing the report closer to 90 points.
Tanaka-kun takes the 90-point report to the department manager
With the completed report in hand, Tanaka-kun headed toward the department manager's desk once more.
It took much longer than when he first submitted it.
But that time was not wasted.
He had interacted with the AI many times.
Sato-san taught him how to translate the language of the field into language that management can understand.
Hayashi-san taught him how to break things down so that even those outside the field can understand.
Tanaka-kun handed over the report, feeling a little nervous.
"Manager, I have revised the report. Please take a look."
The manager took the report and began to read it slowly.
Tanaka-kun stood silently during that time.
Before, he would have felt anxious every time the manager furrowed his brow.
But this time, it was a little different.
It was not a report he had written by himself.
It was a report organized with AI, incorporating the perspectives of Sato-san and Hayashi-san, and polished to reach the reader.
After a while, the manager looked up.
"Tanaka."
"Yes."
"This has gotten much better."
Tanaka-kun involuntarily held his breath.
"Really?"
"Ah. The first report made sense to those who see the site. However, it was a bit difficult for those who don't know the site"
The department manager pointed to the revised page.
“This time, it's simple and easy to understand. Moreover, it's not just simplified. It breaks down the technical parts while retaining the depth of the content.”
Tanaka-kun's expression brightened.
“I also had Sato-san and Hayashi-san look at it. Sato-san told me I should translate the on-site jargon into words that are understandable to the reader. Hayashi-san said I should make it so that even a middle school student could understand the main points.”
The department manager smiled slightly.
“I see. You received some good advice.”
“Yes. I also asked the AI repeatedly in that direction.”
The department manager looked at the report again.
“We engineers and those who know the site often make a mistake.”
“A mistake, you say?”
“We tend to think that the people reading the report know the site as well as we do.”
Tanaka-kun nodded quietly.
“I think I was like that at first, too.”
"Even if words are common for people on-site, they aren't common for people in other departments. Even if something is an obvious premise for an engineer, it might not be conveyed to management or administrative departments"
The department manager traced a sentence in the report with his finger.
“This report takes that into account. It conveys what the problem is, why countermeasures are necessary, and how to improve it, even to those without specialized knowledge or on-site experience.”
Tanaka-kun bowed his head, looking a little embarrassed.
“Thank you very much.”
“What's especially good is that the content hasn't been watered down.”
The department manager's voice was calm, but clear.
"Sometimes, when you try to make things easier to understand, the content becomes thin. But this report is different. It keeps the important information from the field while organizing it into a format that allows the reader to make decisions."
Hearing those words, Tanaka-kun felt a slight warmth deep in his chest.
When he was first told it was a 60-point report, he was honestly quite discouraged.
But now, he understands that the term '60 points' was just the starting point for improvement.
The department manager closed the report.
"Tanaka. This report can be used for horizontal deployment."
"Horizontal deployment, sir?"
"Yes. The content this time isn't just about your department. It relates to other processes and other departments as well. That is precisely why it needed to be understandable even to those who don't know the field."
It was then that Tanaka-kun finally realized.
He had been writing the report solely to submit it to the department manager.
But the department manager had been thinking about the readers beyond that.
Managers in other departments.
Staff members with little field experience.
Management.
Other teams that will face the same problems in the future.
It was necessary to make the report understandable to those people as well.
The department manager softened his expression just a little.
"Tanaka, you did well to bring it this far. I can call this a 90-point report."
Tanaka-kun opened his eyes in surprise.
"90 points..."
"Yes. However, it wasn't the AI that made it a 90-point report."
The department manager looked straight at Tanaka-kun.
"You used AI to find the weak points in your report. You listened to the opinions of Sato and Hayashi, and expanded your target audience. And finally, you made the judgment yourself to summarize it again. That was what was good about it."
Tanaka-kun bowed his head deeply.
Thank you. At first, I didn't even know how to ask the AI. But halfway through, I started to understand.
What did you understand?
That just asking the AI to 'make it better' isn't enough. I realized that unless I decide who it's for and what I want to convey, the AI can't provide the truly necessary corrections.
The department manager nodded with satisfaction.
{Exactly.}
Tanaka-kun continued.
Also, I realized that a report isn't something you write to show what you know, but something you write so the other person can make a decision.
The department manager quietly placed the report on the desk.
{That's a good realization. If you've understood that much, next time you'll be able to write an 80-point report from the start.}
Tanaka-kun smiled slightly.
Next time, I'll aim for 90 points from the start.
No, it doesn't have to be 90 points from the start.
The department manager said.
{First, it's fine to just submit a 60-point draft. From there, you can use the power of AI and those around you to grow it into an 80 or 90-point report.}
Tanaka-kun felt saved by those words.
There is no need to create a perfect report alone.
First, get it into shape.
Find what's missing.
Polish it using both AI and human perspectives.
That, too, is a way of getting work done.
Finally, the department manager returned the report to Tanaka-kun.
Let's use this report in the next meeting. I want you to explain it.
Me, sir?
“Ah. If you can summarize it this clearly, you should be able to explain it in your own words.”
Tanaka-kun nodded firmly, though he was still a little nervous.
“Yes. I will try.”
The report had started at 60 points.
By facing the AI, learning how to translate field jargon from Sato-san, and learning how to use expressions anyone could understand from Hayashi-san, it had finally approached 90 points.
Tanaka-kun thought to himself while holding the report.
AI is not a tool that completes a report for you.
It is a partner for polishing your own thoughts into a form that reaches the other party.
The department manager closed the report and leaned back slightly.
His expression was a little softer than usual.
“Tanaka, sit down for a moment. That’s enough about the report. Let’s have a little chat.”
“Yes.”
Tanaka-kun sat down in the chair opposite him, still feeling a bit nervous.
The department manager looked out the window and said slowly.
“To be honest, when I saw the first report, I thought, ‘Is this just another case of enthusiasm from the field running ahead of itself?’”
Tanaka-kun shrugged his shoulders slightly.
“...I see, so that’s how it looked to you.”
“I don’t mean that in a bad way. You can’t produce that kind of passion without seeing the field. But a report won’t pass on passion alone.”
The department manager tapped the report on the desk lightly with his finger.
“But you properly used AI to bring it to a form that reaches the reader. That is a big deal.”
“Thank you very much. At first, I didn’t even know what to ask the AI... I was really running around in circles.”
The department manager chuckled.
"That's exactly it. That is, after all, the skill needed in the AI era."
Tanaka-kun leaned forward slightly.
"That, sir?"
"Yes. It's not about being able to write perfect prompts, nor is it about mastering every latest AI tool."
The manager paused for a moment before continuing.
"It's the ability to organize your own primary information into words that convey meaning to the other party."
"Primary information..."
"Things you saw on-site. The sense of unease you felt. The actual problems you are facing. The experience you have accumulated. That is what it is."
Tanaka-kun remembered what Sato-san and Hayashi-san had told him.
Turning field language into language that reaches management. Turning technical expressions into words that even non-experts can understand.
Both were tasks of transforming information he already possessed into a form that would reach the other party.
The manager held up one finger.
"AI is like a mirror. If you give it something vague, you get a vague answer back."
Tanaka-kun couldn't help but smile wryly.
"I really felt that this time. At first, I kept asking things like 'please make it better,' and the AI's responses gradually became just as generic."
"I imagine so."
"But when I changed how I asked, like 'make it understandable for someone who doesn't know the site' or 'make it so even a middle schooler can understand the main points,' the answers I got back changed."
The manager nodded with satisfaction.
"That is what's important. The wall of not knowing what to ask the AI is actually a sign that you haven't yet put your own thoughts into words."
Tanaka-kun nodded slowly.
"I see... I thought I understood what was happening on the ground. But I hadn't been able to put it into a form that I could convey to others."
"If you've realized that, then that's enough."
The department manager lowered his voice slightly.
"That is precisely why you should value that sense of discomfort—that feeling that 'this isn't quite right.'"
Tanaka-kun looked up.
"Discomfort, you say?"
"Yes. The AI's answer is off. Your boss's feedback doesn't quite make sense. The report isn't getting through. When that happens, don't just get angry or discouraged and leave it at that."
The department manager pointed at the report once more.
"Why did you feel it was wrong? What was missing? What did you really want to convey? Throw those questions at the AI and refine your inquiries little by little."
Tanaka-kun listened quietly.
When he first threw it at the AI, he didn't get the answer he expected. He had Sato-san look at it, then Hayashi-san, and each time, the way he asked the AI changed. Every time the way he asked changed, the report changed too.
The department manager said,
"AI is a tool. No matter how smart the tool becomes, it's meaningless if the resolution of the human using it doesn't improve."
"Resolution..."
"You should have experienced that a little this time. It wasn't just the power of AI that raised your 60-point report to 90 points. It was because you re-examined your own experience and organized it into a form that reaches the reader."
Tanaka-kun felt a warmth deep in his chest.
"Yes. I finally understand that AI isn't an entity that gives me answers, but a partner that helps me organize my own thoughts."
The department manager nodded with satisfaction.
"Don't forget that feeling."
And then, he continued in a slightly gentler voice.
"From now on, it's not just about reports. It's the same for small daily tasks. Things you don't understand, things that are a hassle, things that just feel a bit off. Don't just dump it all on AI, but try passing it on as your own primary information."
Tanaka-kun listened with a serious expression.
“I think that’s a skill not just for surviving in the AI era, but for actually thriving in it.”
Tanaka-kun bowed deeply.
“Thank you very much. I will take today's talk to heart.”
The manager laughed lightly and waved his hand.
"Alright. It's fine to start the next report at 60 points too."
“Is that okay?”
“Yes. Rather than stopping because you're aiming for perfection from the start, just submit it at 60 points.”
The manager put a little more emphasis into his voice.
"Instead, make sure you polish it and bring it up to 90 points."
Tanaka-kun nodded clearly while holding the report to his chest.
“Yes. Next time, I will try writing it while thinking about 'who I am conveying this to' from the start.”
✨ This is the Tanaka-kun series. Please enjoy if you are interested.
Thank you for reading the Tanaka-kun series.
If you feel like "I want to read more" or "this article was helpful," I would be happy if you could support me with a like, comment, or tip.
The support from everyone will be used for Tanaka-kun's snacks, Hayashi-san's stomach medicine, and Sato-san's coffee break.
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