CROSS TALK 3
Work is predictive communication
Approximately 20,000 colleagues of MATSUOKA work around the world. What kind of business operations are performed at the Head Office that leads the operations of the entire company? We engaged in a crosstalk between three people who are in charge about important attitudes that are fundamental to work.
Administrative Staff, Sales Division, Sales Department
KAMINARI Koichiro
Manager, Sales Division, Sales Department
MIYOSHI Yuhei
Administrative Staff, Sales Division, Sales Department
ISHIHAMA Emi
There is a “next person” that will pick up my work
What kind of members form this team?
KAMINARI
ISHIHAMA and I are in charge of basic practical operations called “operations related to production” in liaison with sales representative MIYOSHI. I believe that working with an awareness of what kind of support is desired by sales representatives and what is required for the next action will lead to smooth cooperation.
ISHIHAMA
This is my 3rd year since joining the company, and I received On the Job Training from KAMINARI. Initially when I started working, he let me concentrate on the task at hand, but as I learned how to work, he taught me to always consider the entire flow. In front of our sales representatives are our customers, and on the other side of us are more than 20,000 factory workers around the world actually moving their hands. It is important for me to understand that my work will always be passed to “the next person”.
MIYOSHI
I, as a sales representative, think “predictive communication” is important. As it also leads to ISHIHAMA’s way of thinking, we, as sales representatives, need to make proposals while grasping our customers’ real intentions and identifying trends and movements behind orders we want to take. It is important to improve the accuracy of predictions and the safe delivery of orders received is of paramount importance, so prediction-based smooth cooperation with operations related to production is the lifeline of our work.
It is important to imagine what you want to be
What exactly do you work on?
ISHIHAMA
I manage and control delivery dates so that materials can arrive at factories without delay while considering the production schedule worked out by sales representatives and workers in factories. Somewhere in my second year in this company, I finally felt that I could get grasp the work flow to some extent. Until then, I thought I had a good understanding, but my level of insight was not enough from the standpoint of a sales representative. I could not communicate smoothly with them because I could not convey well what I was thinking. I kept getting misunderstood, that is what made me realize just how important it is to keep track of and communicate numbers and information properly.
KAMINARI
ISHIHAMA was very ambitious and the type of person who actively looks for answers for what she does not know. Regarding Excel and other tools, she eagerly searched on her own to find out whether there are easier-to-use methods. That focused ambition is what helped her overcome challenges, but it is also important to remember that skipping ahead based on assumptions bears risks. I think it is important to slow down to stay aware of the surroundings and be able to respond flexibly.
MIYOSHI
Since operations related to production are a base for working at MATSUOKA, I studied the basics of the operations related to production for a while after joining the company. The step toward a sales position comes after learning operations related to production. I wanted to become a sales representative because this company is a “factory-centered” company. Believing in the importance of manufacturing, I had a desire to make best use of the factory lines and improve production efficiency. I feel fulfilled when a delivery manages to surpass customer expectations.
KAMINARI
Since I am not very good at communicating with people, I aim to become an expert in operations related to production. As I think such a position is also necessary for the company, it is the appeal of this company that workers can make a choice about their position like I did.
ISHIHAMA
After I have thoroughly learned operations related to production, I want to interact with many people both domestically and internationally as a sales representative. There are still so many opportunities for personal growth. The great thing about this company is that it shows me how I can reach the future self I want to be.
No prejudice about work!
What kind of mindset do you think is important?
MIYOSHI
In this work, everything from orders to deliveries is connected. Even if there is a problem at a factory, damage can be minimized by a sales representative’s reporting it to the customer immediately. What we must not do is to feel ashamed and hide mistakes. Unlike the work done mainly by machines, our work is done by people, so delays, defects, and other problems are inevitable. Given that, I think it is important to think how to reduce mistakes but also to not be afraid to immediately report problems.
ISHIHAMA
For example, when I am not sure if my judgement is correct, I always ask a senior member or the person in charge. The most dangerous thing is prejudge and talking yourself into believing that it will turn out all right. If you confront your worries, you sometimes solve an issue before it becomes a larger problem. Our company has an established structure with clearly defined roles so that people know who will take responsibility for mistakes that may occur. This surely leads to a sense of security in doing work.
KAMINARI
When a problem arises or is about to arise, a natural reflex is to hide it, but an environment where we can share our concerns and worries without shame is important. I think “Ho-ren-so (Reporting, Contacting, and Consulting)” are exactly the base of that. No one gets angry with mistakes in our company. Instead, we look for ways to solve the problem. Everyone can work with a peace of mind because we talk about “how to prevent problems and reduce mistakes” even when there are no problems.
Evolve while valuing the basics
What kind of challenges are you facing now?
KAMINARI
When problems occur, there is usually an underlying systematic or structural problem, so we constantly update our business operations manual. Moreover, in order to respond to of irregular operations, we place importance on stabilizing the staff’s levels of operations by preparing a so-called “toranomaki (book of secrets).” However, since it is also important to experience failure to some extent without being guard railed too much, a safety net exists that allows for follow-up support at any time. It is the best to learn first how the factory makes products and then assemble the flow in your head.
MIYOSHI
The Sales Division also proceeds with manualization and routinization. I think it is important to enhance reproducibility by putting together work procedures that must be complied with rather than fitting it into one particular mold. With certain directionality, efficiency can be improved, and we can gain confidence in work much faster. Of course, it is important for us to think and act for ourselves, but I don’t think it is necessary for everyone to make the same mistakes I made. But, to be honest, we can learn great lessons from failure (laughs).
ISHIHAMA
Since many of MATSUOKA’s factories are company-owned, we can learn many things. Because orders are large and diverse in variations, we can build confidence that our skills can be applied anywhere after learning here. We receive a large number of orders on a yearly basis, and the content of each order changes, so we can make adjustments accordingly, so our level of teamwork naturally improves.
Experience industry-leading work
What is about this job excites you the most?
MIYOSHI
We are confident that we are a top-class company in this industry. As a matter of course, our customers are also top-class, so we can grow substantially if we work with aspirations. This is a good point about our work. If you have perseverance to maintain such aspirations, you can see a new perspective. As I work, I look forward to seeing how far I can grow.
KAMINARI
A culture of teaching and explaining work in a relatively kind and thorough manner has taken root in MATSUOKA. If we learn well based on this culture, we will become interested in many things. Not every task is easily mastered because they are not simple, but I think it is a valuable experience that we are involved in such large-scale work. Since our work never goes well if done in some off the cuff way, we need to have grounds for and confidence in self-performed actions, which will lead to growth as a person. I think this is a good point about our work.
ISHIHAMA
While our company is top-class in the industry, we are entrusted with large tasks and responsibilities relatively quickly. I learned the importance of taking responsibility by being assigned tasks that are not easy but worthwhile. I think the personal growth from being trusted and assigned large tasks is significant. Besides, I think it is interesting that we can learn to perform our work well little by little. Since we can experience such feelings many times through this work, I think it is worth choosing this work as a lifetime career. The feeling of togetherness we can feel only in a team environment and the satisfaction from receiving large-scale orders as a team are truly exceptional!
* The departments and content of the interview are as of the time of the interview.
