Learning from a project crisis—the power of teamwork

As part of our internal ‘Doubling Productivity Project’ that was launched company-wide in 2017, I served as a leader in building our division’s first model production line enhanced by automation and IoT capabilities. But the path hasn’t been smooth. It’s been filled with obstacles and constant challenges. In fact, just one week before launch, we discovered a fatal flaw in the system’s integration with the machining equipment. It was a desperate moment for me, as it seemed that the flaw was impossible to fix. But my colleagues gave me a tremendous boost, with help even coming from other divisions. And not just internally. Colleagues from partner manufacturers also joined in, pooling their wisdom to figure out a way forward. In the end, everyone’s strong dedication made the impossible possible, and we were able to resolve the issue and launch on schedule.

How the Kyocera Philosophy changed my approach to work

To be honest, when I first joined Kyocera, I only thought of myself. But as I worked with many different people on all kinds of tasks, I came to understand the true intent of the Philosophy’s “Management by All” approach—how doing things for the benefit of others leads to one’s own growth and achievement. So now, even if I hit a wall at work as I used to, that shared understanding of the Philosophy makes it easy to get on the same page as others and overcome difficulties together. Going forward, instead of settling for the status quo, I will keep pushing to evolve manufacturing through automation and digitalization.