Daisuke Inoue will be in charge of production management as a director, and will serve as a section manager from 2024. We have been involved in a wide range of projects such as aquariums, museums, and displays associations. He talks about the motivation and learning of creating a single thing in cooperation with various parts of the company and inside and outside the company, and his thoughts on fostering the next generation. Inoue is the manager of the Product Direction Department 2, Section 1 of the Product Direction Department 2 of the Division of the Sales Promotion Headquarters, where the opinions of customers, designers, and production management are coordinated to find a better landing point. We are a team that responds to a wide range of fields, and we are involved in various projects while coordinating 10 members. Inoue: "Currently, I am mainly involved in projects for the Osaka-Kansai Expo to be held in 2025. The job of production management is to embody the concept design drawn by the designer as an actual "space". The basis of my work is to be present at the site and direct the production and construction site while considering not only process management, but also safety and quality management, as well as cost balance. I used to do that kind of work every day until I became a section manager." The process of translating a designer's concept design into an actual construction requires a lot of adjustments. Inoue: Once the concept design is approved by the customer, we explain the contents to the partner companies and reflect them in the construction diagram in order to actually manufacture the product. We will find the best solution through repeated adjustments, such as considering the economic dimensions in consideration of the cost balance, and proposing alternatives that it would be better to change the material because people often touch it and it seems to get dirty. Designers have their own opinions, and customers have their own ideas. As a production manager, we must ensure safety and quality. It's a job where we reconcile our opinions and find a better landing spot." Of course, when working on a project, it is also essential to collaborate with the sales representative. Inoue: "The first thing about the cost of construction is to proceed with the contracted amount, but there may be more or less work to be done as it progresses. In order for the project to proceed smoothly, I think it is important for sales, designers, and production management to communicate closely within the company." Inoue: "I try to communicate with the members by showing up at the site and actively talking to them. Also, in order to reduce the burden on the members of the site, I try to take care of internal communication and coordination as much as possible." Inoue, who has collaborated with major general contractors and gained new insights, says that one of the projects he has been involved in so far has left a particularly strong impression on him is the renovation of the displays of a public archive, which he was entrusted with in his third year with the company. Inoue: Until then, I had been mainly in charge of displays associations, but when I changed departments, I became involved in cultural facilities for the first time. It was at this time that I learned how hard the work is. For example, I learned that if we do not pay attention to the details, such as checking whether the road used for delivery is a public road or a private road, and make various adjustments and considerations, there is a possibility that it will cause inconvenience to customers and related parties, and that construction may be delayed. In addition to this, I also learned the compilation and procedures for submitting documents from scratch, and I think I gained a new understanding of the fundamentals of production management." Four years later, he was entrusted with production management for a large-scale project to renovate a large coral reef tank in one of the world's largest aquariums, and he felt a great sense of fulfillment. Inoue: "This tank is based on the theme of the world's largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, off the northeastern coast of Australia. I was surrounded by people with specialized knowledge, so I repeatedly watched videos introducing the area to gain knowledge of coral reefs in order to expand my image. Even when deciding on the shape of the pseudo-rock to be created in the aquarium, it is necessary to give careful consideration to the living creatures. For example, if there is a depression in the rock, it will become a puddle of water and plankton will be generated, and if the tunnel is not enlarged, fish will get clogged up. It was difficult because there were many unusual considerations, such as covering the acrylic sealing part to prevent sea turtles from eating it, but the work itself related to these creatures was fresh, and I felt that it was rewarding to create a place where many people could see it." In this project, a major general contractor who construction the aquarium, a company that handles equipment in the aquarium, and NOMURA Three companies are stationed in the same field office. "I gained new insights through collaboration," he says. Inoue: "It was the first time that different companies had seats in one office, and I enjoyed the process of the three companies striving toward the same goal. In addition, as I saw the work of each company from a close distance, I was able to see what I wanted to refer to, such as how to proceed with work, how to make arrangements, and how to compile safety documents, and it was a very informative project." I was given the opportunity to learn about work in a wide range of fields, and my horizons were strengthened and broadened▲ Projects involving the Kyoto Railway Museum displays Inoue has expanded from associations to permanent facilities such as cultural facilities and corporate showrooms. At first glance, they seem to be different jobs, but they actually have a lot in common. Inoue: "In the case of a displays meeting with only two or three days of construction, it is characterized by simplifying what can be simplified as much as possible in anticipation of subsequent demolition displays. I was entrusted with the new project and was responsible for the production management of the entire facility. He says that he put his heart and soul into formulating safety standards in accordance with the rules of the railway company. Inoue: "It was difficult to look at the drawings drawn by the designers, coordinate with the railway company what kind of rules to apply to which parts, and reflect them in the construction diagramsI also gained a new perspective through interaction with experts in structural calculations. Inoue: "For example, in the design of buildings and structures, I was able to acquire a certain amount of knowledge, such as the need to increase the strength of the foundation rather than the upper part. By requesting structural calculations based on the sketches drawn based on such knowledge, we were able to proceed efficiently without rework. In addition, there were many railway fans, including customers, so it was very fun to be able to get trivia on the spot, such as the rare license plate of the SL," says Inoue, reflecting on the projects he has been involved in so far, and thanking his boss for giving him the opportunity to learn a wide range of fields. Inoue "Every time a job comes in, I go through trial and error, saying, 'I can't seem to work with my past experience, so I have to think about how to do it,' which is why I am trained and broaden my horizons. Inoue: "There are early days in the morning and periods when I have to work overtime, and there are many situations where I have to struggle to get the people from the subcontractors to work well on site, but when I see the completion of what I have worked on and the joy of the visitors, all the hard work is blown away. It makes me want to work hard again for my next job." "Lateral thinking of withered technology." Inoue, who has experienced the creation of new value through his work in production management, says that he sympathizes with the words of Gunpei Yokoi, who was also called the "father of mobile games," as "lateral thinking of withered technology." Inoue: "It means creating new value by utilizing existing technologies in different fields, and I think this idea has something in common with our work. If there is a way to do it, a new breakthrough can be created by looking at it from multiple angles, from the front, the back, and the side. I think there is something in common with our work in production management, which is to consider any issue from various angles and think about how it can be done." Inoue: "As a production manager, I find it interesting to have various people, including partner companies, work on the project and lead it to completion with the help of wisdom and knowledge, and I would like to continue to contribute to the world through this work," he says, adding that he would like to make use of his own experience to focus on training the next generation. Inoue: "I would like to create many opportunities for my juniors to take on projects that would not succeed unless they approached them with a flexible mindset, just as my boss once trained me. If you find what you can do at your own discretion and work on it, rather than just doing what you are told, you will naturally feel the joy of your work." Finally, he cites the history and achievements built up by our predecessors as the appeal of NOMURA. Inoue: "As our history and achievements show, at NOMURA you can experience a lot of work, including large projects, and there are many opportunities to connect your field of interest and what you want to do to your work. As long as they are motivated, the possibilities of each employee will expand infinitely," says Inoue, who has been active in multiple fields regardless of the field. In the future, I will pass on this know-how and the real pleasure of my work to my juniors, and illuminate the future of my colleagues and the company even brighter. * The information is current as of October 2024.
