Bringing everyone's thoughts to life - Production management work techniques that lead in space creation

Shuhei Tatsuta joined the company in 2013. As a director (production management), he is currently involved in production management for large commercial facilities such as station-building fashion buildings. Given autonomy from a young age, Tatsuta has gained experience in a wide range of projects over the past 10 years since joining the company. He talks about the joys of being a director and the appeal of working at NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

Don't say "I can't". The real pleasure of production management is to lead to the optimal solution that everyone is satisfied with.

Tatsuta belongs to the Product Direction Department 2, Business Division 1, Sales Promotion Headquarters. As of November 2023, I am mainly in charge of large commercial facilities as a manager.

The process can be broadly divided into four categories: "research, planning, and consulting," "design, layout," "production and construction," and "operation and management." Tatsuta is in charge of production and construction, which is the cornerstone of NOMURA Co.,Ltd.. He is involved in a wide range of tasks, from the initial stages of a project to the actual creation of the space.

Tatsuta: "As the production manager, my job is to actually bring concept design drawn by the designers to life as a 'space.' My main responsibilities include creating estimates, developing construction plans to meet deadlines, and directing the on-site work—leading the project to completion."

There are things that cannot be understood from drawings alone, and unexpected things that happen on site. The role of production management is to make adjustments and make adjustments each time, such as proposing changes to materials or rearranging schedules to suit the current situation.

On the other hand, in order to win a project, they may work in unison with sales, such as accompanying them to business negotiations and providing explanations from a technical perspective. We work with a focus on the project from its beginning to its end.”

In order to create good products, it is essential to work closely with various departments. In order to respect the thoughts of designers while also being close to customers, Tatsuda has always cherished certain things.

Tatsuda: ``What I try to do is not simply say, ``It can't be done.'' I want to overcome each high hurdle one by one, knowing that it will be difficult, and make the wishes of all the people involved a reality. Masu"

Tatsuda says that the real pleasure of production management is finding the optimal solution by making adjustments while proposing alternatives and changes. I would like to talk about what makes the job interesting.

Tatsuda: “Designers have their own ideas and preferences, and production management must ensure safety and quality.Customers have costs and deadlines, and if it is a large facility, other Construction companies also participate in the project.As all parties involved are not always facing the same direction, the gears often do not mesh and progress cannot be made.

At times like these, when we step in and make adjustments, we can get things on the same page and the project can start moving forward right away. When you witness a moment like that, you feel a real sense of accomplishment.”

Seeking growth opportunities, I joined NOMURA Co.,Ltd. In my second year, I was in charge of renovating stores for a nationwide apparel brand, and I felt a real sense of growth.

▲NEWoMan Yokohama

During his student days, Tatsuta majored in design administration. While job hunting, he began to feel uncomfortable drawing blueprints without experiencing the actual construction site, and decided to pursue a production-related role. He ultimately chose NOMURA Co.,Ltd. because he was attracted to the opportunities for growth it offered.

Tatsuta: "During my interview at NOMURA Co.,Ltd., I confessed that I was undecided because I had received job offers from companies specializing in both construction and display design. The current president, who was an executive at the time, advised me that 'the interesting thing about the display design industry is that you can take on big projects from a young age.'"

In the construction industry, it can take up to 10 years to build a single facility, and in some cases more than 100 people are involved. On the other hand, in the display industry, the construction period can be short, such as one month or one day. I decided to join the company because I was attracted to the opportunity to be involved in big work from an early stage and be given a position of responsibility."

After joining the company, Tatsuta's wish came true and he became in charge of production management. After working on renovating private condominiums and renovating guest rooms at famous hotels, he was assigned a large project in his second year.

Tatsuda: ``Along with apparel shops operating nationwide updating their logos, we wanted to update the image inside the stores, so we were in charge of renovating approximately 40 stores from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

I have a tight schedule and sometimes have to finish the work in one night at the earliest. Moreover, the day after Kagoshima was Hiroshima, there was no turning back and failure was not an option.''

In fact, when we visited the site with the drawings, we found various problems. Although he is busy dealing with the situation, Tatsuda successfully completes the big task.

Tatsuda: “We had to do a site survey beforehand and make a plan. We found out that the location overlapped with the torso, so we had to change the location of the logo sign, and we had to change the location of the logo sign because there was no base for it, so we had to make a plan. I had to prepare everything.I struggled with anxiety every day, but with the support of my superiors and seniors, I managed to finish it safely.

It was a project where we experienced a real sense of growth as we tried new things through trial and error as the construction progressed, and were able to do things in the second period that we couldn't do in the first period.''

It was in his sixth year that Tatsuda was promoted to chief. In the same year, he was in charge of NEWoMan Yokohama, a newly built station-type fashion building. He says he learned something that connects him to today.

Tatsuda: ``This was my first large-scale project.There was a lot of work to be done, and I had to work with a team of about 10 people to handle tasks that I had previously been responsible for alone.

This project allowed me to experience the difficulty and fun of working in a team. I learned a lot about how to work together and build a team by having different people working in different areas."

Responsible for Tokyu Kabukicho Tower as site manager. Our aim was to create a workplace where people can enjoy working.

▲Tokyu Kabukicho Tower 2nd floor “Shinjuku Kabuki Hall ~ Kabuki Yokocho”

From 2021 to 2023, his ninth year with the company, Tatsuta will be in charge of the new construction of Tokyu Kabukicho Tower. This is my first time being appointed as a site manager.

Tatsuta: "In any project, the process of solving problems one by one that arise on-site is the same. Becoming the project manager didn't drastically change the nature of my work, but if I made a wrong decision, it would mean that NOMURA Co.,Ltd. had made a wrong decision. I always strived to make the right decisions."

Additionally, as the person in charge of the site, Tatsuda says that he was particularly conscious of building relationships with members. We aimed to create a workplace with good ventilation.

Tatsuda: Since there were over 20 members, some of them were meeting for the first time, so we decided to hold a get-together to celebrate their birthdays.With 20 members, someone has a birthday every month. , because it creates opportunities for members to meet face-to-face on a regular basis.

What I always try to do is create an environment where everyone can enjoy working. If the members get along well with each other, the atmosphere in the field office will naturally improve, and it will be easier to communicate what is on your mind and send an SOS. My hope was that by getting to know each other, the members would be willing to help each other, which would lead to early resolution of problems."

Thanks to this organizational structure, the project was successfully completed. It was a victory for teamwork.

Tatsuda: ``There were many instances where a member contracted the new coronavirus and was suddenly absent for about a week, but we were a team that was able to fill in each other's gaps, and we never had a serious situation. I think a major factor in the project's success was that we had a mutually complementary relationship."

The project attracted a lot of attention in the industry, being featured in numerous architectural magazines. On the other hand, there were also some side effects.

Tatsuda: ``After this project, I went to work as a support worker at another site, and when I told them that I had been the site manager at Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, the people involved were immediately convinced. We were able to connect and build a really good relationship.”

Learn quickly and deeply. The accelerated growth and depth that only NOMURA Co.,Ltd. can offer.

Tatsuta has been involved in production management for 10 years. I would like to talk about the satisfaction of my current job.

Tatsuda: ``Many of the items produced in the display industry are one-of-a-kind items, and there is no correct answer to the work of production management. I find it interesting to think about how to give form to something.When I see something that I create fit perfectly in the space, satisfy customers, or see a large number of people come to the store after opening. There's something deeply moving about that.

Another feature of production management is that you have the opportunity to interact with many people. Not only do I come into contact with many people, including professionals such as material manufacturers, engineers, and media creators, but I also have many opportunities to meet new people. I think one of the best parts of this job is that as your network expands, your knowledge deepens, and at the same time, the number of people you can help each other with increases."

Tatsuda's current goal is to continue leading the commercial environment, including large commercial facilities, as a production manager. On the other hand, as a core member, we are also enthusiastic about developing young people.

Tatsuda: “It would be great if I could take on new challenges by making use of the knowledge and know-how I have cultivated through previous large-scale projects.Also, I am increasingly participating in projects with young people, so they are having fun.” I want to create an environment where people can feel that way.I believe that if people learn how interesting their work is, they will naturally have more independence and be able to tackle their work with a positive attitude.''

Tatsuta says that the reason he has been involved in such a wide range of projects since joining the company is precisely because NOMURA Co.,Ltd. is a top player in the industry. He believes that this is the greatest appeal of working at the company.

Tatsuda: ``A characteristic of the display industry is that the project turnover rate is faster than in architecture, as you may be able to experience more than 10 projects in a year.Also, because a small number of people are often involved, you are given more discretion. We have a lot of power, and I think the speed of growth will be that much faster.

Whether it's NEWoMan Yokohama or Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, being involved in such challenging large-scale projects and having those achievements serve as a calling card is something unique to NOMURA Co.,Ltd.. Having our company's name behind us makes work much easier, and I feel like I'm gaining ideal experience as a production manager."

*The contents are as of November 2023.