Solving essential problems with concept design thinking. Aiming to realize business in tandem with the business division

Sagawa Momoko joined the company in 2019. After gaining on-site experience in the sales department, she made a career change and is now involved in formulating short- to mid-term business strategies and providing support to executives in the Corporate Strategy Office. Sagawa believes in the power of concept design and has worked to solve problems from the other person's perspective throughout her career. She will talk about the future vision for business that only NOMURA can paint.
 

Synergy born from diverse backgrounds. Aiming to realize strategic management with an eye to the future

Sagawa is a member of the Business Strategy Office, where he is primarily responsible for formulating short- and mid-term business strategies and supporting executive decision-making.

Sagawa: "Our mission is to develop a management strategy by analyzing the environment in which our company finds itself, grasping the trends of society, industry, customers, competitors, and all other stakeholders.

In doing so, we aim to contribute to management by considering what the company should be like in light of the current internal situation and changes in the external environment, and by considering and implementing appropriate measures. The Management Strategy Office was established only a few months ago. We are working closely with various departments within the company, including the business divisions, as well as the Management Planning Office, which is responsible for medium- to long-term management strategies."

The Business Strategy Office is made up of professionals with diverse backgrounds, including sales, business planning, and directing (production management), and each member utilizes their own expertise in their work.

Sagawa: "I'm currently in charge of the Sales Promotion Division, which is the largest organization in our company. The Sales Promotion Division is responsible for working with our customers to create each and every space. My main job is to understand the strategies and initiatives of Executive Officers and each business division that are leading the strengthening of the business, and to consider how we can develop the business as a whole company based on that.

Data management is also an important role, and we are working on effective ways to utilize accumulated data and improve its accuracy.

In the early stages of strategy planning, we mainly communicate with management, including executive Executive Officers, but in the phase of making the plan concrete, we proceed through close communication with each division manager and team member."

Sagawa is in his sixth year at the company, and throughout his career, the idea of concept design has been important to him.

Sagawa: "I believe that concept design is not simply about drawing up blueprints and creating plans, but is a process of grasping the essence of a problem and finding a solution while engaging with people's hearts and sensibilities. I believe that this kind of concept design thinking can be applied to any type of work, and it has become the foundation of my work as a universal value.

For example, data shows facts, but it is only one element in decision-making. In dialogue with others, it is important to understand the true meaning behind their words, their true causes, and the background behind them. At the same time, by grasping the facts, we believe that we can correctly understand the current situation and make the best possible decisions regarding the essence of the problem."

A book opens the way to solving problems. In pursuit of borderless creativity

Sagawa first became interested in concept design when he was in high school, after receiving a book from his father.

Sagawa: "My father, who works in concept design, gave me a book called 'concept design that Solves Energy Issues.' I learned that thinking itself is concept design, and that it can be a means of resolving various social issues. I remember being deeply shocked because up until then I had thought that concept design was the domain of a select few people with good taste."

After that, Sagawa studied spatial concept design at university and a wide range of subjects from product concept design to urban development at graduate school. After graduating, he was looking for an environment where he could create something from nothing, and he ended up at NOMURA, Ltd.

Sagawa: After considering other industries, I decided to go into the display industry. I thought that by being involved in creating spaces that are closer to people's lives and have many points of contact, I could move the hearts of many people.

The reason why I chose NOMURA was because I felt that there was a possibility for me to try something new and unprecedented. Even if it was a project that had never been done before, I was able to make innovative proposals for my customers and work on a wide range of concept design because I was at the top of the industry. The wide range of value that they could provide was very attractive to me.

One of the reasons I decided to join the company was that I was attracted to the organizational culture. During the interview, I was impressed that we were able to have a person-to-person conversation that went beyond the relationship between student and interviewer. I was impressed by how freedom, flexibility, and a customer-first attitude were strongly conveyed through our conversation."

After joining the company, Sagawa was assigned to the sales department, which was his preferred position.

Sagawa: "I wanted to work in a position where I could directly communicate with clients, gain a deep understanding of their issues, and provide value in areas other than spatial planning and concept design work.

I also wanted to utilize my knowledge of architecture and concept design, which is one of my strengths, to understand the client's requests in detail and then consult with the in-house director (production manager) on how to create them, and to understand the designer's intentions and explain them to the client in a way that is as easy to understand as possible, so to speak, to act as an interpreter."

After four years of on-site experience at Sagawa, he learned the importance of seeing things from the other person's perspective.

Sagawa: "Customers have different levels of understanding when it comes to creating spaces. Some can read blueprints, while others cannot. Depending on the customer's characteristics, I make it a point to create materials with conceptual diagrams and attach a separate sheet of paper summarizing the project to the quotation.

I didn't just submit drawings according to the customer's request, but also made sure to make them easy to explain when the person in charge took them back to their office. The experience I gained from working closely with customers on what they really needed as a salesperson is still useful in my current job."

From the sales field to the strategy department. Using his field experience, he takes on the challenge of solving organizational problems

In his sales position at Sagawa, he was in charge of a variety of projects, mainly commercial. He worked hard to ensure the success of projects, including obtaining the "Commercial Facilities Specialist" qualification.

Sagawa: "Even in stores with a nationwide presence, detailed customization is required based on regional characteristics, customer attributes, and store features. I wanted to use as much knowledge as possible to help customers solve their problems, so I worked hard to acquire a wide range of knowledge, from commercial facility design and planning to store operation and marketing.

As a result, I felt a great sense of responsibility and fulfillment in being trusted by clients as a partner and being asked for my opinion as a professional in spatial production."

Furthermore, through his work, Sagawa gained knowledge of business strategy and management, and his desire to contribute to the organization led to a major turning point in his career.

Sagawa: "I thought that by incorporating my sales experience and field perspective into the work of the corporate division, we could bring the whole company together and demonstrate better teamwork, so I used the self-reporting system* to apply for a transfer to the Corporate Strategy Office (formerly the Business Strategy Department).

Although the Corporate Strategy Office has many people with practical experience, I believe the reason my self-reported request was accepted was because the perspective of younger talent was needed in the context of strengthening company-wide strategies."

The driving force behind Sagawa is the desire to be of service to others. His feelings for his seniors who have trained him, his customers, and the society beyond have driven him.

Sagawa: "I'm the type of person who puts a lot of emotion into things when it comes to 'doing something for someone else.' When I was in sales, the emotions I felt were directed toward customers, but now they're directed toward my company and colleagues, so nothing has fundamentally changed.

After I was transferred to the Business Strategy Office, the range of people I interacted with expanded dramatically. When I was in sales, it was very rewarding to see the smiles of customers and end users after the properties were completed and to hear their words of gratitude. I also felt that I was in a position where I could have an impact on society through our customers.

Now, I feel a sense of accomplishment when I think that the measures I have been involved in have helped employees and the company in making decisions, even if only in a small way. When I think that many employees are making an impact on society through our customers, just like I did before, I feel that our influence, however indirect, is spreading greatly. That makes me feel both a sense of accomplishment and a great sense of responsibility, and I work with the desire to have a positive impact as quickly as possible."

It has been over a year since Sagawa was transferred to the Business Strategy Office, and he says that his experience as a sales representative has been extremely helpful in his current role.

Sagawa: "Until now, there was an issue where valuable information collected through the efforts of the field was simply accumulated and not fully utilized in business operations. Therefore, we proposed a system that automatically visualizes the data collected by field employees and enables those who enter the data to use it in their work, and developed and implemented a data utilization tool.

As a result, we were able to improve the productivity of our employees and the quality of our strategy planning, and we received high praise from many stakeholders, including the business division. It was a very gratifying experience for me to be able to utilize the on-site perspective I had developed during my time in sales."

* Self-reporting system: A system that allows employees with three or more years of service to request a transfer to another department as part of their career development.

Turning the power of each employee into the power of the organization. The future vision of the organizational structure drawn up by the Strategy Department

One of the roles I want to play as a strategy department is to show the way and wave the flag so that the entire company can move forward in the same direction. As a member of the Business Strategy Office, there is a future that I want to realize for Sagawa.

Sagawa: "I feel that the activities of the corporate division are difficult for the business divisions to see. By increasing transparency, we aim to make it clear that we are all facing the same direction as the business divisions, and to create an organization in which each employee can feel that the entire company is working together."

This is something that only NOMURA can achieve. Sagawa had this to say about the appeal of the company and what it should be like:

Sagawa: "I think the greatest appeal of NOMURA is the way they demonstrate teamwork in the face of unprecedented challenges and create innovative solutions with their own unique approaches. Looking around, I'm confident that there are few companies that contribute to society through such interesting manufacturing. I believe that this creative problem-solving ability is the source of our competitive advantage.

If we can take the lead in creating an environment where all employees in the business divisions that provide spaces to customers can continue to work happily and with a sense of purpose, and create a place where they can fully utilize their abilities, I believe that the potential of the organization will increase even more than it is now, and we will be able to continue to provide our customers with richer, happier spaces."

Going forward, Sagawa will continue to use concept design thinking to focus on the essence of the issues and support NOMURA 's evolution and new value creation.
 

*The information provided is current as of July 2024.