I joined Eiken Chemical’s Sales Division as a mid-career hire coming from another company in the same industry. The first difference I noticed between the two companies is the level of the products manufactured. At Eiken Chemical, the product line is extensive, and each product is high quality. I find working with these wide-ranging products to propose a solution for customers' problems very worthwhile. On the other hand, since there is so much to learn about so many products, studying up to maintain the necessary knowledge is tough.

It's true that the sales personnel make proposals to customers in a range of industries, and that's a difficult thing. I often accompany medical representatives as academic support, and since I was working to become a testing technician at one point, I sometimes have a more realistic sense of customers' needs. When I share that sense and am able to provide support for a more effective proposal, and that comes across to the client, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

My work mainly involves production management, and I do a lot of adjustment operations. This involves thinking about how to follow-up and help certain divisions, recovery from sudden delivery problems, and things of that nature. When I'm able to handle these issues well and the division involved tells me, "thank you," that makes me happy. I also feel the same way when I'm working on a production structure proposal or cost-cutting matter and I'm able to optimistically consider things together with the other project members.

Because the work content differs depending on job type, the worthwhile aspects also vary. Since I work as a researcher, when I establish a hypothesis and carry out research to investigate it deeply, I find the process interesting. The results don't come right away, so it gives you a sense of the future, and you do what you can today, building up a collection of facts. I think the appeal of the job comes when you make a new discovery or deepen your knowledge through that process.

As a fellow researcher, my favorite times are when I figure out new techniques and methods or acquire new information and knowledge. When I'm applying for a patent related to research I conducted or I can picture a product developing from one of my projects, that makes me especially happy!

I chose the following: I will overcome organizational barriers. Since I joined the company, I have always been involved with work operations inside of factory locations, but as I've communicated with staff in various divisions, I've started to think that I'd like to turn my focus outside of my own position more. By thinking about factors such as trends within the company, customer needs, and global changes from the perspectives of a variety of different positions, I think we can produce new results.

The phrase I chose is similar. I will overcome organizational frameworks. I was assigned to the Fundamental Research Laboratory this year, and I have the chance to work on research content from other staff working in different fields and with different products more often than I did before. The majority of these are fields that are unknown to me. Right now just understanding the content is a struggle for me, and by learning about a wider range of research content other staff are working on, I think I may be able to discover new combinations of different technology and knowledge.

As the two members who spoke before me mentioned, I also think that there are some things you can't see if you get too caught up in a certain organization or field. The phrase I chose is the following: I will overcome limitations (that don't truly exist). When you think individually, there are limits to what you can figure out, but if you consider things from the perspectives of others, you can see beyond those limits. Especially for projects where there are lots of people involved, if you think of your portion as an isolated job, you can end up missing something in an unexpected place. For precisely this reason, I think we should all carry out our jobs with awareness for the surroundings rather than focus on what's strictly within the framework we're responsible for. By carrying out our work with the perspectives of individual jobs in the periphery in mind and involve ourselves and getting involved with one another, I think we can achieve higher quality results.

I know what you mean. I often involve Mr. Abe in my work. For the final negotiations with the customer, when I have Mr. Abe speak to them and put his depth of academic knowledge to use, the response changes completely. Since he is well-versed in technician work, he can explain the merits and demerits of proposals with an eye for the customers' needs, improving their trust in us. Also, from the perspective of a sales staff member, I will go beyond our predecessors. When working in sales, the foundation is trying to build a relationship that makes customers think, "When I'm having trouble, the first thing to do is get in touch with Eiken." There are some areas in which we've already established these kinds of relationships. That's thanks to the skills of supervisors who came before. It's something they were able to do precisely because they achieved the firm confidence of clients. Since there are a lot of senior staff like that around me, the first thing I want to do is make an effort to go beyond what they've accomplished.

You can say the same thing about products. The products we have now were developed by our predecessors. In order to achieve further growth from here on, we need to create even better products. I chose I will overcome imagination as an expression of my goal to do that. Going outside of what I can imagine by myself, I think there's room for improvement. To reach that, I need the skills to break out of the limitations of my ideas. I think the type of working style that goes beyond frameworks and limits that others have mentioned might be an effective way to do that.

That's true. Between both individuals and divisions, I hope we can interact with others to achieve a stronger organization together.

It's true that if we work together with the production and research division staff more as "Team Eiken," that could open up new paths for us. Right now, the sales division is proposing solutions for entire testing laboratories rather than suggesting single products. In the course of these operations, knowledge that goes beyond individual fields and products and the negotiation and explanation skills of many divisions are essential. I think that also gives the client a sense of the whole company working together to handle their needs.

Those of us bearing the responsibility for the next generation will overcome the barriers in our way, working together as one to elevate the value of the Eiken brand, and I hope we can also increase the number of Eiken fans among our client base.

I think of it as the trust that our predecessors have built up through their work. When customers have problems, they trust us enough to think, "I'm sure if I talk to Eiken they'll be able to work something out." That's what I think the Eiken brand means. My goal is to make continuous efforts to protect that and someday become someone that other people associate specifically with our company, Eiken.

The personnel that support the product line. I take pride in the high-quality products we send out into the world, but I think the staff who support these products behind the scenes are what make the Eiken brand what it is today. After having the opportunity to talk to some of these staff members, I feel even more strongly that the personnel working to get these products out into the world are absolutely crucial to the business.

This goes for human resources as well, but I think it's the ability to uncover needs that sets us apart. Our main products, fecal immunochemical test reagents and equipment, have become as accepted as they are worldwide because of Eiken's ability to uncover latent needs and take action. For me, the Eiken brand is the ability to find needs and create a product that meets them.

I think it's the powerful trust clients have in our people and products. Although it's only been a few years since I joined the company, I feel a keen sense of how difficult it is to create a product that people use with total peace of mind. There are lots and lots of people who trust in the people and products of Eiken. I feel that the powerful trust clients have in both our products and our personnel is what truly makes up the Eiken brand.

My thinking is along on similar lines. Isn't the ability to coordinate what makes our company great? Eiken has an abundant product lineup, staff who work to increase their value, staff who ensure they provide safety and peace of mind out in the world, and staff who propose better methods for their use. The combination of all of these people working together is what inspires clients to trust in our company and think, "Eiken will be able to do something." In other words, I think if we can all improve our specialized skills, coordinate with one another, and develop our business for the next generation, Eiken Chemical will continue to be an essential company for our customers for the foreseeable future. In order to achieve this, all of us in the younger generation of employees must be the driving force for a new future. After talking with everyone today, I feel strongly about that.