Vol.14

Don't overlook even the slightest flaw.

IKEUCHI ORGANIC manufactures original products such as Organic 120 and Cotton Nouveau as well as collaborative products with other companies. Mr. Akahoshi, who has been with the company for four years, is in charge of inspecting the collaborative products. She spoke with us about the difficulty of determining the standards for B products and the satisfaction of her job.

Inspection Akahoshi

To achieve the target number of sheets for inspection

–Please tell us about your history with the company and how you came to work here.

This year will be my fourth year. I looked at the jobs offered by various towel companies, but I chose IKEUCHI ORGANIC because I thought it was a good company with the goal of making towels that are safe for babies to lick.

–Please tell us about your current responsibilities.

Inspection. I work with my part-timers to shorten the lead time for inspection, while discussing with (my boss) Mr. Watanabe ( *1) how we can shorten the lead time.

–Do you have a target time?

（I have a target of this number of sheets (in terms of hours), and I would like to set a uniform standard for everyone so that everyone can exceed that standard. It’s difficult, though.

Inspection work that is difficult to manualize

–What do you feel are the obstacles to everyone exceeding the inspection lead time standards?

There is no clear standard for B products, so it’s hard to convert that standard into data. （It’s not at the level where (it’s clear at a glance) all the part-timers are saying, “That’s a B product,” but it’s a situation where (products on the borderline) they come to ask, “What about this one?　(It’s a situation where people come to ask, “What about this?

–Is it your job to make that judgment?

Yes, that’s right.

–You mentioned earlier that it is difficult to convert the criteria for “B” products into data.

Even if you take a photograph and show an example of a B product, it may not show up (the defective part) due to the light, or it may look different in the photograph than in the actual product. It is hard to put this into a manual.

Difficulty in determining whether a product is a B product or not

–Do you inspect mainly OEM and collaborative products ( *2)?

Yes, we do. Yes, I do. If I have time, I also do originals.

–I think there are a variety of conditions for B products. Dirt, scratches, threads flying, and so on. What are the most common conditions?　It is sometimes difficult to tell if it is a “B” product, isn’t it?

Well, scratches. When I was inspecting, I couldn’t tell which part was scratched. It is difficult to determine whether the pile is lying down or whether it is a scratch (very difficult).

–I thought that if it was a scratch, I would find it in the unraveling process (*3), but it is also common in the inspection process, isn’t it?

Yes, there are many. Since the unraveling process is a wide inspection area, it is difficult to tell if there is only one line or if the fabric is white in color.

–Do you think IKEUCHI’s inspection standards are strict?　Do you think it is a waste to look at B products?

I think so!　Personally, I would like to sell them (since the quality of the product is perfectly fine).

Speed and prudence, a strange combination

–When do you feel a sense of accomplishment in your work?　When I feel a sense of accomplishment in my work?

I wonder… (The work of the person in charge of inspections) The table rotates every month among pairs of part-timers, and among the people doing inspections, there are those who are very careful and take their time, and there are those who are speedy. When the speedy group and the cautious group team up, the efficiency of the cautious group improves to match that of the speedy group. That is interesting.

–It is important to combine different types of people. It’s like a competition, or friendly rivalry, and it stimulates both sides. When I talked to Mr. Kondo ( *4), a weaver, he said that when the loom he is in charge of exceeds the target value, he feels “I did it!　So each section has some kind of target value.

I recommend towels that dry quickly and absorb water well.

–Please tell us about your favorite towels from IKEUCHI ORGANIC.

It’s the Mottainai Bamboo towel, which I think is cute, even though IKEUCHI towels don’t have many patterns.
The first one got crushed, so I brought the second one.

–How long have you been using it?

This one has been in use for about six months.

–When do you use it?

I always keep it within easy reach for wiping my hands in the kitchen or as a substitute for a face towel.

–Does it perform well as a towel?

It is outstanding!　It dries very quickly. They are also absorbent enough, and I love them.

–Lastly, what do you like about working at IKEUCHI ORGANIC?

The warmth of the people who work here. I’ve been here for four years, and I think it’s great that no one has ever quit because they didn’t like the relationship with others, although those who have quit have done so for some reason.

Interview January 2016
Interview and text by Mutaguchi and Kamio
Photographer/ Yuji Kimura (Kimura Photo Office)

Notes
*1: General Manager of the Production Department, in IKEUCHI’s People Vol. 11
2: Products manufactured by IKEUCHI ORGANIC under other companies’ brands other than its own.
3：Process to check woven fabrics in the state of fabrics.
4：Weaving department manager, introduced in IKEUCHI’s People Vol. 4