Vol.47

Creating an environment where everyone can work forward as a production manager

The Production Department is responsible for all aspects of IKEUCHI ORGANIC's manufacturing, from planning, to weaving, to inspection, to shipping. Mr. Watanabe is the head of the Production Department. We asked him to talk about the difficulties of the job of production manager and his thoughts on the company.

Production Department Manager Watanabe

We want to make our factory a place we can always be proud of.

My name is Watanabe, and I am the manager of the Production Department at the Imabari Head Office Plant.

At the manufacturing site, an astonishing variety of problems, both large and small, occur every day. I deal with all of them from one side to the other, stabilize the entire production line, and make sure that everyone can work with peace of mind. If I were to give a brief introduction of my job, it would be something like that.

Each department has its own professionals, so I leave the basics to the field. However, some problems arise that are difficult to determine on a site-by-site basis, so in those cases they report to me, and my role is to make the final judgment based on a bird’s-eye view of the entire production line.

It is also my job to maintain the environment of the manufacturing site.

In the manufacturing industry, there is something called “5S activities,” which stands for “Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Seisou, Seiketsu Shitsuke. It refers to the practice of disposing of unnecessary items, placing necessary items in easy-to-use locations, and cleaning and keeping things clean.

However, the Imabari main factory has many old facilities and limited space. Despite this, new towels are being developed one after another, so the complexity of management is increasing rapidly.

On top of that, we are starting new initiatives one after another, such as acquiring “ISO-22000” and making it possible to track the traceability of each product. The reality of our facilities cannot keep up with these new initiatives, and we often find ourselves thinking, “What can we do?

Nevertheless, I too understand the importance of such initiatives. I myself am a person who, even if it is a difficult task, will be motivated once I have a firm conviction that it is something I must do.

In order to create the right environment, I need the understanding and cooperation of everyone in the workplace, so I cannot suddenly make everything perfect. We are moving forward little by little, exchanging opinions with everyone and sometimes communicating with them over and over again.

We are proud of what we have achieved, no matter what time of day visitors come to visit. We want to create a factory that visitors can be proud of and feel confident that their products are produced in such an environment.

Gratitude for IKEUCHI ORGANIC

I am currently a department manager, but I joined IKEUCHI ORGANIC (then Ikeuchi Towel Co., Ltd.) as a person in charge of sewing, inspection, and shipping.

I was born and raised in Imabari, and had worked for two towel companies before I started working for my current company. I left the business when I got married, but decided to look for a new job and joined Ikeuchi Towel Co.

My child was still small at the time, but Ikeuchi, the representative of the company, was very understanding about child-rearing and told me, “You can do what you want while putting your child first. I was worried about balancing work with raising a child, so I was very grateful.

I joined the company in 2003, and two months after I joined, we experienced a civil rehabilitation. At that time, many people left the company as we were trying to make a fresh start as a company.

Immediately after the civil rehabilitation, I was the only employee in the sewing inspection and shipping department, and the rest were part-time staff. I felt a sense of mission that I had to do it myself. I also felt a sense of mission, saying, “I have to do it myself. I also had some concerns about the management methods that had been used up to that point, and I felt it would be interesting to change them with my own hands.

After that, I actively did what I could do, and the work I was entrusted with expanded rapidly. The representative also trusted me and allowed me to work freely.

Even today, I feel as if I created the sewing, inspection, and shipping department. I am currently the head of the production department, but if I could give up my position to someone else, I would go back to sewing, inspection, and shipping (laughs).

Aligning Everyone’s Feelings in a Positive Way

It has been more than 20 years since I started working at IKEUCHI ORGANIC, and I really appreciate the help I have received in terms of balancing work and child-rearing.

When you have a small child, there are times when you can’t work overtime or have to leave early. I was grateful for the company’s willingness to send me off without a sour look, telling me to put my child first.

Currently, there are many staff members working while raising children at the Imabari headquarters plant, and we are able to cooperate with each other as if to say, “If someone takes a day off, it’s on both of our sides. This culture of mutual support is a wonderful thing about this company.

I am also a manager, but I am always supported by the members on site, and I feel that our company has a good team of people.

That is why, as a manager, I want to create an environment where everyone working on the production floor can work positively. I am always aware of whether they are able to work without strain mentally and physically, and I want them to consult with me if they have any problems. If I receive a consultation, I want to do something about it.

IKEUCHI ORGANIC is a company that takes on new challenges one after another, so there will probably be times in the future when we will have to put more strain on the work site. Everyone understands the need to do so, and we all know in our heads that we have to do it. But there are times when we want to complain a little.

At such times, I would like to step in between the company and the site and help everyone to feel positive about the situation. That is the kind of role I would like to play.

Interview June 2023
Interview and text by Keiji Ide
Photographer: Yuji Kimura