The other day I attended a semi-annual company-wide conference on safe environment, product quality and clerical work quality. Group representatives gathered at Itami Works, and regional hub representatives participated through a video conference system. The all-day conference included reports on activities during the first half of the year and in-depth discussions, which enabled the whole company to share information including future directions and plans. From reports by the respective groups, we can learn directly how staff members in the field are struggling or exercising their ingenuity to improve operations. Since I assumed the office of President, this semi-annual conference has been one of the things that I have been looking forward to.
All the activities reported in the presentations employed the “scientific approach,” which has been handed down through the company’s long history. Perseverance leads to success.
Today, I will write about activities chosen from the reports on environmental and clerical work quality activities.

As for environmental activities, a report was given regarding energy conservation achieved by minimizing air resistance of rotating bodies using computer-aided engineering (CAE), a technique which has been nurtured through product development. Further energy saving may be achieved by expanding applications.
Regarding Eco-Life Activities, a program launched in 2008 for promoting energy conservation at employees’ homes, the number of participants increased to 4,416 families. In a best-practice case reported, all members of one family actively participated in this effort. They came up with ways to save energy, such as frequently switching lights off, curtailed use of televisions and air conditioners and lowering preset temperature of hot water supply, then carried out these actions and quantified the effects of the respective measures. I offered a letter of appreciation to the family. To families who achieved the goal of CO2 emissions reduction of one kilogram per person per day, the company presents potted foliage plants grown by Sumiden Friend, Ltd., a special subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric. A first step toward resolving environmental problems is to change the state of consciousness of each and every person. I hope these energy-saving activities will spread among many more families.

As for clerical work quality, a report was given regarding an effort to improve and rationalize operations using a unique tool. A diagram based on a golf course map was put up at the workplace so that everyone could track the progress of their activities at a glance. By sharing and visualizing tasks, this tool helped raise a sense of participation among staff members and further activate the campaign. With some touches of humor, this presentation was very impressive and easy to understand. It provided a typical example of the way even a low-key, steady activity can be carried out with pleasure, without becoming a merely rote effort, by employing an ingenious device.

The SWITCH Campaign was launched in 2008 with the aim of adopting an efficient mode of working, so as to improve the quality of both working and private lives. This year, the second year of the Campaign, our efforts focus on operational efficiency improvement in the office sector. I expect the next target will be operational improvement in terms of IT and enhancement of clerical work reliability.

After the report session, a party was given in appreciation of the presenters’ services at GENKI Club, an employees’ clubhouse. It was inspiring to hear their stories of struggle and success. They also talked about the sense of satisfaction they had when things turned out well. As alcoholic drink serves as a lubricant, we can come up with good ideas.

We at the Sumitomo Electric Group continue to promote reinforcement of the “S-E-Q-C-D-D (safety, environment, quality, cost, delivery and development)” aspects of our operations as all-participatory campaigns, aiming to turn tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge.