Takahiro Kato

Interview

Unit Engineering Department.

Graduated in Earth Science Section

Joined the company in 2018

A day of my job

8:00	Morning Assembly
8:30	Mail Check
9:00	Experimentation/Verification
12:10	Lunch Break
12:50	Document Preparation
15:00	Meeting
17:00	End of Work

How I spend my holidays

□ Electric guitar
□ Ramen restaurant tour
□ Marathon

Tell us about your work.

We commercialize lens units and support assembly technology in our factories in Japan and China.
In this process, we actually assemble and evaluate prototype lens units of our own or contracted design, and build up the process for mass production. We then examine what kind of work process and environment will enable us to achieve our goals for quality, cost, and efficiency.
I am also involved in improving and troubleshooting mass production processes in Japan and China, and have opportunities to travel to Chinese factories. By actually visiting and working with local staff, I have been able to build a “relationship of trust,” which is difficult to achieve online. As an engineer, it is of course important to improve my knowledge and skills, but work proceeds on a “people-to-people” and “people-to-people” basis, and I feel that without solid human relations, better manufacturing cannot be achieved. I value communication with my supervisors, seniors, colleagues, and people in other departments on a daily basis.

Current environment and skill development.

For the first two years after graduating from university and joining TOYOTEC, I was mainly involved in the commercialization of lens units, but later, due to organizational changes within the company, I also began to handle inspection and production management. At the time, I sometimes worried that I would fall behind as an engineer, but I believed my boss when he told me, “Knowing the manufacturing site where delivery dates are fixed will eventually become your strength as an engineer. I believed my supervisor’s words, “Knowledge of the manufacturing site, where delivery is a must, will eventually become your strength as an engineer,” and I actively worked on tasks other than engineering. In the production site, the next process is the customer’s, so quality and delivery time are absolute. In order to deliver better products to our customers quickly, we make estimates, set targets for process time and good product ratio, and study the best schedule to achieve them, as well as coordinate with other departments. I have been able to experience such a variety of tasks and broaden my perspective outside of technology, which has led to my personal growth.

Tell us about your future goals.

My current goal is to face various issues, large and small, for mass production, acquire the skills to solve them technically, and advance more products to mass production.
In the future, I would like to be able to build up a production process that satisfies QCD (quality, cost, and delivery) factors while introducing new assembly technology and coordinating proposals to related departments.

A Message to our Participants

TOYOTEC’s products are optical instruments and products that you are not used to hearing about.
Most of the people who join TOYOTEC will be working in a field different from what they have studied in high school or university.
However, after entering the company, you will be able to learn and play an active role through on-the-job training and external education,I hope that you will apply for this position without any anxiety.
We have a workplace where each individual can take responsibility and where those who take on challenges can grow and develop.
The speed of change is getting faster and faster in recent years,Please keep your antennae up and be interested in various things and do your best in your job hunting activities.