HIDAJournal 2012 AUTUMN

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5HIDA Journal No. 1 ● AUTUMN 2012I participated in a six-month training program in Japan with four other colleagues from June to December 2010. The main purpose of my training was to study the manufacturing philosophy of Daikin Industries and equipment maintenance techniques. During the first three months, I learned about the language, culture and society of Japan as part of the introductory training (General Orientation Course) at the Kansai Kenshu Center of AOTS (currently HIDA). Before going to Japan, I spoke a little Japanese, but this involved combining simple words. Because of that, I was very shy about using Japanese in front of others. However, as I became used to hearing other participants, such as those from Thailand and India, speak freely even when their Japanese is flawed, I became more willing and able to speak Japanese. Also, I found watching TV to be helpful in learning Japanese. I watched mostly sports and news. Even when I didn't want to, I was exposed to a lot of spoken Japanese, which really improved my listening ability as a result. Thanks to that, I became capable of understanding more Japanese. For the remaining three months, I studied the manufacturing philosophy of Daikin Industries at their Shiga Factory (Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture) and Rinkai Factory (Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture). Of course, I also learned a great deal of knowledge and technologies, but more importantly, I came home with a better understanding of the different views toward manufacturing seen in Japan and Thailand. I actually had no idea of this difference when I was in Thailand. After my return, I was able to identify a number of areas that could use improvement within the factory. I did not expect to see this kind of results from a short six-month training program. For that, I was truly surprised. In May this year I became the Production Control Manager. This position requires interaction with Japanese executives. The task I am working on right now is to develop a production control system unique to DCI. However, as there are only about 70 different parts in a compressor, I will not have to build a brand new system. Instead, my work will involve making changes to the general system to suit our purposes. Even then, this is still quite a responsibility for me. In addition, I would like to share the Japanese way of thinking and ideas on improvement with my fellow Thai employees. I believe by doing so, the company will change for the better. For Thais, too, it is very important to work hard together with one another. On the other hand, my Japanese is still not proficient enough for me to fully communicate with Japanese executives. This is why I would like to spend more time studying Japanese. I am trying to learn one sentence a day by heart, even though it seems like I still have a long way to go. I am still young, so I will try my best to help DCI grow.is a great opportunity for participants to realize that training itself comprises the essence of the Japanese mindset. There is nothing more important than becoming better at Japanese through this course, but it is difficult to acquire a foreign language in as short as three months. If a participant can carry a simple conversation as a result of the training, that is more than enough. More importantly, we emphasize understanding the Japanese mindset on the management side. As such, we designate about half of the time of the six-month training period to the introductory training at a HIDA Training Center. It may appear to be an expenditure from a short-term perspective. However, in order to understand the Japanese way of thinking, it is best to go to Japan. If the investment in training yields a future executive, we will recover more than the cost. Do you use any other strategies to develop human resources?It may not be a direct method of human resource development, but we implement a number of strategies to encourage communication with employees.For example, we hold an improvement meeting in which the president meets with each department once a month. All employees participate in the meeting, including everyone from operators to engineers. During these meetings each person can discuss their views. Rather than passing ideas from the top down, we believe employees will form different ways of thinking by allowing them the opportunity to think. On the other hand, we host birthday parties for employees twice a month, in promoting cohesiveness in the workplace. I’m not sure if this is a result of these efforts, but the annual job turnover rate among nearly 1,500 regular employees is under 1%. It is tough for a company to lose its workers, especially those it has invested training in. Therefore, I would like to continue our efforts aimed at not only improving efficiency, but also raising workplace morale. I appreciate hearing about your company's philosophy on human resource development, which takes into consideration both efficiency and employee motivation. Thank you for your time today.Inside the factory Progression of cost reductions Example of improvement: Switched from two to four bladesFeedback from a Participant after Returning HomeProduction Control Manager Sanya MaiduangVOICE

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