First introduction of remote work
Nakayoshi Shoji Group's remote work initiatives began about five years ago when we were approached for advice about one of our staff members who was moving and could no longer commute to the office.
At that time, we had just started using new groupware and cloud systems, and luckily my job mainly involved web programming, so I thought it might be possible to work remotely.
So I decided to try remote work.
The current state of remote work
Now, five years later, remote work has spread to various departments, including the sales, accounting, and trade departments.
With the development of cloud systems and groupware, and the emergence of new VPN technology, IP telephone services, and web conferencing systems,
Most sales and back office work can now be done remotely.
The staff member who first consulted us is still working remotely and doing well.
Previously, they would come into the office once every few weeks to hold meetings, but now they have been working exclusively remotely for over a year.
We now have staff working remotely in Chiba, Saitama, Gunma, and even France.
When they started working remotely in France, the process went smoothly and without any issues.
Because of the time difference, sometimes tasks are completed while the Japanese staff is asleep!
If we can continue to work remotely in New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, London, and other places around the world, we may be able to complete tasks 24 hours a day without any problems. (laughs)
I hope that one day I can realize my dream of working when I want, where I want, and improving my business performance.
Work that cannot be done remotely
However, there are still some tasks that just cannot be done remotely, and factory production and shipping work is of course difficult.
The design department also handles large amounts of DTP and other data, so remote work is not yet possible.
Product photography is also impossible to do remotely.
In particular, there are some fine details about design and product planning that cannot be conveyed during a web conference.
Some accounting and general affairs tasks require the use of seals, and tasks related to money must be done at the company.
For this reason, we rotate staff who come into the office one to two days a week.
There are still many challenges ahead, but with the development of IT technology, more and more things will be possible in the future, so we will continue to study so that we can make full use of it.
Towards a sustainable society
Nakayoshi Shoji Group will use the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as an important indicator in its manufacturing and corporate activities.
