We don't do "back office" work, which means we work on the same level as the sales staff

I've always liked working in customer service. I previously worked at a hotel where the spirit of hospitality was drilled into me. I found ITO Corporation while looking for a job where I could use my hospitality training. I had no experience in trading companies, but when I learned that the job was to support sales activities, I thought that I could use my experience to serve as a bridge between the sales staff and customers.

The Sales Operations Department that I belong to provides blanket support to the sales staff's activities. We handle diverse tasks such as receiving and making product orders, managing paperwork, producing cost estimates, procuring products, and negotiating with suppliers and customers.

These tasks are not simply "back office work." Although the sales staff work at the front office, it's the Sales Operations Department that handles the details for all of the parties involved. There are no hierarchical relationships for such tasks, and both the front and back offices are important for the company. We're not only doing the paperwork required to complete the job, we also see things on the same level as the sales staff. Ultimately, we are very determined to build relationships with customers.

Core project member with heavy responsibilities and strong motivation

To revamp its structure and operations, ITO Corporation has started various projects these past two or three years. In my case, I'm a member of the project team to revamp the company's core system. It is an important, year-long project with 20 members.

The revamping of the core system gives us the chance to reform the company's workflows based on our experience in actual operations. We can dynamically change key workflows such as sales and purchasing or finance and accounting. We have worked together to come up with ideas on how to streamline workflows, starting with improving the layout of business forms. We have also thought about how to effectively link with external systems, and we have created management account ledgers and other improvements. The hard part is over now that we have finally identified the majority of our basic requirements.

I joined the project right after my maternity leave, so I thought the job was quite daunting at first. However, when I thought about how the success or failure of this project would affect the company's future, I felt the heavy responsibility of my job as well as a strong sense of purpose.

Right now, I really believe that change can be fun! You need courage to venture into the unknown and you may feel anxiety at first. However, when you take that first step, you get to see another world for the first time. While having fun with change, I want to improve the company by leaps and bound together with all our members.