Good luck!!

A total of 15 recent graduates from the Philippines majoring in mechanical and electrical engineering visited ISOWA over a two-day period. 

They participated in a full-day program that ran from 8:30 am to 5 pm.

First thing in the morning, we started with self-introductions. 

Hitomi introduced ISOWA, and we went on ISOWA's factory tour.

We enjoyed lunch at the three-star ISOWA restaurant, then we tackled technical issues and reflected on the day.

They managed their very packed schedule.

They were selected from a document screening of 1,700 applicants and were the best candidates who had a strong desire to work in Japan. 

They passed several months of intensive Japanese language study in the Philippines and were able to speak a little Japanese, or even more than a little in some cases. 

There are many excellent students in Japan, but at the same time, there are also students who lose sight of their own abilities in this job applicants' market.

In that respect, their enthusiasm was completely different. The serious look in their eyes and the enthusiastic questions they asked during the factory tour were wonderful.

Moreover, the ISOWA engineers who welcomed them were also incredible.

I thought the ISOWA culture was evident.

Among the ISOWA People, some were able to fully demonstrate the results of their regular English studies, while others realized their own lack of study, which I thought was a good stimulus for them.

One of them, Mr. N (second from the left in the front row), from the Philippines, who has been working at ISOWA for two and a half years, also attended to us fully.

He is close in age to them and can communicate in Tagalog and, of course, in English... but he said, "I haven't used English in a long time, so I was nervous."

But he did a great job and seemed to have a lot of fun spending two days with his motivated compatriots.

So, how many ISOWA people will be born from them?

We also want to take their passion seriously and carefully select our future colleagues.

Thank you to all 15 of you. Good luck!!

Congratulations and thank you

Continuing from the last issue, I introduce more about the Porter Prize.

Last year's Porter Prize is featured on pages 32-33 of the January 24, 2025 morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

ISOWA is one of the four awarded companies. 

This is not an article but an advertisement for Hitotsubashi Business School.

However, it is a double full-page spread.

When I woke up in the morning, I received a congratulatory message from Mr. I, who was my senior at the boarding house during my college days and a former vice president of “S” bank.

After that, I received more emails from several customers and classmates.

Although it was an advertisement, it was not one that we paid for ourselves, and I think this is the only time, ever, that we have been featured on both sides of a spread in the national edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.　It is a great honor.

In the interview with Professor Kusunoki introduced in the article, he said “it is not only strategy but also great management.”

There are two points about this.

One was Professor Kusunoki told the ISOWA-bito who attended the ceremony on the day of the award ceremony,

“You are all very lucky to work for a really good company.

There is not such a good company, but may be about 30 companies. (laugh)”

Rather than simply saying, “There is no other company,” it is more realistic to be told, we are “One of 30 companies.”

The other is what Professor Kusunoki says “excellent management,” while Professor Noma, describes it as “ISOWA has a unique strategy...” as per the lower left corner of the article.

That is right.

I have come to believe more and more that the “excellent management” that Professor Kusunoki mentioned through the judging of the Porter Prize, is a part of “strategy,” as Professor Noma said.

Professor Nawa's keynote speech introduced in the upper left corner.

The two concepts of compliance which are “not doing wrong” and ethics which are “doing right and good.”

The “fairness and justice” that ISOWA is trying to have at the heart of its strategy is precisely “doing what is right and good.”

“It is necessary to foster a corporate culture in which each employee makes what is most important to each company his or her own,” which is exactly the kind of 'Jibun-gatari(ISOWA story)' we are doing at ISOWA.

The “decision-making axis based on belief” is nothing other than what ISOWA has been working on for 25 year, since we started working on corporate culture reform.　So, to think, ISOWA is a quarter of a century ahead of its time in this point. Isn't that right? (laugh)

Mission, Vision, Values, Purpose, Principle...　

With the times, words and books appear that are much hyped, but I feel they are not particularly new, but only replacing the packaging and labels of the same ideas.

ISOWA is NOT wavering.

That is what Professor Nawa says “the decision-making axis based on belief”.

Thank you, Porter Prize Screening Committee members, for choosing ISOWA.

Receiving the prize is the “goal” so far, but it is also the “start” for the future.

By working together as one team (it is my role to unite ISOWA-bito as one) and increasing the value we provide to our customers, we will achieve the happiness of TASUKE-bito and ISOWA-bito.

After 4 days…

Since we all won the Porter Prize together, let's rejoice together!　That's why we held a “party to celebrate the prize together” in the factory after regular business hours,

I have been president for 24 years,　I honestly wish I could have come up with such a strategy earlier anyway.

However, when the professors interviewed said, “The difficulty of imitating ISOWA's strategy lies in ISOWA-bito,” I think it is precisely because we have been reforming our corporate culture for more than 25 years that we were able to come up with and realize this strategy.　

It is exactly “Slow and steady wins the race.”

Since I have a certificate of commendation that I received at the ceremony last December, I showed it in front of all employees this time and had Mr. N of the Support Department receive it on behalf of all employees.

Why was Mr. N the representative?

That is the point of ISOWA's strategy that received the prize,

　　Repositioning machine sales, which was the goal, as the start.

　　And, taking the maintenance seriously after the machine sale.

Therefore, the strategy up to now, and only 'up to now', has been mainly on the service side and

Mr. Nomura of the Support Department was my partner in the strategic planning dialogue.

My new goal is to make our existing strategy story longer, thicker, and stronger.

The longer, thicker, and stronger it gets, that is reason why the more difficult it will be to imitate.

For this purpose, we will spread our strategy to the rest of the departments now more than ever, so I ask all in Manufacturing, Engineering, Sales, and Administration department help us.　

I want ISOWA-bito in various departments to be my dialogue partners.　

Otherwise, the strategy will not expand.

Then, Hikaru said, “Everyone, it's not a bad story to hear, so listen up for a minute,” and he then informed us of the special bonus for the Porter Prize, and we toasted!

And once again, we invited seven kitchen cars and everyone enjoyed the delicious food.

We carefully selected seven kitchen cars that were well-received at the ISOWA Family Open House a year ago.

Well, all of ISOWA-bito have made my longtime dream come true.

Once again, congratulations on the Porter Prize! And thank you for the Porter Prize!

Next time, I want you all to be employee representatives and receive the next Porter Prize certificates.

I look forward to it!

ISOWA joins the Porter Prize Club – award for the difficult imitability of ISOWA’s Competitive Strategy

Happy New Year! May you have a blessed year full of success, love, and health.

 

We were awarded the Porter Prize–2024.

ISOWA was invited to the award ceremony. Before the ceremony, I attended the Porter Prize Club meeting, which only the awarded companies could attend and officially certified as a member. We feel so proud that we can join the club since all the members are very famous corporations for their own competitive strategies. However, the details of the meeting are confidential and not open to the public. I am sorry that I cannot share them with you.

 

As I found the poster of the Porter Prize Club, I took a selfie.

Then, Professor Kusunoki appeared and said, “Let’s take a photo.” He is a leading authority on the competitive strategy in Japan. Our first encounter was in 2016, and to this date, I have a lot of stories with him. He is a member of the steering committee of the Porter Prize.

By the way, the meaning of the unique logo of the Porter Prize was explained at the award ceremony. There are two meanings. One is to take strategies that differ from other companies, which is “Out-of-Box Thinking.”  The other is that the arrow symbol, sticking out of the box, has a barb on it like a fishhook. It represents the indomitable will never go back but take a step forward in the strategy. That makes sense.

After the “confidential meeting” of the Porter Prize Club, it was finally time for the award ceremony, the official name, “The Porter Prize Conference on Competitiveness 2024.”

When I was waiting for the opening of the ceremony in Hitotsubashi Hall, Professor Kusunoki came and asked, “Are you with Tsunobo-san today?” (“Tsunobo” is my wife’s nickname.) I answered, “Yes, she has already arrived.” He said, “Could you introduce me?” “Sure.” So, I introduced my wife, Tsunobo, and my daughter, Hitomi, who were sitting together, to him.  At the time, “Maybe…” I had a feeling that something was going to happen.

 

The ceremony started.

The representatives of the four awarded companies were interviewed by Professor Kusunoki.

The first interviewee was ADVANTEST CORPORATION, the second was Hulic Co., Ltd, and the fourth was Japanet Holdings Co., Ltd. ISOWA was the third interviewee.

During the interview, Professor Kusunoki referred to my blog “ISOWA Diary,” which was my important weapon to build up ISOWA’s corporate culture. And from there, he said “Mr. Isowa has wonderful relationships with his wife. I am learning from him, too.” He said this kind of thing suddenly, and next he said, “Today, his wife is here. Mrs. Isowa, could you please stand up?”

I knew it! My prediction came true!

But she could not stand up as she was very shy. That was so her.

During the interview, she listened to it while holding the portraits of my deceased parents.

I am sure that they are so delighted in heaven.

When I got the 20-minute interview, time went by so quickly. That was not enough time to explain ISOWA’s competitive strategy. As ISOWA is a little-known company, the mystery must have only deepened why ISOWA won the prize.

But it is true in a sense.

I believe Professor Mikiharu Noma’s (he is a member of the steering committee of the Porter Prize) feedback explains it. - “The difficult imitability of ISOWA’s competitive strategy lies on the ISOWA-bito (ISOWA team members)”

Because it is a mystery and incomprehensible, nobody can imitate it.

This is exactly the strongest imitability which was born through consecutive efforts to improve the corporate culture over the past quarter century.

After the ceremony, I had an official photo session.

The female photographer was hyper, and she made me excited, like a photo session at a kindergarten. It was a fun time.

This is the certificate of commendation.

The name Hitotsubashi University Business School (ICS) and the university’s emblem were hot stamped on the front cover. It reminded me of my graduation ceremony 45 years ago.

Since the Porter Prize is hosted by my alma mater, I have a special feeling about it. I am very happy to receive this award.

When I open the front cover, I can see the certificate of commendation, which has the signature of Professor Michael E. Porter of Harvard University, on the bottom left.

This is the stylish commemorative gift we received.

I did not notice it, but my wife Tsunobo said, 

“It is made in the shape of a book.”

Oh, this is certainly a book with open pages!

Then, what kind of book is it?

Is it the COMPETITIVE STRATEGY written by Professor Michael E. Porter?

But for me, it is Professor Ken Kusunoki’s translated version.

Mine is the very first edition. Though it has many finger marks, it is definitely my commemorative item.

Three days before the award ceremony, I sent an email to Professor Kusunoki.

“Could you take a group shot with us? Many of your fans from my company will participate in the ceremony.”

He gave me the prompt reply, “Sure!”

Then, not only the Tokyo branch but also many members from the headquarters in Aichi; a total of 30 people joined the group photo. (See the top photo of this blog post.)

There were a lot of members who had read his book in our company’s study meeting about competitive strategy.

Furthermore, he was considerate in suggesting a family shot.

The photo is memorable. It is the family heirloom now.

After the ceremony, the ISOWA team had a private celebration party at JOSUI KAIKAN next to Hitotsubashi Hall.

I asked every member for a short speech.

Some of them said,

“It was my first time to see you get nervous.”

I was surprised. I was not nervous at all and enjoyed the ceremony very much, but I must have looked nervous.

Another comment was,

“Today, I saw your happiest day. I am thrilled to see that you feel so happy.”

Yes, I felt extremely happy.  

The award ceremony was great. However, the speeches of ISOWA team members at our celebration party were ‘super’ awesome.

It was where “ISOWA’s corporate culture,” the source of the difficult imitability of ISOWA’s strategy, was overflowing.  Because of that, my tears were about to overflow, too! 

Again, I realized that ISOWA is a wonderful company.

I am extremely happy to be the president of ISOWA.

Thank you to all ISOWA-bito, Tasuke-bito, and our valued customers.

We will contribute more and more to reduce our customers’ opportunity losses.