Introduction

Hello, I'm Risako.N from the Project Promotion Group at KINTO Technologies (hereinafter referred to as KTC).

I joined in March 2023 and have been working as a project manager (PjM). Regarding my career, I have worked in the SIer (system integrator) industry throughout. When I first started, I was heavily involved in developing web-based business systems. After that, I gradually shifted to upstream processes, and over the past few years, I’ve mostly been working as a PM.

In this article, I would like to introduce how is the work of a PjM at KTC, drawing on my experience as a PM at a system integrator (SIer).

What is a Project?

KTC has development teams and PdMs for each product (which I will call PD from now on). These development teams communicate with KINTO’s various business divisions and handle daily feature enhancements and improvement projects for their respective PDs. In addition to projects initiated by the business divisions, there are also those proposed by the development teams, such as legal compliance or architecture renewal projects, so multiple projects are always running in parallel.

Depending on the project, it may be necessary to work across multiple PDs and business divisions to achieve a single goal. Work that needs to be carried out across divisions, lasts for a certain period of time (typically 4 to 5 months or more), and has a fixed duration is called a "project." A PjM who holds responsibility for execution is assigned to each "project" to carry out and promote the project.

How a Project is Launched

Next, I will introduce how a project is launched and the overall process involved. At KINTO/KTC, a project follows the steps below:

1. Project proposal
2. Internal agreement and approval on the feasibility of the project (e.g., whether the product will sell and can ensure profitability)
3. To realize the project, members are assigned from relevant departments, and the project is organized and launched.

At the third step of forming the project, a business coordinator and a system PM (or PjM), who act as the driving forces for the business and system sides respectively, are assigned. These PMs lead the project’s launch, execution, and completion.

As such, PjMs are generally assigned at the stage when a project is about to be launched (i.e., when the planning has been mostly finalized). Meanwhile, KTC also has a Production Group that supports planning and project initiation from the early stages with a system development perspective. The Production Group is not involved in every project, but if a PM’s assigned project involves the Production Group, the PjM receives a handover of information from it, such as the project’s background, direction, and current challenges; and then launches the project and moves it into the execution phase.

...This is the basic process, but since each project has its own unique circumstances and involves different members, the way each project is launched can vary.

For example:

• A project whose requirement definition was completed last fiscal year and has now resumed in full force this fiscal year
• A project that was not planned at all last fiscal year but was suddenly proposed and started running

And so forth.

There are also projects where the planning started, but progress was put on hold due to things that became clear as the planning process progressed or due to changes in the environment. I think this kind of speed in launching and decision-making is something that is unique to KINTO/KTC.

How to Proceed with a Project and What to Do as a PjM

There are various types of projects. For example, in the KINTO ONE product development project aimed at launching a new plan, the project as a whole is generally carried out simply using the waterfall process.

＜Waterfall Process＞

The reason I used the expression “the project as a whole” is that the PD teams participating in the project have different development approaches, such as:

• A PD team that repeats the design, development, and testing processes by user story unit
• A PD team that designs all functions first, then proceeds with development and testing

In this process, what a PjM does includes, for example, the following:

• At the project launch stage, a PM deeply understands the purpose and business requirements of the project, and promotes the system requirement definition while discussing and coordinating requirements with the business division.
• After the requirement definition, each PD team basically proceeds with design and development. The development scale varies by team and project, and each team is also working on other projects in parallel. Therefore, a PM understands each team's development schedule, regularly checks progress, and manages the overall project.
• While each PD team proceeds with development, a PM prepares for testing after the PD teams join together, and coordinates with the QA team on testing activities.
• After the requirement definition phase, a PM handles all coordination with the business division, including requests for addition/change and determination of the release date.

After Actually Starting as a PjM

The role of a PjM is to create an action plan for the project goal, execute it, drive the project forward, and see it through to completion. I believe this role is largely the same in many other companies as well. However, compared to the SIer projects I have worked on in the past, I feel that I am taking on the role of driving projects in a position closer to the business. In the past, whether I was involved as a system consultant or a PjM, the relationship with the business side was always one of client and vendor, which naturally created boundaries I couldn’t—and shouldn’t—cross. However, in the case of KINTO and KTC, although they are different companies, they share the same root. This allows for open, barrier-free exchange of ideas and genuine collaboration in the best sense.

As a PjM, I will of course be responsible for planning and leading system development, but I also hope to gain experience that will allow me to contribute to KINTO’s business expansion from a systems perspective, grounded in a solid understanding of the business, while keeping in view the overall management of projects that integrate both business and systems.

And what I found difficult about starting PjM at KTC is that KTC has members involved in various fields, from designers to commercial websites and business system development, and each of them has a wide range of experience, so what was previously considered common sense is not common sense, and each person has their own way of doing things, so while respecting that, I also have to lead them!

Also on the business side, I was assigned as a PjM to a project to launch a new plan just two months after joining the company. However, there were so many things I didn’t yet understand, like how a new plan is developed at KINTO, what needs to be considered and addressed as a leasing business, and what kinds of risks may arise in the automotive industry. However, for each thing I didn’t understand, I turned it into something I could understand by gathering information from past projects and asking people around me. At the same time, I used my previous experience to move forward with the launch and execution of each project.

In order to participate in and drive a project forward, it is also essential to build relationships with stakeholders. While I mainly communicate online, I proactively made business trips to Nagoya to have face-to-face conversations.

By the way, the KINTO Nagoya Office is designed with the idea of "making it an office that people who come here can have fun," so it's quite stylish! (Featured in First Look: Inside the KINTO Nagoya Office! (in Japanese)) Near the office, there is Yanagibashi Central Market (a full-fledged market that suddenly appears in downtown Nagoya!) as well as a famous bakery... Business trips are great!

Speaking of Nagoya, it's famous for its breakfast sets! Two cups of coffee are served as the norm.

This is the Nagoya meal set!

It seems there are various ways to eat it. But the person I was eating with said none of those are correct…

It's not easy to jump into an unfamiliar environment like this and move things forward in it, but it's interesting to gain new knowledge, experiences, and realizations, and I hope to continue meeting different people and broadening my own horizons.

Finally

KTC is still a young company, and the surrounding environment is constantly changing, so there are many different ways to launch and promote projects. Because of this, there are many new discoveries, and I believe I am in an environment where I can proceed with my own initiative. If you are interested in such an environment and the role of a PjM, we would be delighted to have you join us and work together!