Accessory Project Management
The topic of this section is the activities in accessory development projects and its management. We held a talk session with Shoichi Kishikawa (Nissan affiliation) and Takahiro Nishino (Mitsubishi affiliation), both members of the Accessory Development Management team under Product Development Group, and listened to their stories about their work and mission in Accessory Development Management team, which content is slightly different from vehicle development.
▲Kishikawa and Nishino (from left to right)
Accessory development and excitement at work
- Tell us about your background and work experience.
Nishino：I joined Mitsubishi in 1989, and since then I've worked on the projects focused on new vehicle development which tasks were explained by Ono-san in the first section of this “Voices of the Staff” feature article. After that I was assigned to this Accessory Development department in 2008, which brings me here. I was assigned a concurrent post in NMKV since September 2013, when the Accessory Development team was first formed.
Kishikawa：I joined Nissan in 1992. I worked nine years in the field of exterior design development of vehicles. After working about two years in Prototype Development Group, I was transferred to the Accessory Development department. I was assigned a concurrent post in NMKV’s Accessory Development team since April 2014.
- I heard that both of you applied for a transfer to the Accessory Development department. Tell us what excites you in the field of Accessory Development.
Kishikawa：As you know, making car accessories are not the mainstream of vehicle development. But the work here is very rewarding and its contribution to the company profits is high; for example, how can we make an item that can stand out among others as a genuine car accessory? Or how can we sell them in the market in a timely manner at appropriate pricing, while maintaining the quality as a genuine car accessory, etc. Above all, the most important reason I wanted to be transferred to the Accessory Development department is that you have chance to listen to customer voices and reviews in more direct manner. When I was working in the exterior design development of vehicles, even if I was satisfied with the components I designed, I couldn’t really see how such components were appreciated by the market or couldn’t feel how much I had been able to contribute to the vehicle whose components were my work. In contrast, if it were the car accessories for example aerodynamic attachments, you could see how customers appreciate them and you could feel their excitement. They are the customers who chose your product that you have designed. You can also see how many customers have purchased them and how much they have contributed to the company’s profits in more direct manner. I think it is the most rewarding moment, which is completely different from what one feels in the mainstream development of vehicles.
Nishino：I agree. Until I was transferred to the Accessory Development, I was working in the projects of new vehicle developments. So, my main task was to facilitate the development of vehicles. It was a rewarding task, yes. But to be honest, there were times that it was hard to have a solid sense of personal contribution to such vehicles. On the other hand, each of car accessories is a commercial product and can be sold independently. I have a sense of self accomplishment when bringing each of them to completion, one by one. A sense of Mono-dukuri. Nothing is more exciting than this moment.
NMKV accessory development management
- You two are both working in the NMKV department entitled “Product Development Management” instead of just “Product Development”. Tell us more about the task in the work “management” for Accessory Development.
Nishino： In the case of NMKV developed vehicles, the car accessories adopted by such vehicles are actually developed by Mitsubishi’s Accessory Development department; there car accessories are shared among Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicles. Our role is to stand between the three parties: Planning departments of both companies and Accessory Development department of Mitsubishi. We aim to materialize the plan, and administrate everything related to the development processes including costs calculation, testing, scheduling, etc. It is literally a management type of work.
Kishikawa：There are other accessories exclusive to each company’s vehicles (other than the shared accessories by Nissan and Mitsubishi). But as Nissan doesn’t develop its own Kei-cars, it’s difficult for them to efficiently evaluate or conduct necessary testing on such car accessories attached to a unit of single vehicle. For this reason, part of Nissan-exclusive accessory development work is subcontracted to NMKV and its Product Development Management team. Then NMKV outsources the product development work to Mitsubishi’s Accessory Development department.
- What effects do they expect from NMKV’s involvement as a facilitator?
Kishikawa：NMKV is a car developer as well as project-organizing company. By concentrating the accessory development activities at NMKV and making NMKV responsible for the management, it is expected to streamline the development of accessories in greater quantity. For example, Nissan has been supplied with all Kei-cars by OEM companies. Along with such Kei-cars, almost all car accessories Nissan purchased are developed by such OEM companies, which were the original developer of Kei-cars. Therefore, there was a difficult aspect for Nissan to expand Nissan-exclusive accessories lineup. By Nissan subcontracting the development process to NMKV, we were able to efficiently develop both shared accessories (can be used for both companies’ cars) and exclusive accessories, thereby expanding the accessories lineup. I had a sense of satisfaction when we saw a printed car accessories catalogue full of new items.
Nishino：From a viewpoint of Mitsubishi, our workload expanded a little because we now have to respond to Nissan’s proposals while working on our own projects. However, we can collect and share the ideas from both companies such as new product concepts, and we can expect to have a set of worthy ideas of which one company can’t come up with single-handedly. Personally, I was really excited about some game-changing features, such as the Around View Monitor technology and the special navigation system for the display purpose. In fact, those innovative accessories greatly inspire our customers to transform the relationship between a vehicle and a beholder. I think it reflects NMKV’s “picking the best” spirit in a precise manner.
Kishikawa：We are currently engaged in the accessory development work in both positions concurrently across two companies. Under such circumstances, I think we are now in the stage of laying the groundwork for the accessory development by all three companies. We would like to contribute to each of three companies by exploring the potential merits of our further collaboration.
Leveraging the strength of Three-company collaboration
- Tell us about what you want to focus in NMKV and if there are any personal goals.
Kishikawa：As three companies, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and NMKV, are working together, we want to offer goods and products than no one else can do. For example, think of a car accessory that cost too much to be developed by a single company. Or a car accessory that is technically difficult to develop single-handedly. If all three companies put together the technologies, knowledge and expertise, and make order placements together to reach an appropriate level of quantity we will be able to do things that we have never thought possible before. Currently, we all have the benefits of cooperation in terms of the development efficiency and costs; but I think we can make more of it.
Nishino：Yes. While most of our customers purchase door visors and floor mats, if we look at the actual attach rate of Kei-car accessories other than the aforementioned, it is yet strikingly low. Maybe there is more room for improvement in responding to such customer needs. So, I want to offer new products to the market as many as possible, so that we would have more chance to hear our customers exclaiming in joy, “this is the car accessory I’ve been waiting for!”. I think now is the chance for us to move forward.
- Thank you for your time.
The talk session was held in November 2014. The positions they assume and affiliation they take in this article are as of at the time of the session.