InterviewEmployee interview

"As part of Kashikey's production department, I make things
I can be proud of."

Merchandise Division Production Department/
Overseas Operations Division Miho Mikami (joined Kashikey in 2006)

  • Story.1I strictly check quality so that we can provide customers with products in the best possible condition.

    As part of my work in the production department, I am the contact person for all orders related to the manufacture of Kashikey jewelry and I manage delivery times and quality control. Specifically, when an order form comes in from the sales department, I prepare the materials necessary to complete a product for each person in charge and make all the arrangements. I also communicate with our partner factories and inspect the finished jewelry that they produce.
    For example, last month, about 2,000 pieces were created in the course of the month, so I had quite a lot to inspect each day. Checking the jewelry according to the standards determined for each separate design, I send back to the factory any pieces that need to be fixed, such as ones that are insufficiently polished, have stones loose in their settings, or earrings with metal fittings that aren't strong enough. I'm naturally strict with my inspection, because I feel that the finishing of our jewelry has to be exceptionally beautiful and I want to deliver the pieces to our customers in the very best condition. I think that I've been able to sharpen my aesthetic sense though this work.
    One more thing I do is my work with the overseas division. I handle the delivery times and quality control for products made in Japan that will be sold overseas and have duties supporting the Hong Kong office, this is about 30% of my workload.

  • Story.2I feel pride just from looking at all of our products.

    The jewelry that I inspect on a daily basis of course become "products" once the pieces are displayed at shop counters. It's quite strange, but once the items that I checked with my own hands are displayed in a shop, I suddenly feel awkward around them and they seem like completely different objects to me.
    In any case, when I'm with the jewelry makers, the place is filled with the feelings of those people who are creating things with their hands and I can strongly sense their emotions. The truth is, it takes a lot of time and labor before the jewelry can be displayed in a shop. While understanding the difficulty of the craftsmen's manual labor, I thoroughly check their finished products, and I intend to deliver the best items to customers. Therefore, when I hear from the salespeople that a customer said that our jewelry is truly beautiful, I think to myself once again that I was not wrong in choosing this path, and that I'm glad someone chose our jewelry.。
    The production department is the one that looks at Kashikey products most closely. I have pride in our products.

  • Story.3I want to better convey the feelings of our jewelry makers.

    From now on, as part of the production department, I want even more to make items that we can be proud of. I manage product quality, of course, but also delivery times and pricing, and I feel that I have to strictly ascertain whether or not the quality of our products matches our pricing. That's because no matter how hard our salespeople work, if our department isn't on the ball, then the business isn't viable. I also feel that I want for us to be able to better convey the feelings of our jewelry makers and craftsmen.

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