X-Talk
Internal sales business x External sales business

Ihara We were in the same year and even belonged to the same research lab in college, but I only found out at the last minute that we would be joining the same company.

Yamazaki I was surprised at that time. I was like, "No way! You should have told me!".By the way, what kind of work are you currently doing in the Insurance Systems Dept. No.3 Ihara-san?

Ihara I'm involved in the maintenance and management of Dai-ichi Life's customer information and its utilization. For example, I'm in charge of linking data to the "DL Pad II" terminals that Dai-ichi Life's salespersons use when proposing insurance, and the system that manages data on the dedicated website used by policyholders.
Yamazaki-san, you've been assigned to the so-called external sales business, which provides system solutions to customers outside the Dai-ichi Life Group, right? I guess the work is very different when dealing with customers outside the group, isn't it?

Yamazaki There may not be any difference in the sense that we are both involved in maintenance and development of systems. However, since the requirements and rules differ for each customer, we need to be flexible in our response.

Ihara I see. I think customers expect the development and operational capabilities from the Dai-ichi Life Group, but that means the challenges are much tougher.

Yamazaki That's why I think it's so rewarding. I'm also in charge of service desk work, and as a representative of DLTX, I have to respond to customer questions quickly and accurately. When I overcome that pressure and provide a good answer, I feel like I've grown as a person.

Yamazaki I heard that Ihara-san was in charge of a big project recently.

Ihara It was about upgrading the automatic notification function for insurance policyholders. That was the first time I worked with a business partner on a project, but it was hard to coordinate schedules and manage progress, and I realized how important coordination and communication skills are.

Yamazaki It's only after you gain experience that you realize where you fall short. I think the reason why even young people can be involved in large projects is because DLTX provides a solid training and other development environment. We are also supported in obtaining qualifications, so I appreciate that we can choose what we want to learn, such as system knowledge or the latest technology. SAP is a representative product for ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems, and the members of the ERP Group are supported in obtaining the SAP Certified Consultant qualification.

Ihara I don't think we will be dealing with SAP in the Insurance Systems Dept. No.3. Regardless of SAP, I think it is very important to have knowledge that can only be gained by being involved in external sales business. By deploying this knowledge within DLTX, we will be able to grow as an organization.

Yamazaki That's certainly true. DLTX values the opinions of young people very much. That's why I want to proactively share the insights I discover in the external sales business.

Ihara Changing the topic a bit, what do you think are the qualities required for this job Yamazaki-san?

Yamazaki I think it's about not compromising and keep going until the end. Research things you don't understand thoroughly and don't leave them as they are. I think this is probably the same for both internal and external sales.

Ihara By steadily accumulating knowledge in this way, the added value of DLTX will increase.

Yamazaki That's right. Especially when dealing with external customers, I feel that accumulating and sharing knowledge is connected to our strengths. What are your goals for the future Ihara-san?

Ihara I would like to expand my understanding of related systems beyond my current field of responsibility. In my work, I often receive data from other people, so if I have knowledge of various systems, I can prevent mistakes caused by misunderstandings. I would like to propose a new system based on that broad knowledge.

Yamazaki If we can share and incorporate the knowledge, we have gained from both our internal and external sales businesses, we may be able to evolve as an organization. It would be great if we, the younger generation, could actively exchange information and utilize it at each of our customers' locations.