"I'll do anything."
~What is operation in web production?~

The Monosus operations team's workroom is on the second floor on the left side of the front building when looking at the building from the front.
There is no one there to work early in the morning, and when they leave at night the lights are brighter than in any other department.

The team consists of 12 members: 1 leader, 3 team leaders, and 8 team members.
Roughly speaking, the team is divided into direction, design, and coding.
The male to female ratio is 2:1.
Their backgrounds are diverse: some were originally involved in web production, some worked in graphic design, and some had no production experience at all.

It's been six months since I joined the operations team.
Having no experience in the web industry, I didn't know what to do, but I handled the large number of projects that came my way with ease, sometimes suffering serious injuries.

Six months ago, the leader, Kurihara, told me, "Please join us as a member of the operations team."
I had no idea what I was going to do.

That being said, what exactly does "operation" mean?
Even if asked this question, it is difficult to give an accurate answer in a few words.

This is because the level and content required varies from project to project and client to client.

Even so, I thought it would be a good time to do it after six months, and while I was still young.
I would like to gain a deeper understanding of what operations are and what an operations team is.
I want to work closer to the essence of operations.

With this in mind, I decided to interview people involved in the operations team.

In this first episode, we spoke with Kurihara Isao, operations team leader and director.

While I was waiting for Kurihara in the small conference room on the second floor of the building at the back, I heard a loud noise of someone running up the stairs.
And immediately the door opens.

"Sorry I'm late."

- No, no, not at all. Thank you for joining us today.

Operational difficulties?

-First of all, how long has the operations team been in place?

"It's quite complicated, but we first got together as a team two years ago."

-What do you mean by complicated?

"Before the Creative Department Operations Team was established, new projects, renewal projects, and operations projects were all handled by a department called the Creative Business Department. I joined the company there, and a while later I was put in charge of managing operations projects.

At that time, we had not yet formed into a team, but as the number of cases gradually increased, the division began to be divided into those responsible for operational cases and those responsible for new cases.
Then, two years ago, we decided to form a team.

-First of all, what is the difference between "operational" and "new"?

"There are many differences, but the biggest difference is where production begins.

If it is a new production, we start from planning, asking ourselves "What kind of website should we create?" and also consider the tone and manner of the overall design.
In other words, we can think from scratch and make proposals while understanding the customer's intentions.

On the other hand, in terms of operations, we already have a completed site.
We have to proceed with design and coding within the framework of the existing site."

--It does sound a bit restrictive (laughs), but what do you think is the appeal of this type of management?

"At first, I felt cramped too.
But as I continued working, my thoughts changed.

One of the attractions is that you will be working with the same client on the same website for a long time, so you will be able to work with a deep understanding of what the client wants to do and what they want to communicate.

There is always a purpose behind a customer's request.
I believe that whether or not you know the circumstances that led up to the request will make a huge difference in the depth of your understanding of the purpose and the speed at which you reach that understanding.
It's more fun for us if we have a deeper understanding of the purpose and meaning, and it also makes it easier to make suggestions.
I'd be really happy if someone said, "Yes, that's it!"

Another benefit is that operations allow you to have a broader involvement with the site.
For example, not just design and coding, but also suggestions for improvements to increase sales.
The best part of operations is being able to continually observe the "reactions" of the person on the other side of the customer's desk and suggest the next course of action to take.

You created an email newsletter, and how many people opened it?
Create a new page, how many people join, and how does it work?
We can also look at new productions, but being able to make continuous proposals is something that only a system like this can offer."

Everyone is a director, everyone is a salesperson

-As someone who joined my current team with no prior experience in the web industry, I still don't fully understand some aspects of the work involved in starting up a new business.
Are there any advantages that someone who has only worked on operations has over someone who has only worked on new businesses?

"I think business sense is a strength.
I work as a director of operational projects, thinking of myself as both a liaison and a salesperson.
It is common for individual projects to come up suddenly, so even if you schedule them, they will not always go according to schedule.
Sometimes others may look at you and think, "Do you really have to do that now?"
However, I think that from the customer's perspective, having a request responded to immediately increases their satisfaction.
By going beyond schedules and responding to those demands, I think we can naturally build relationships with our customers."

- When I joined the company, I remember being told that "each person will be responsible for directing one project at a time." So when it comes to operations, it's not just about creating things?

"Yes, I've always thought that.
Rather than having a person who only does direction and gives production instructions to other people, if the person who produces also does the directing, wouldn't that save time on giving instructions and management? For operational teams that require immediate response, the ability to direct is essential .

And operations must cover a wide range of areas.
When a client says, "This is what I want you to do," the person in charge will come up with the idea.
Whether it's design or coding.
You need to think about what you can do to achieve that and then act.”

-In a normal production, does that mean each person has a clearly defined role?

"Even in new productions, I think there are times when the director has to do a wide range of things, such as pulling wires and lighting.

But even within that, the range of operations is quite wide.
I think the strength is that you can gain the skills and experience to handle a variety of different things.
While I was coding, he would say to me, "Okay, write a proposal tomorrow," and do other things that don't usually happen in production.

Hybrid skills equal specialization

--You mentioned your "sales sense" and "ability to handle a variety of situations" as your strengths. What do you feel are your weaknesses?

"It may be that there isn't much room for technical growth in this project.
The majority of the projects we receive involve creating pages for sites that have already been decided upon.
If someone only does one project, that's the only thing they know how to do."

-You mentioned earlier that one of your strengths is "being able to handle a variety of things." But does that mean that specializing in one technology is a weakness?

"I agree.
What is needed in operations is something that is broad but shallow.

- I have the impression that the idea of "broadly and shallowly" is one that is often overlooked in the production industry. Do you have any thoughts on that?

"In Monosus' operations team, once someone becomes accustomed to one project, they are assigned to other projects to broaden their skills.
The experience gained from working on a variety of projects will definitely be beneficial to that person.
Recently, many operational projects include requests for upstream processes such as planning and design, so depending on the individual's motivation, they will be able to gain experience in that type of work.

In addition, since the operation started, we have been receiving more requests for new projects.
The current operations team is now able to respond not only to operations but also to requests for new production and renewal.
Of course, "specialization in one technology" is a strength, but I also think that being able to "hybridize" various technologies and skills to flexibly respond to customer requests is an equally strong weapon."

A relationship like that of a middle-aged married couple is ideal

-We've been talking about how on-site leaders think about "operations," but can you also tell us how they would like to carry out operations?

"Currently, I work according to instructions, but I'd like to be able to start work without receiving instructions.
Ideally, I would like to be able to create a relationship like that of an elderly married couple, where I can understand what I need to do next without having to say anything to my customers (laughs).
To go that far means we need to know more about our customers, and we would like to know more.

I want to be involved with all of my customers, not just a part of them.
That is the type of operation that Monosus' operations team aims for.

On top of that, I want the Monosus operations team to be the first thing customers think of when they are in trouble."

Is there anything you would like to ask of people joining the company?

"I don't want people to come in with the limited idea that they'll do this job. I'll do anything."