• Pick Up
• Overseas Assignment
• Vehicle Motion Division (VM)
• Project Manager

With offices all over the world, Bosch offers opportunities to work abroad. Hirotsugu Nishihara, who is currently working as a global project manager based in France, joined Bosch from his previous job at a foreign-affiliated American company. We asked him to talk about how he came to be posted overseas, and what makes it rewarding to be involved in a project in which members from all over the world participate.

Decided to move to France because it would be easier to proceed with the project at the development site

Please tell us about your current project and your role.

I am managing a project that started in 2018 for shared software for three automobile manufacturers. This is a global joint project in which companies that had been developing separately until then, formed an alliance to generate synergies.

I was assigned as the manager in charge of the entire software. Software development includes project management, specification analysis, functional development, software architecture design, network communication, integration, testing, and so on. I am in charge of project management and determine the overall planning, development strategy, and direction.

I was assigned to France for about a year from 2019, but while I was temporarily returning to Japan in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic started. I was unable to travel overseas, so I worked remotely from the Yokohama office. I returned to France in January 2022 and I am currently serving as Global Project Manager for ESP® Software.

Why were you posted in France? Please tell us the details.

When I joined the project in 2018, I was working at the Yokohama office in Japan. However, for this project, I thought it would be better to be in France to enable more efficient communication and negotiations. My boss at the time agreed that the project would proceed smoothly if I was at the base where I could talk directly, without any time difference, with the people in charge at the automobile manufacturers. A role was created in France, and I was appointed there.

If a situation is explained face-to-face and a sincere request is made, people tend to say, "Okay, let's do something about it." It is also an important job of a project manager to go to the site, communicate, and motivate the people who work together.

How did you feel when you were assigned overseas?

More than anything else, I had a strong determination to bring the three companies together. I thought, "I am going to bring these three companies together! I am going to set this big gear in motion." That is why I went to France, but I was so busy with work at the time that I did not realize that I was going overseas until I boarded the plane (laughs).

When I was in university, I lived in Europe for about five and a half years, so there were no hurdles to living abroad. When I was a student, I visited Paris on a trip and thought, "It is a beautiful city. I want to live here someday." So my dream came true.

Incorporating what is necessary into the design from multiple perspectives

What challenges are you tackling in the joint project?

Normally, development projects are organized for each vehicle, but in a joint project, the development strategy and direction of all three companies as a whole must be decided. At first, there were concerns about the success of the project, as the complexity and difficulty of the project increased many times higher than usual as the number of project stakeholders expanded and the latest technology was adopted.

With a large number of work schedules lined up on a Gantt chart, we prepared a structural plan while thinking about things such as, "How can we make it more efficient?" and "If a problem occurs here, what will be affected next?" My mission is to manage the overall planning and make every project a success.

Do you feel any difference in the way you work in France and Japan?

Of course there are cultural differences, but I don't really feel that within Bosch. That is because Bosch has always been working in a diverse environment.

If I had to say, Japan tends to emphasize punctuality and deadlines, but France places importance on contracts, so documents are more important. When you are there, you can feel the difference firsthand. I think the good thing about Bosch is that we can learn these differences and promote each other's strengths in a hybrid manner.

Value people to make the project successful

What do you value as a project manager?

It is about taking care of people. There are many skills required as a project manager, but I think the most important thing is to take care of our customers and engineers. We take care to ensure that each person is given what they want and need.

For example, if engineers are struggling with a project, ask them what they need. If you do not have enough time, go to the customer and ask them to give you three more days. When a specification change is needed, we set up a meeting to listen to what they are saying and help the engineers get the job done.

Enthusiasm is also very important. People around you will be affected if you declare that you will definitely succeed in your project, and always think about how to make the project successful and how to make everyone feel comfortable with the development process. I was once told, "I cannot refuse Mr. Nishihara's request," and I was very happy.

At first, I sometimes felt lonely while posted overseas, but I was filled with a sense of fulfillment by working hard for people and projects, being appreciated, and overcoming difficult tasks. Wishing others success and happiness is also good for yourself.

What made you change your job from a developer to a project manager?

Ever since I joined Bosch and was engaged in on-site development as an engineer, I have been communicating closely with customers and taking the initiative in responding to any issues. It may have been judged that the ability to take action to "definitely produce results, and meet expectations" is suitable for project managers.

However, when I look back now from the perspective of a project manager, I sometimes think that at times I was perhaps an outrageous engineer. I think some of my actions may have gone too far, such as deciding the schedule without permission. Neither my seniors nor my superiors reproached me for my actions. I was able to grow because they watched over me and supported me, and I am very grateful to be where I am today.

Why did you keep going, even though you thought it had gone too far?

It is a very difficult point, but I wanted to get results at any rate.
In order to meet customer expectations, I felt that sometimes it was necessary to act exceptionally.
I think I felt that going beyond the role assigned to me was sometimes important for me as an engineer and for the success of a project.
Also, as an engineer, I was aware of the underlying adverse effects and problems in the current specifications and tried to take action.

Even if it is okay as software, it is necessary to always consider every aspect of the design, including whether it can respond to unforeseen circumstances or whether it is comfortable for the driver.

In order to do so, we listen to reviews from various fields, accept criticism, and make the best overall choice within a limited time. We will always be sincere and deliver results. That is what I was doing.

Aiming for a time without fatal car accidents

What do you want to aim for in the future of automated driving?

The requirements for software engineers will continue to increase with the goal of developing future automated driving systems. On the other hand, the direction in which to go will depend on each automobile manufacturer. It is necessary to select new technologies according to each concept.

It is also important to increase the speed of development while cooperating with manufacturers. Similar to a smartphone application, functions are updated frequently. Therefore, not only agile development but also a development method called DevOps are the keys. Even now, we are changing to a style of constantly updating while incorporating feedback into the development cycle.

Since automated driving systems are connected to networks, they also face the threat of cyberattacks. If a vehicle's control system is hacked, there is a life-threatening risk. Therefore, the safety of automobiles must be ensured at all costs. We must respond to this with the latest technology, including laws and regulations.

Ultimately, we want to reduce the number of fatal automobile accidents to zero. I sincerely hope that the time will come when accidents with automobiles will no longer occur. Brake control can make a significant contribution to this, so I would like to continue to promote development that saves people's lives.

Doctors help people who are sick or injured. We work to prevent accidents from happening, and even if accidents do occur, they would not cause serious injury. Braking systems such as ABS (Antilock Braking System) and ESP® (Electronic Stability Program, Electronic Stability Control) contribute significantly to reducing the number of traffic fatalities. Engineering to protect people is a very rewarding job as an engineer.

To reiterate, I feel that the appeal of working at Bosch involves not only technical aspects, but also the social significance in terms of protecting people's lives. For example, ESP® is implemented in vehicles as a matter of course in developed countries, but it is not yet widespread in some countries. I would like to devote myself every day to protecting the safety of vehicle occupants around the world, so that the benefits brought about by each project will spread to departments, companies, and regions.