• Pick Up
• Digital Solutions & Services Japan
• In-house IT Services
• Global

As a strategic partner for associates, Bosch's Digital Solutions & Services Japan Department supports business success with IT. Mariko Kojima, who is in her first year as a mid-career hire (fourth year as a working adult), is active as Japan's representative in a global in-house IT project. We asked Ms. Kojima to talk about her activities and her enthusiasm and enjoyment in her work.

Supporting Bosch's global mobility solutions with IT technology

First of all, please tell us about the vision of the Digital Solutions & Services Japan Department, and your role at Bosch.

The vision of the Digital Solutions & Services Japan Department is to provide added value to associates through IT technology. In order to achieve this vision, we must always know what IT services are required by associates working in Bosch's business and development sites.

Through IT technology, we play a role in advancing Bosch's business of providing global mobility solutions. As a strategic IT partner for our associates, I think it is very important to have a stance of contributing with technology.

For example, we build the IT infrastructure necessary for the development of new products and systems in the automotive industry, which is undergoing a major transformation, and provide strong support from the IT field for Bosch's business success. In addition, we are promoting the introduction of IT services that support Smart Work (a hybrid work style that combines office work and online work), which is being promoted company-wide. Furthermore, we are playing a part in measures that promote Bosch's appeal to a more diverse workforce. I think these examples can help illustrate our role.

How can we prepare the IT environment to meet the high-level needs of customers, such as security and safety requirements? We work hard every day to meet the expectations placed on us.

Became Japan's representative for a global in-house IT project in the first year of joining Bosch as a mid-career hire

Ms. Kojima, what kind of work are you in charge of in the Digital Solutions & Services Japan Department?

The Digital Solutions & Services Japan Department is responsible for a wide range of in-house IT services at Bosch. There are three teams: a team that supports the infrastructure, a team that is in charge of application development, and a team that deploys solutions through consulting using IT. All of these require communication with overseas bases.

I am responsible for two main tasks. The first is to participate as Japan's representative in the "Mobile Virtual Team", which brings together representatives from bases around the world. The other is to provide personal IT support for associates in Japan.

The virtual team consists of about thirty global members. The members are working on a project to develop a new mobile service to be used in-house, and provide support for its deployment according to the situation and system in each country.

As Japan's representative in the project, I convey the needs for mobile services in Japan, while communicating in English on a daily basis with global members in countries such as Germany and China.

Since the condition of telecommunications carriers varies from country to country, I am in charge of creating an environment where associates working in Japan can smoothly access and utilize in-house IT services and data systems without any problems.

Bosch has a wide range of IT systems, solutions and tools, and support work is a great learning experience in terms of deepening my understanding of them. We receive a wide variety of concerns and requests from associates regarding IT services, so I often learn about the needs of development sites and how tools are used in unexpected ways.

Being assigned to a global team in the first year as a mid-career hire is a distinctive Bosch culture that entrusts jobs to younger associates

I agree. I am grateful for the culture in which associates are entrusted with important roles based on the individual's desires and aptitudes, regardless of seniority. In the virtual team, I feel that I am entrusted with work of considerable responsibility, such as coordinating how global requirements can be fulfilled in Japan.

Regarding my other role, I am entrusted with personal support work for IT services (responding individually to IT-related requests from associates). I have heard that associates are entrusted with work based on the Digital Solutions & Services Japan Department's Human Resource Development Plan, which aims to "help young associates learn a wide range of Bosch's IT services and deepen their knowledge".

Having joined Bosch mid-career, what do you feel makes it comfortable to work at Bosch?

Ms. Kojima, I heard that you chose Bosch because it is a global company where you can make use of your English and IT skills.

After studying information science at university, I joined a Japanese electronics manufacturer as a new graduate and was in charge of developing embedded software for network devices. I have always liked English, and I studied abroad for one year when I was in university. However, when I was looking for a job as a new graduate, I didn't think about getting a job at a foreign-affiliated company. I had a strong image of a performance-based system, and I thought that domestic companies had a better educational environment.

The reason why I thought about changing jobs was because I had a strong desire to be involved in work related to overseas, while making use of my IT knowledge. Through my job search, I learned that Bosch provides the opportunity to play an active role in a global environment, and that it has a well-developed system that facilitates a good work-life balance, so I joined Bosch in June 2022.

From my previous position in development, to in-house system work at Bosch, the technical field and work content changed significantly. At first, I was worried that I would not have experience in many tasks, and that I might not be immediately work-ready. However, when I joined Bosch, I was very encouraged by the careful and courteous support that I received, such as the handover of tasks from my predecessor, training for two months, and other work-related in-house courses.

A culture of sharing information and teaching each other is pervasive, and even if there is something that you do not understand, your boss and colleagues are very willing to teach you, so you can work with peace of mind.

Ms. Kojima, what do you want to achieve through your career, and what do you want to challenge in the future?

Currently, I am still in the process of deepening my understanding of our internal systems, solutions and services. Bosch has a very wide range of in-house IT tools. In order to introduce the latest tools in the future, it is first necessary to thoroughly understand the current systems and functions.

I also would like to acquire project management knowledge and skills. In conjunction with the technology and experience cultivated in my previous job in embedded development, I would like to be involved in the development of new services in Japan.

The experience and attraction of having one's own intentions and decisions affect the organization

What is the attraction of working in Bosch's Digital Solutions & Services Japan Department?

Bosch's information systems are deployed globally, and approximately 9,000 associates are engaged in information system work. We provide a wide range of services, from IT infrastructure to applications and end devices used by associates. Specialists in each technical area have advanced knowledge, and maintain and operate standardized systems all over the world. I think it is a rare case to operate IT systems of this scale only by in-house IT personnel.

I joined Bosch because I wanted to be involved in work related to overseas. Now, I communicate with members of the virtual team and overseas engineers in English on a daily basis. I feel that I am able to work in the way I envisioned.

My role is to elicit information from associates in Japan and abroad, and adjust the IT environment to meet their needs. I think this job is very suitable for people who enjoy communicating and like to listen and help when there are difficulties.

Also, there is an environment where even people without management experience like me can take on challenges, so it is suitable for people who want to grow by being entrusted with new tasks and positions.

Finally, please offer a message to those who are interested in working at Bosch.

At Bosch, the scale of our work is often surprising. Globally, we manage tens of thousands of mobile devices and hundreds of thousands of PCs, so the scope of responsibility is large.

In communications with overseas bases, I often exchange opinions as a representative of Japan, regardless of seniority, and I am thrilled that my decisions and judgments have an impact on the organization. I would like to work with people who want to progress and grow in such an environment.

English ability is necessary for work, but there are many opportunities to learn even after joining Bosch. I myself am neither a returnee nor bilingual, but if I try to communicate from the standpoint that I want to convey something, people around me will listen. People are welcomed who do not feel intimidated because they are not fluent in English, and who think, "I want to make Bosch a workplace like this with IT technology."