01: Workshop Between Footwear Manufacturing Engineers and Researchers
Collaboration for the Future: A Partnership Between Footwear Custom Production and Researchers at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science
While focusing on departmental efficiency within an organization can boost productivity, it’s also essential to recognize that a lack of interdepartmental collaboration can hinder overall organizational performance. In some cases, departments may inadvertently repeat tasks due to poor communication.
At ASICS, two departments—Custom Production (within the Footwear Production Division) and the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS)—faced this challenge. Despite being in the same building, interaction between these departments was limited. However, a turning point came when a workshop was proposed to strengthen collaboration.
We spoke with those involved in organizing the workshop to discuss the origins of the initiative, the reasons for its success, and the changes that followed.
Footwear Production Division - Custom Production:
Specializes in creating shoes designed to enhance athlete performance through communication, regular measurements, and running tests.
The ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS):
Focuses on analyzing human motion and developing innovative technologies, materials, and product designs.
The Origins of the Workshop
A, a manager from the Custom Production team proposed the idea of collaboration with ISS to their supervisor, considering the future of Custom Production. To better understand each department's strengths and potential benefits of working together, the “Custom x ISS Workshop” was initiated, bringing together a group of selected young employees from both teams.
A: When thinking about how Custom Production could contribute to the company's future, especially in terms of enhancing athlete performance, we realized the importance of collaborating more deeply with ISS. Their expertise in extracting and quantifying performance data is something we lack. While ISS and we work in the same building, there was little understanding of each other’s work, especially at the operational level. This lack of awareness prompted me to approach my supervisor about organizing this workshop. Once the ISS leadership and B, a manager of ISS agreed, the “Custom x ISS Workshop” kicked off smoothly.
B: Through previous engagements like the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, there were instances where Custom Production approached ISS, and vice versa. By 2020, as we prepared for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, we realized the potential for even greater collaboration. When the proposal for the workshop came, two things stood out to me: First, it marked the beginning of a more formalized partnership between the two departments. And second, it was a great opportunity for young employees to engage in cross-departmental communication, which would be valuable for their growth. I was grateful for this opportunity.
Reflecting on the Workshop:
Following the workshop, A and B reflected on the experience with K, a member from Custom Production who participated in the workshop.
A: K, you were selected as a representative of Custom Production for this workshop. What were your thoughts going into it?
K: I knew it would be an opportunity to interact more deeply with ISS, which we hadn't done much before. I wanted to bring back as much knowledge as I could to our department. The team was divided into three groups, and I was allowed to join two. So, I decided to participate in both teams.
B: One of those teams had difficulty deciding on a direction for their group work, right?
K: Yes. One team had a smooth process, with members exchanging roles between Custom Production and ISS to understand each other's work. However, the other team had more conflicts of opinion, as everyone wanted to focus on different points for the final presentation. This led to frequent disagreements.
A: You came to me several times for advice, didn’t you? I told you that it’s important to gain experience in leading a team as early as possible, but I intentionally refrained from giving specific directions to allow for your growth. I imagine that made things more difficult for you.
K: I realized that pushing my own ideas through didn’t lead to the best results. At the same time, I also understood the importance of having genuine, heated discussions. Everyone was so committed to the process that, while it took time, we had many productive discussions. We all realized that there isn’t just one approach to reaching a goal.
B: I was surprised by how much the young employees were willing to debate with each other. I had assumed they would be too skilled to argue—good at everything, in a way. But they were straightforward, deeply focused on their work, and unafraid of conflict. I think that’s a good thing. Once I realized that, I was confident that this workshop would be a valuable experience for them.
Changes After the Workshop
Since the workshop, K transitioned to ISS and has played a key role in strengthening the collaboration between Custom Production and ISS. Additionally, one of the topics presented at the workshop was adopted as an official research theme by ISS, accelerating its integration into business practices and exceeding the initial goals.
B: Since the workshop, ISS researchers have consulted Custom Production more frequently. Being in the same building, it’s a huge advantage for our researchers to quickly validate their ideas through prototypes. Although not directly related to the workshop, a great example of interdepartmental collaboration is the custom spikes created for sprinter Mr. Yoshihide Kiryu, developed by multiple departments, including Custom Production, ISS, Promotions, and Development. Often, larger companies face challenges with cross-departmental collaboration, but this workshop showed how increasing those opportunities, supported by an inclusive mindset, leads to better products.
A: Since the workshop, we’ve seen an increase in requests for prototypes from ISS, as well as more opportunities to request functional evaluations of shoes. ISS has the expertise to quantify what we previously did intuitively. This has led to greater athlete satisfaction and confidence and will be a significant advantage as we aim to standardize our custom products in the future. We also saw young employees like K taking the lead in trying new things. Through the workshop, they grew significantly. K, after transferring to ISS, has become a key player in implementing research findings and ensuring smooth communication between both departments.
K: I’ve noticed that I now receive many more inquiries from both Custom Production and ISS employees, such as “Can this be prototyped in Custom Production?” or “Can this be evaluated using ISS equipment?” Problems that once took time to resolve due to unclear points of contact are now being solved through collaboration between both departments. Going forward, I will continue to facilitate cooperation, ensuring both departments can share information and leverage each other’s strengths.
Note: The profile and interview content reflect the information at the time of the interview.
