Member Voice vol.1 「The sense of mission that has sprouted precisely because it’s a startup」

Zenport is tackling the challenge of supply chain fragmentation with our mission “A Common Language for the Global Supply Chain. We at Zenport are tackling the issue of supply chain fragmentation under our mission “Navigate your global supply chain, connecting data, people, and economies”.

This is the ● in a series of articles introducing our diverse team members and the way they work. We interviewed Sumiko, who has been with the company for four years and has been an integral part of Zenport’s growth.

Q. First of all, please introduce yourself and tell us about your background.

　I majored in architecture at university and graduate school, and after graduation I joined a general contractor, where I experienced two in-house ventures and took maternity and childcare leave before retiring. After settling down to raise my children, I registered with a temporary staffing agency and worked my way up through careers in the IT departments of HR companies and mid-sized SIers. After that, I was introduced to Zenport by an outsourcing staffing agency during Covid-19, and joined the company as a temporary worker.

Q. You started out as a temporary employee. What made you switch to a permanent employee and why?

To be honest, I did not think about becoming a permanent employee when I first joined the company. Thankfully, when three years had passed since I became a temporary employee (*), I received an offer from Ota, CEO of Zenport, to continue working with us. At the time, I had never felt any boundary between temporary and permanent employees, so I decided to accept the offer. And I’m committed to Zenport because I empathize with the customer-centric approach, member support, and flexibility in the way we work.

After three months with the company, I was contacted by Ota after working hours with a task that needed to be handled urgently. To be honest, at the time, I did wonder if he would ask a temporary employee to do it. However, being a startup member, there was no way that someone else could take my duties for me. What I felt, even in the midst of my agony, was Ota’s genuine care for customers.

Also, because we are a small team, human resources are important, but I feel that the company gives me flexibility to work on projects in my own way. It is a good fit for me. One of the characteristics of our company is the diversity of our members, who come from different nationalities and places of residence, but it is also reassuring to know that they are always there to support me when I need them.

In addition, I have children who are still in elementary school, and I appreciate the flexibility in the way I work because I have my own personal activities that are separate from Zenport’s business. The members are not only permanent employees, but also contract employees, part timers,, and other various employment statuses, but they are evaluated fairly and strictly as “a business person,” and their opinions are listened to and reflected regardless of their positions, which also makes it comfortable to work here.

Q. As a businessperson, it is a pleasure to be evaluated fairly regardless of employment status. Please tell us about any difficulties or challenges you have encountered in your work.

As I mentioned, since we are a start-up and each of us has our own area of expertise, it is difficult to delegate my work entirely to other members at this point. One time, I got sick while an important project was in progress, but I managed to handle my part of the project. It was not because I was forced to do so by the company, but because I had developed a sense of mission while working at Zenport, and I wanted to carry out my responsibilities.

In addition, English is the official language of our company. I was originally interested in English, but when it came time to use it in meetings and discussions with clients, I could barely understand what they were saying. As for the language, I am working hard every day and with the support of the members, I feel that I am gradually improving. If you are not allergic to English, I think the appeal of our company is that you can learn practical English while working.

Q. There are many opportunities for growth in this field. Finally, do you have a message for the new members who will be joining your company?

To work at a start-up company, not just our company, you need to be able to run your own projects to a certain extent. Because we are an elite few, the scope of what we can do is broad, and your capabilities sometimes have a big impact on the company.

Regardless of employment status, nationality, or skills, seniority, etc., we listen to our members and work hard as a team to solve problems for our clients. We feel that those with negative ideas or a strong commitment to your own way of doing things are an unmatch. On the contrary, if you are honest and committed to personal growth, there is a lot to absorb in this environment. If you have an interest in globalization, supply chain, IT, and English, and are motivated by your own growth and the growth of the company, we would love to work with you!

Thank you, Sumiko.

We look forward to your further success!

▲第3回スマート物流EXPOにて撮影（2024/1/24~26）