Creating the Future of a Connected Society: Test Sockets Make Your Safe Driving

A large number of semiconductors are used inside automobiles. Yamaichi Electronics’ test sockets are used to test the performance of these semiconductors. They play an important role in preventing automobile troubles caused by semiconductor malfunctions.

In this interview, we asked Ms. Kadomatsu of the TS Sales Department, who has been with the company for 7 years and is mainly in charge of test sockets for automotive applications, about her daily work and the appeal of our products.

――Please tell us about your work.

Kadomatsu：I am in charge of domestic sales for the Test Solutions Business. For existing customers, we respond to inquiries, propose our own products, request delivery adjustments after receiving an order, and provide follow-up after delivery. I often have the role of coordinating between the company and customers.

――What kind of products are you in charge of?

Kadomatsu：The product I am in charge of is a socket that tests the performance of semiconductors. Our customers are mainly semiconductor manufacturers. Semiconductors are used in a variety of things such as automobiles, home appliances, and smartphones. Each semiconductor manufacturer has its own characteristics in the products it handles.

I am mainly responsible for sockets for automotive applications. Semiconductors are used everywhere inside automobiles, such as in airbags and rear-view mirror-type rear monitors, so sockets are also essential.

――Semiconductors are used everywhere inside a car.

Kadomatsu：Yes. We believe that automotive semiconductors are an important field where if a defect in the semiconductor directly leads to a problem with the car, it can have an impact on human life.

My customer, who is an automotive semiconductor manufacturer, also places great importance on ensuring safety, and only ships semiconductors that have passed rigorous testing. At this testing stage, products such as Yamaichi Electronics’ IC53 series are being used. I think the appeal of our products is that they support safe driving and society.

――Do you have any proposals for fields other than automotive?

Kadomatsu：We offer a wide range of Yamaichi Electronics’ products to our customers, not just for automotive use. Even within a single company, we may receive inquiries not only from departments that handle automotive-related semiconductors, but also from departments that handle semiconductors from a different category.

――How did you acquire knowledge related to semiconductors?

Kadomatsu：I studied liberal arts all the way through university, and when I joined the company I had zero knowledge of semiconductors. During new employee training, I was taught everything from “how semiconductors are made.” Immediately after joining the company, I had a lot of trouble explaining my company’s products to third parties. Even when my boss explained to me the structure and usage of the socket while looking at the drawings, I couldn’t understand it at all at first. Coupled with the feeling of having to explain things to customers as a sales person, I was anxious. However, as I attended meetings with business partners and observed how sockets were actually used in customer factories, I gradually gained knowledge about sockets and semiconductors. When I visited a customer during my first or second year at the company, a customer once told me how to use a socket, saying, “It’s difficult to understand at first.” I feel truly blessed by the people around me.

――Are you currently in charge of one company by yourself?

Kadomatsu：From about my third year at the company, I started to have more opportunities to be in charge of one company by myself. I’m currently in my 7th year of business, but the customers I’m in charge of are almost the same as when I joined the company. I have fond memories of the first customer I worked with after joining the company. We continue to visit every week and interact with customers who have been doing business with Yamaichi Electronics for about 30 years. I feel a strong sense of urgency to ensure that I do not destroy the relationships with customers that my predecessor in sales had built.

During meetings with customers, we mainly make proposals about our products and provide follow-up after delivery. For example, if we are asked to make a test socket that fits a new semiconductor product, we may propose not only existing products but also custom products made from component molds.

――What do you pay attention to in your sales work?

Kadomatsu：I still value the advice I received from my boss when I was in my third year at the company: “Be conscious of who you are working towards.”

At that time, we were unable to meet the customer’s requested delivery date internally, and we had to share negative information with the customer. When I talked to my boss, he said, “We tend to think that we have to communicate to customers exactly what we are told from within the company, but only sales people can talk directly with customers. It is the job of sales to respond to customer requests as much as possible. I was told, you have to make adjustments first.” “If you can’t make adjustments on your own, you can get your boss involved and move things forward.” As my heart became lighter, my way of thinking changed.

――Have you ever felt a gap before and after joining the company?

Kadomatsu：I joined Yamaichi Electronics because of the warm atmosphere of the employees involved in the selection process. After joining the company, I found myself using English a lot more than I expected, and I remember realizing once again that this is a global company. My department handles domestic sales, but many of our customers are semiconductor manufacturers who have factories overseas. When we receive an order from a customer’s overseas factory, we may communicate with Yamaichi Electronics’ overseas sales company.

――When do you feel fulfilled as a salesperson?

Kadomatsu：When we make a proposal based on an inquiry from a customer, and they say, “We’ll install it,” we also praise the product when they actually use it, saying, “It was easy to use and we were able to use it without any problems.” I am even happier when I receive such words. From there, I get consulted on new projects, and it feels rewarding to see Yamaichi Electronics’ products lead to new ones.

――Lastly, please tell us about your future goals.

Kadomatsu：We would like to increase Yamaichi Electronics’ market share for test sockets! Yamaichi Electronics has had a high market share in the socket industry since I joined the company, and I would like to continue to operate so that we can boast a higher market share in the automotive field, which is my main responsibility.

Ms. Kadomatsu says that her favorite thing about Yamaichi Electronics is that it has a variety of systems that respond to changes in the world. She says she uses a flextime system that allows her to change her work hours to suit her schedule and a work-from-home system, allowing her to maintain a balance between work and private life. In addition to the warm atmosphere of the workplace, this easy-to-work environment may be what is encouraging Ms. Kadomatsu to take on challenges.

Tomomi Kadomatsu

TS Sales Department TS Sales Section

* The affiliation and contents of Ms. Kadomatsu are as of the time of the interview.