C.M. Plus has a bright and flat atmosphere.
We have deepened our teamwork by setting high goals and accomplishing them in unison.
This time, we sat down with President Suekane to discuss their background in the company, the nature of their work, and what they would like to challenge themselves with in the future.
member
- Satoshi Suekane Representative Director, President
-
Mayumi Yagi
iVEXL Department
Joined in 2016 -
Atifah Najib
Design & Technology Division
Joined in 2018 -
Hikoto Fujinawa
Pharmaceutical Consulting Division
Joined in 2020 -
Minako Wakino
Administration Division
Joined in 2021 -
Takuya Shiobara
Design & Technology Division
Joined in 2021 -
Hideyuki Kuwata
Validation department
Joined in 2022 -
Tomoki Ikeba
Life Science Projects Division
Joined in 2023
Connection. Interest. Timing.
One of the attractions is the company’s global expansion.
Please tell us about your current job duties and your motivation for joining the company.
I am currently in charge of a new food factory construction project overseas as an engineering manager*1. I had been involved in plant engineering*3 work at a domestic engineering*2 company for nine years,however I was interested in being involved in the execution of an overseas project. When I found out that CM Plus offered the opportunity to take on overseas projects, I decided to join the company with the hope of challanging and developing of my own abilities.
I mainly in chrage of a process engineer*4 designing production equipment*5, but recently I have been assined to many overseas projects. I am also expanding the scope of my work, including validation work for production fascility
CM Plus has many professional experts in various engineering fields, so I could imagine myself growing by working there.This was one of the reasons I decided to join the company, as I felt that there was “no other company like this.” Another attractive feature was the opportunity to travel on business to Southeast Asia, where my home country is.
I heard about a new business plan from the company’s founder, Mr. Togashi, and became interested in it, which is what led me to join the company.
Currently, I use my experience working for a pharmaceutical company and a CRO*7 to provide consulting on all aspects of pharmaceutical affairs*8, including drug development, applications for manufacturing and sales approval, and the acquisition and maintenance of various business licenses for domestic and overseas pharmaceutical companies and venture companies that produce new drugs and generic drugs.
I am managing “iVEXL ”*9, a platform for top suppliers in the life science industry to exhibit their technology and product service information.
This portal site was created in 2021 as a sister site to “GMP Platform ”*10, which has been in operation for more than 10 years, after pharmaceutical companies were unable to go to exhibitions due to the COVID-19 and requested information on companies with new technologies and product services from C-Mplus.
In this way, CM Plus is an attractive company that can develop new businesses in response to the needs of its customers.
CM plus is a company with many employees with diverse backgrounds and abilities. Bringing together diverse people with different knowledge and experiences leads to innovation and create a new business model. I think this is one of CM Plus’s strengths.
Enjoy working with professionals in a flexible, adaptable and fast-paced environment.
What was it like actually joining the company?
My first impression was that we have a large number of experts and professionals in all business sectors. I myself had little experience in GMP*11 in my previous job, which made me feel anxious. However, it was good that I was able to learn from suchpeople around me in a short period of time through the project.
In my previous job, I was in charge of in vitro diagnostics and medical devices, but now I was in charge of validation work for pharmaceutical factory construction projects. I joined CM Plus hoping to gain more specialized knowledge and experience in validation, and I am able to learn knowledge based on experience in a practical way.
As a systems engineer, I support the development and operation of our company’s internal systems, and what surprised me when I joined the company was how flexibly we respond and adapt to changes in the world and in business. This allows me to work with a sense of speed, which I find very interesting.
I think it’s good that they put effort into in-house training. What’s attractive is that they don’t only hold external seminars, but also hold courses taught by employees themselves. I try to take these courses proactively to acquire the knowledge necessary for my work that I can’t get enough of through self-study.
As for the educational training, our company is also focusing on English language learning for our globalization. I hope that employees will take advantage of the assistance provided by our self-development support system and use it to further their own growth.
There are many colleagues who are easy to talk to, and it is a workplace where everyone can grow together.
Please tell us about the atmosphere at work.
What is the atmosphere like in your workplace, where you have a diverse group of people from various backgrounds and ages?
I find it easy to communicate with management because of their close proximity, and I feel that everyone “works hard” in a good sense. I can empathize with the attitude of working with sincerity and hard work for customers, and even thinking about the contribution to the industry beyond that, and I enjoy being able to work as a member of that team.
I think it’s a workplace where you can easily talk to people and grow. There are many professionals who are experts in their fields, so even if you get stuck, you can get advice from a variety of perspectives, which leads to your own growth and makes it easy to plan your career. In addition, there are systems such as refreshment leave and staggered working hours, so you can maintain work-life balance and the work environment is easy, so you can also have a fulfilling private life.
There are many friendly people, and I like the atmosphere where you don’t feel any barriers between you and your superiors. There are also opportunities to talk with people from other departments at the regularly held company events, so I think it’s a friendly workplace.
Toward further globalization.
We will continue to value our employees and grow as a company as a whole.
Please tell us what you would like to challenge in the future.
Experiencing overseas projects made me realize the differences between Japan and other countries. I learned a lot about the laws, regulations, and governmental procedures of each country overseas, which are different from those in Japan. In the future, based on this experience, I would like to become a project manager*12 who can be involved in the overall management of projects and lead them to success.
That’s right. I think that when you work overseas for the first time, you will be confused by the differences in customs and culture. In Japan, things are carried out with tacit understanding, but overseas, you have to clearly decide in advance the procedure for carrying out work and the allocation of roles before you can get started. On the other hand, there are some things that don’t change, and that is to treat people with respect, regardless of their nationality. Do your best to become a project manager who can be a role model for your juniors who follow you.
Regulations and guidelines regarding pharmaceutical manufacturing change daily basis, so I would like to keep up with the latest information and grow so that I can promote validation in various aspects of pharmaceutical manufacturing. In addition, English is a basic communication tool, so I would like to brush up on my English so that I can use it in business and play an active role in overseas projects as a validation specialist.
In my daily work, I am always thinking about our company’s Mission. However, I believe that we tend to forget about new creativity and innovation in our daily work, so I try to work without forgetting my interest in new things so that I can bring about innovation in the engineering industry.
We are committed to using our experience to determine what our clients want and to provide the support necessary to achieve their goals together, and we hope to further strengthen this part of our business in the future. To this end, we will always keep up to date with the latest information on pharmaceutical regulations.
One of our company motto says, “We will contribute to the prosperity of our customers by always making full use of the latest technologies from a global perspective. I am glad to hear that everyone here today understands this concept and acts accordingly. The company motto also states that “those of us who work here will feel dreams and a sense of purpose in life,” and I would like to work together with all of you to make our company such a place.
*This roundtable discussion memo is current as of February 2024.
Glossary
- ※1
Engineering Manager
A manager who coordinates and integrates various specialized technologies in the construction of complex and sophisticated facilities, and manages the entire project based on a unified philosophy. He or she must be able to manage a highly specialized engineering team and lead the project to success.
- ※2
Engineering:
In general, construction projects are categorized in 3 phases: designing, procurement, and construction. Among these, CM Plus specializes in “designing” and in “project management”, which is to optimize the whole construction projects. It also offers service to provide support for clients as a member of the clients’ organization, an alternative resource, and the brain of our clients. That is what we call “engineering” service at CM Plus.
- ※3
Plant Engineering
Planning and designing plants (factory equipment; complete set of production equipment), construction work, construction management, maintenance, etc.
- ※4
Process Engineer:
An engineer who is in charge of designs, development, maintenance, and improvements of manufacturing processes of products.
- ※5
Production equipment
A general term for equipment used to manufacture products, and refers to the equipment required for a manufacturing company to carry out production.
- ※6
Validation
In the pharmaceutical and medical device fields, this refers to a series of tasks to verify the validity of manufacturing processes and facilities. The “GMP Ministerial Ordinance” established by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare defines it as “verifying that the structure and equipment of the manufacturing plant, as well as procedures, processes and other manufacturing and quality control methods, produce the expected results, and documenting this.”
- ※7
CRO
A company that is commissioned by pharmaceutical companies to mainly carry out clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance in drug development, as well as safety information management.
Abbreviation for Contract Research Organization. In Japanese, it is called a “development contract organization.” - ※8
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs
A position that deals with pharmaceutical regulatory affairs at each stage of research, clinical development, application/review, and marketing of a drug.
- ※9
iVEXL
(Internet Virtual Exhibition for Life Science Industry). The “Life Science Industry Information Platform” operated by CM Plus. A portal site dedicated to showcasing and disseminating extensive information on technologies, products, and services of the top suppliers in the life science industry who constitute the leading supply chain.
- ※10
GMP Platform
A GMP-related platform operated by CM Plus. It is a free information site that provides information such as translations and explanations of various technical articles and guidelines. In addition to disseminating the knowledge of our experienced consultants and engineers, we hope to bring together the ”knowledge” of top consultants both in Japan and overseas to help resolve all of our customers’ concerns.
- ※11
GMP
The word, GMP, stands for Good Manufacturing Practice meaning criteria in manufacturing control and quality control provided for ensuring high quality of medical products.
- ※12
Project Manager
A position that manages the overall progress of a project and is responsible for quality, cost, and schedule.
A project manager on a construction project manages a wide variety of tasks across the entire project to achieve project goals, including allocating resources, managing time and budget, maintaining quality, communicating with stakeholders, and managing risk. Leadership and experience are required.