A World Where Software Engineers Thrive

─ You are currently working as a SOMRIE certified person, what kind of work do you do?

I am a manager in a division that develops software for connected cars (cars that function as ICT terminals). Specifically, I provide software to food delivery companies to turn their delivery vehicles into connected cars, which are actually used in their business operations.

* ICT: Information and Communication Technology

Food delivery drivers repeatedly use motorized vehicles to go to stores to obtain products and deliver them to customers' homes, etc. We are developing software to run programs that calculate such things as “which store to go to first and which route would be most efficient to deliver the products to customers.” In other words, we support fleet management (proper management of the operation of a company's business vehicles).

─ What kind of requests do you receive from businesses?

We receive many requests to accurately predict the remaining battery life of electric vehicles, which are now widely used in food delivery. If the battery runs out in the middle of a delivery, of course, the product cannot be delivered, and above all, it is very dangerous to drive with the fear that the battery might run out. If we can accurately predict the battery life, they can deliver more goods without worrying about the battery life.

─ So it is not only accurate and fast delivery, but also support for safety and security. It sounds like a very rewarding job.

Yes, it is. I feel a strong sense of fulfillment when I am able to speedily develop a small loop, talking directly with the business operator, and then checking the situation and making improvements as we go along. And when the business owner is happy, it makes me very happy..

─ When did you first become interested in programming?

When I was in elementary school. My teacher taught me programming in class, and I made a computer game. I was so moved by what I had programmed that I couldn't help saying, “It works!” My interest continued to grow, and I asked my grandfather to buy me a computer to celebrate my entrance into high school. I was over the moon.

Since then, I have been writing code every day. I wanted to continue writing, so I majored in information engineering at university and graduate school. And while I was still in school, I began to develop and publish software that I hoped would be used by more people and help them become more efficient in various ways.

─ It has already been 20 years since you joined the company. Why did you join DENSO?

Someone I know told me that although DENSO is an automobile parts manufacturer, they develop software. I was very interested in the idea that I could immediately check the implementation of a program I had developed within the company, so I applied for an internship.

It turned out to be exactly what I had in mind, so I decided to join the company.

─ Were there any memorable events after you joined the company?

It was 2007, my third year with the company, when I was certified as a genius programmer/super creator by the “Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA),” an independent administrative agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, for its Unexplored Software Creation Project. I was introduced to the program by a senior employee and applied for the award. I created software to help users operate their computers by automating repetitive tasks and making difficult tasks just one click away. I had a lot of fun while creating the software, and I was very happy to be recognized.

On the other hand, I realized how narrow-minded I was. At the Unexplored Software Creation Project, many useful IT services that I did not know about were being created, and the engineers from other companies who had gathered there were talking about IT-related topics as a matter of course. I was embarrassed to feel that the development of the project I was working on was, by far, lagging behind in terms of adopting new technologies. Since then, I made up my mind to keep learning and taking on new challenges without limiting myself.

─ Mr. Kondo, you were certified as a SOMRIE in 2022, please tell us about this SOMRIE system.

DENSO operates the Career Innovation Program, a system that allows each engineer to develop their own career path and continue to hone their individual talents while growing and playing an active role beyond the organization. One of the programs is the SOMRIE™ certification system, in which the software skills of each engineer are assessed and certified objectively with the help of external assessors.

There are a total of 18 capability (expertise) categories (data scientist, security specialist, system architect, etc.) in four categories: social value creation elements, management elements, development technology elements, and expertise elements. Each has seven levels.

The operation of this program is expected to train and strengthen software engineers. We started applying the program from the area of software in mobility, and as of the end of 2023, we have 50 SOMRIE certified engineers. We plan to expand the program to other business domains in the future.

─ Why did you decide to pursue SOMRIE?

I had the opportunity to work in software development for two months in 2019 at an IT company in San Francisco, USA, that accepts employees from other companies and teaches them new development methods. I was moved by the sight of these high-level engineers who truly enjoyed development and whose eyes sparkled, and I thought to myself, “I want to be like them” and “I want to create a group of engineers like them.”

If DENSO can create an environment where software engineers are more recognized by the people around them, there will be more people who develop software with high aspirations and enthusiasm. I wanted to contribute to the creation of such an environment, so I applied for the SOMRIE certification system.

─ What do you feel will change as a result of being certified by SOMRIE?

I am currently at level 5 as a software architect and level 4 as an advanced programmer, the first person in my company and the first person in my department, respectively.

Being certified at these levels has definitely boosted my confidence and motivated me to work harder. I also feel that the system has made each person's abilities visible, which will enable them to take on new challenges involving multiple SOMRIE members and expand the scope of their work.

I think this system is still under development, but I feel that it is a good opportunity to let the public know that DENSO, which has a strong image as a manufacturing company, is seriously trying to strengthen its software business.

─ What is your motto as SOMRIE?

The most important thing is to think of activities such as programming itself as “fun.” I believe that whether you are having fun can make a difference in your results many times over. I believe that the feeling of having fun is the motivation for self-improvement, which in turn leads to results. I hope to create such a virtuous cycle. I also think it is important to create a program with your own goals and achieve them.

─ I totally agree. What is the moment that brings you the most joy?

For me, it is the moment when something I have created works.
Seeing it work as intended, being used by someone, and making a difference is thrilling. Just imagining that scene makes me feel excited.

In the first place, our software business is a field in which it is considered good if we succeed in one out of every 10 projects. We would say, “This function works,” or “Wow, this function works, too!” and finally we would integrate it into a real car, and when we all saw our creation working, we celebrated together with big “YES!” Such moments are truly a great feeling.

─ I am also interested in your team members, Mr. Kondo. Can you tell us about your current work environment?

There are 17 members, 8 of whom are foreign nationals, with the largest groups coming from India, followed by the USA and Singapore.

The diverse group works at two locations, Tokyo and Aichi. Because of this setup, we practice pair programming while connecting with other members online. "It's known to be enjoyable within the team. By switching pairs regularly, we aim to share information smoothly.

─ It sounds like you’re making efforts to ensure a pleasant working environment.

Based on feedback from members who felt left out due to language barriers when hearing Japanese, we divided into Japanese and English teams. Each team now holds a weekly “Teatime” for casual conversations. During these sessions, members talk about personal topics, and the English team even plays Japanese learning games to get to know each other better.

─ What kind of capability and level would you like to achieve in the future?

My goal is to achieve level 7 in all capabilities related to software development. That is the level at which I am recognized as a global engineer. I hope that by reaching a level where people outside the company recognize that “DENSO has Kondo,” I hope something will move forward.

─ What will it take to reach that level?

We need to be recognized not only domestically but also globally, and I believe that we cannot achieve this without creating something that will be recognized both internally and externally. For example, I believe that we can finally be recognized by creating an open-source program or making some groundbreaking announcement. Therefore, I release new software every year and study it while making it widely available for everyone to use.

─ I wonder if Mr. Kondo will become the leader of SOMRIE in the future?

I want to continue to be at the top of the software development field. It may sound supercilious to say that I am showing my back to others, but I would be happy if more and more of my colleagues join me, and if they in turn show their backs to new people. I will continue to develop myself, and I will do my best to train the next generation of software developers.