Respect for the Individual
Employee Communication
As modern-day environments change with immense speed it essential that tools for universal and real-time information exchange are available for employees to use in the workplace. Furthermore, Alps Electric’s global nature requires that employees from diverse backgrounds respect each other’s cultures and customs, while feeling a sense of unity under a “one Alps” ethos. Alps is committed to creating events and tools that develop information and cultural exchanges which foster this sense of unity among employees.
Promoting Face-to-Face Communication
Mobile teleconferencing system operable regardless of location
As businesses are globalizing, rapid decision-making is increasingly required by our customers around the world, overseas affiliates, and Alps Electric’s sales, engineering, and development departments. However, our Headquarters had been plagued by a variety of problems including a shortage of teleconferencing terminals which are essential for remote communication; low function and quality of teleconferencing systems; a shortage of employees skilled in using teleconferencing systems; and teleconferencing systems that were incompatible between business locations.
Our aim was to develop a competitive workplace when we rebuilt our Headquarters building in 2008. Under the keywords “Communication” and “Speed,” we reformed our teleconferencing system, improving it to allow forty business locations around the world to connect simultaneously. The sound and picture quality of the system have improved, enabling reference materials and speakers’ video on both sides to be transmitted and received very smoothly. More employees have been taking advantage of the new system as it allows for easy booking and handling as well.
Teleconferencing is indispensable to us, and as such we encourage information sharing and rapid decision-making through interactive face-to-face communication as Alps continues to pursue productivity improvements through swift communication.
Enhancing Communication Tools
Alps Globe
Group Magazine ALPS
Since April 2007, we have published an in-house magazine called Feel One Spirit – ALPS, which is used as a communication tool for employees throughout the Alps Group.
We had previously produced the magazine mainly covering Alps Electric and Alpine Electronics, but with the expansion of the Alps Group, we needed to develop a greater sense of unity among the entire Group. In response, we have enhanced the magazine to include content from each of the three core companies of the Group – Alps Electric, Alpine Electronics, and Alps Logistics, and their respective affiliates. It is the Group employees that plan, write, and edit the content, keeping with the publication’s tradition as a magazine for employees, by employees.
We also distribute a separate newsletter focusing on managerial messages to all Alps Electric employees and publish its English version called Alps Globe for our overseas subsidiaries. We first published Alps Globe on paper in 1991 but decided to begin distributing it in electronic form instead in 1999. Alps Globe comprises a selection of articles taken from the Japanese newsletter mentioned above and includes managerial information and Group-oriented topics that are relevant to our global locations.
