From Back-Office Worker to Software Engineer in a Month - Transforming a Team Using Generative AI
From Back-Office Worker to Software Engineer in a Month - Transforming a Team Using Generative AI
Overview
ME-TOYO is a manufacturing company based in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, that provides custom-made production lines for companies.
The company has been actively promoting operational efficiency for several years. As the next step, it began developing its internal tools in-house using Python and Squadbase.
We interviewed President Hanai and on-site staff members Sayuri Hanai and Erina Kogiso to find out how they were able to achieve this in-house production for a manufacturing company that has no ties to the software industry.
Background of the Efforts
Please tell us about the background of this initiative.
President Hanai
We have always been involved in automated factory production equipment and wanted to improve the efficiency of the software side as well as hardware automation. However, we felt there were issues with halcination and with improving the efficiency of querying the AI, which led us to consult with Queue.
Did you encounter any hurdles in the area of in-house production?
President Hanai
We started with a feeling of "If it looks doable, let's give it a try. The actual hands-on work was done by them (Sayuri and Ogiso), you know (laughs).
About the team structure
What kind of experience did the two of you who actually did the hands-on work have?
Sayuri Hanai
I had experience with Excel and RPA, but I had no experience with programming (Python in this case), so I was a bit worried at first. In fact, setting up the Python environment was quite difficult, but I managed to overcome the challenges. When I instructed GPT to "write a code to check today's weather," it generated working code in one shot, which made me think, "This might actually work.”
Erina Kogiso
At my previous job, I was in charge of computer kitting and took computer classes for self-education, but it wasn't until I joined this company that I came into contact with RPA, and I started with zero programming experience. I was worried about whether I would be able to build Python with the time constraints I currently face due to child-rearing, but I was able to make it work in less time than I had imagined.
What was your impression of the actual Python application development?
What was your impression of Python compared to RPA?
Erina Kogiso
Compared to RPA, I felt Python was superior in terms of flexibility and speed of implementation. RPA has many limitations, such as not working if the pixel position of an icon is off, or not working on a specific PC. Python, on the other hand, offers a high degree of freedom, and since you can work on your own PC, it was easy to get started.
What was your first project?
Erina Kogiso
I created an application that converts Excel files to PDF in batches, as a way to practice. Some of our field staff communicate with each other via LINE WORKS Bbusiness chat app designed for smartphones), but some of them cannot open Excel files from their smartphones, so we thought it would be convenient to convert all of them at once. We had some initial difficulties, but eventually completed it on our own.
What kind of application did you make next?
Sayuri Hanai
We developed a obsolete parts search application. There is a form called "Bill of Materials" that lists the names of parts and manufacturers used in a project, but it is necessary to check each part one by one to see if it is out of production or not. We automated this process with a generated AI API and developed an app that determines whether each part is obsolete or not one by one. We had originally tried using ChatGPT, but the processing of large amounts of data would have been much more time-consuming, so we decided to make it into an app.
I have an image that using APIs is a hurdle, but how did you do?
Sayuri Hanai
At first, there were many errors caused by the API, and we struggled with them. In those cases, I asked questions to Queue and solved them. We not only fixed the errors, but also learned how to ask the generated AI about them, so we gradually got the hang of it and were able to proceed from development to deployment on our own. I think it took us about a week to get a working product.
I know it's a lot of work, but how do you feel about developing the application?
Sayuri Hanai
I am always thinking, "This is fun! It makes me want to try out ideas one after another, thinking, "If I can do this, maybe I can do that next time. I really enjoy the process of giving shape to my ideas. It's almost like the excitement of getting a new smartphone and trying out all the new features. In fact, there are days when I lose track of time and spend up to 10 hours working on Python (laughs).
Changes in the team
Have you noticed any changes in the team since you started coding?
President Hanai
Originally, the General Affairs Department was a team that was responsible for tasks such as arranging lunches and running the washing machine, in addition to office work. However, now that the members can work independently, come up with ideas for operational improvements, and implement them, I feel that we are functioning more like a DX team.
We also plan to revise the company's evaluation criteria. We will evaluate them based on the same criteria as sales, design, and engineering staff, and position them as human resources who go beyond routine work to create value.
Erina Kogiso
I feel that learning Python has increased the number of things I can do at once. Whenever I have a problem in my work, I think, "Python may be able to solve it," and I feel that my skills have been expanded.
Future Prospects
Please tell us about your future outlook in light of these changes.
President Hanai
Now that our members have software development skills, I am wondering if we can incorporate them into the company's business plan. We plan to either make the General Affairs Department independent or rename it, expand its staff, and develop it into a new strength of ME-TOYO.
