Two labels from opposite sides of the world – and the same promise: quality you can trust.
I have built my business on the first one. This year, I went to see the second for myself – and came back with far more than beautiful memories.
What struck me most was the general approach to quality. In Japan, quality does not seem to sit only in a specific department or at a final checkpoint. It feels embedded in the way people work, decide, improve, and take responsibility. It feels like shared ownership.
I also saw aspects of doing business that unexpectedly confirmed principles I have been applying for years in managing andagon people GmbH.
01
System over randomness:
I often emphasise that we need a systematic model, without allowing “randomness” to bring chaos into the company, even when changes around us and inside the business are fast. The result should rest on process, not chance. In Japan, I saw the same philosophy going even deeper, almost like a national code.
02
PDCA as the heartbeat of business:
Yana guides organizations through digitalization and process automation, focusing on adding value beyond cost savings. She covers starting automation projects, prioritizing areas, and balancing AI solutions with simpler process automation.
03
Improvement in small, steady steps rather than grand gestures:
This is a core idea in Japan, and also very close to my long-standing principle of 80% stability and 20% innovation, with most change happening gradually and in a trust-preserving way. It turns out we have been speaking “kaizen” all along.
04
Change that begins underground:
There is a Japanese concept, nemawashi – preparing the roots before a decision is made. For me, this is very close to what I learned through my own management experience: anything new meets resistance if trust and explanation do not come first. Communication and explanation should come first. This is a core principle of change management we discuss a lot today, and a long-standing working principle in Japan.
05
Devotion to detail:
In QA, our work lives or dies in the details. It depends on meticulous testers who hold the line with care, discipline, and love for their work. In Japan, this dedication to detail felt like a cultural value, not an exception.
06
And one more point – more personal.
Japan also made me think about the contemplation of beauty, not only as aesthetics, but as a way to restore concentration and inner clarity. This is something many leaders understand. There, it felt embedded in daily culture.
So, Japan holds a lot to learn from and reflect on. And for you, when you step into a very different business culture, what stays with you longest – the differences, or the things you suddenly recognise as your own?