The Story of How We Stopped Chasing Numbers and Our Company Became Stronger: A New Way of Working Created by 'School Festival Management'
Hello. I am a 'Corporate Consultant on the Move'.
'Workwear that looks like a suit.'
Some of you might recognize this phrase.
The company that created this is Oasis Lifestyle Group.
At first glance, it is an infrastructure company centered on water supply pipe services.
However, in reality, it is a unique, diversified company with three pillars: water, food and beverage, and apparel.
They all have one thing in common.
They are trying to enjoy 'working' to the fullest.
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The President's Determination
Toward a company where 'people get absorbed' rather than chasing numbers
Oasis used to be a typical performance-based company.
・Constant high-pressure meetings
・Days managed by numbers
・The office atmosphere was tense, and smiles disappeared
・Employees left one after another, and the organization was exhausted
In a sense, this is a common story.
In the midst of this, the president paused and thought as follows.
If we can get employees absorbed in their work,
wouldn't we no longer need motivation management?
This realization significantly changed the direction the company was heading.
—
Organizational Reform
Not 'management,' but 'delegating, trusting, and enjoying'
The first thing the president stopped was giving detailed instructions.
・Abolished sales targets
・Key positions are filled by election or open recruitment, not by appointment
・Employees decide for themselves and act for themselves
And this is the motto they put forward.
Every day is like a school festival
Ideas are born from casual conversation, and things get moving with the attitude of 'That sounds fun, let's try it.'
Of course, this is not a hands-off approach.
In exchange for delegating, information sharing is thorough.
This exquisite balance has brought speed and a sense of unity to the organization.
—
Strengths
A free corporate culture × overwhelming execution speed
Oasis's greatest strength is the speed at which ideas take shape.
Ideas born within the company are not put off for 'someday,' but are
concretized from that very day.
That is how this was born:
'Workwear that looks like a suit'
・Stretchability
・Quick-drying
・Water repellency
We independently developed high-performance materials that combine these features, and gave shape to the counterintuitive idea of 'looking professional while being incredibly easy to move in.'
Now, it has gained support in a wide range of settings, including food service and manual labor.
Furthermore, we are currently developing 'business shoes with heels that can be stepped on' in collaboration with ASICS.
Playfulness and functionality. This balance is what makes Oasis, Oasis.
—
Perspective as a Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant
If you want to grow apparel into your 'next core business'
From here on, this is my perspective as a consultant.
I assume your current core business is water supply pipes, but I feel that
there is still significant room for growth in the apparel business.
1. Narrowing down and expanding applications
Into the corporate uniform market
"Workwear that looks like a suit" is
an excellent fit for corporate uniforms.
・Nursing care
・Construction
・Facilities
・Logistics
These are industries where both "ease of movement" and "a sense of reliability" are required.
"Suits you can move in"
"Field-ready business wear"
If you develop industry-specific solutions with these angles,
they could become a stable pillar of revenue.
—
2. Expanding
Delivering an "organization where people enjoy working" to the outside world
The value of Oasis is not just in its products.
・Organizational development
・How to delegate
・How to build culture
This itself can become a service.
・Organizational reform consulting
・Suit subscription
・OEM fabric supply
・Recycling of discarded work uniforms
Sustainable x Work-style reformIt can also be developed within the context of.
—
3. In-house products
Smart wear and health monitoring
In the future,
・Body temperature
・Heart rate
・Posture
detecting smartwear is also promising.
Towards
wear that protects the safety and health of those working on the front lines.
I feel that the fusion of apparel and technology
is highly compatible with this company's culture.
⸻
4. IT implementation
Making the mechanism where businesses are born from casual conversation 'reproducible'
At Oasis, businesses are born from casual conversation.
That is precisely why
・Ideas
・Trial and error
・Failure
a system that can accumulate and search for knowledge is effective.
To
turn 'School Festival Management' into a system rather than relying on individuals.
This is an important theme for the next stage of growth.
⸻
5. Communicating and collaborating
Towards a brand built together with fans
Sharing usage scenarios on social media,
and soliciting improvement ideas from users.
・Cafes
・Construction firms
・Restaurants
Through collaborations with
we are expanding a 'worldview that makes working fun'.
Rather than 'selling,' we 'create together.'
This attitude makes the brand stronger.
—
Summary
A new way of working created by 'School Festival Management'
The journey of the Oasis Lifestyle Group is a story of consistently choosing:
• People over numbers
• Passion over management
• Action over planning
It is a story of choosing these values time and time again.
Free, playful, yet serious. It is truly a
school festival where everyone is immersed in the same theme.
The power to enjoy working is what makes a company strong.
This company embodies that.
—
I would like to introduce my blog. I am posting interesting case studies of growing small and medium-sized enterprises.
I also include my perspective as a management consultant and ideas for business expansion.
If you are interested, please take a look.
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