Sophia University x Yokohama National UniversityStudents can build Formula cars too.

The Formula SAE competitions are held to prove that, and the Japanese competition has entered into it's 4th year last year. While the numbers of the participating teams are growing, each teams are quickly changing from the teams with only manufacturing members to teams with manufacturing and also management members.

However, because they have no experiences, teams that only had manufacturing members does not know how to run the management section of the team, and cannot find the right way.

For that reason, in order to discuss management among different teams, the first management discussion were held between Sophia University and Yokohama National University.

Moreover, in order to report this discussion and introduce Formula SAE to the rest of the world, we have accomplished a collaboration plan to 'jack ' each other's website. Therefore, in order to get to know what we have discussed in the discussion completely, you will need to red through both of the websites. Please read both websites alternately.

As mentioned earlier, the Japanese Competition was the 4th competition last year. Only 4th. Though the histories of each teams varies because some teams has participated on the overseas competitions before the Japanese competition had started, the history of Formula SAE in Japan is still very short.

To achieve well in the competition that is held once a year, the teams must build a car that is strong overall. Factors such as the dynamic performance, static performance and the cost will be judged, and therefore each teams build their car as a 'product', very carefully. There, the manufacturing members who are in charge of design and manufacturing plays the main role.

It's obvious that a F-SAE team needs manufacturing members. But each teams know that that is not enough to compete with the increasing 'enemies' and are starting to realise what it is that they actually need to compete.

We need members who can do the management as well as the manufacturing members,
but what do we need to do?
What is it that we specifically have to do ?

While many teams are struggling for the answer, we have discussed the solution.

From left, Miyahara,Atushi,Shibasaki,Izumi.It was on 21st March that the first discussion about management was held among the two teams. Sophia University brought out the plan, and Yokohama National University provided the place to hold the discussion.

Team Leader Izumi, and Shibasaki, member of the Advertisement section participated from Sophia University, and from Yokohama National University, Atsushi, the Team Advisor and Miyahara, who is i charge of the team website participated.

The discussion was mainly about management of the FSAE teams, and the main purposes were to share the ways of management among different teams and work out what we can actually do.

First of all, we talked about how each team manages their teams.

At the moment, Sophia Racing has a management section which consists of 4 members, and they each have different jobs. They are; Advertisement which is about approaching to different types of mass-media, giving out information through the website, making handouts etc, General Management, Public relations, which is in charge of collecting sponsors, organizing events with corporations, other teams and graduate members, and finding new members. The members bring out plans among each sections and also share information and points out things that need to be solved.

What the members are trying to solve are these problems;
how to complain to the F-SAE committee, how to manage the members, how to gain new management members, and how to find members to replace their place after they have left the team.

The problems about managing the members, gaining management members, and finding members to replace them, could be solved within the team, but the first problem, 'How to complain to the committee' may not be solved with one team.

You can read this section on YNFP website
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It is more assuring to make complaints to the F-SAE committee along with other teams, and we can also learn from it. We can make a bigger impact if we complain together. So, what does teams need to do to work together? The members in the discussion all beat their brains out, and few minutes of silence has passed. Then, Atsushi suggested "Before we think about what we need to do, why don't we make something that can be shared among different teams?"

It's worth a try. Everyone agreed to this suggestion. Obviously, the specific idea of that 'something' was suggested, but we won't give it out here. Even though it's worth a try, we need to do more research beforehand, and we have more things to decide if we are to put it into practice. Anyway, the two teams need to keep on working together.

It's only the first discussion. We can't expect to solve every problems and so we still have problems left. However, by teams working together like this, we hope it will contribute to the F-SAE event.

After the Discussion

This time, we, Sophia Racing has visited Yokohama National University, and we were surprised to see the environment of the University. It is more like a University in the mountain, rather than a University in a city. I'm jealous that they can build cars in a place surrounded by nature. The University is very large too. Mr. Atsushi had told me "We can drive our car on the University road." We can't do that in Sophia, because it is in the middle of the city. However, the working area to build the car was as big as ours.

What we have discussed were very abundant, and time passed very quickly. We suggested to hold this discussion, and the way Mr. Atsushi sometimes made points sharply was a sight to see. He talked very logically, which made it easier for us to understand, and I think I was nodding to what he was saying many times. He was kind of a person who would start a venture firm, who keeps on challenging new things. Mr. Miyahara was a kind person, and I would like to thank him for listening to us with a smile on his face. He gave us specific suggestions for different teams to work together. Because both he and I are in charge of the team website, we had a lot to talk about, and I felt that he is thinking so much about his website.

The overall impression of the discussion was that we were able to gain much more than we had expected, and it really was a motivating event. We were not able to accomplish many things, but I believe that it was a great achievement to end up with a specific plan.

(Izumi and Shibasaki@Sophia University)

>You can read this section on YNFP website
>> Read this section