A One-of-a-Kind Company Creating Value Between Design and Management — The “Wall” That Came with Growth and the Decision to Systemize

— First, could you tell us about your business?

In short, Crosslink is a company that supports total space creation for hotels and other facilities from a neutral position — neither designer nor supplier. We specialize particularly in complex projects such as foreign luxury hotel developments, which involve many stakeholders. At times, unexpected irregular situations occur, such as sudden budget reductions, placing us in a difficult position due to our neutrality. Even so, we accept the conditions and spare no effort to exceed client expectations, even with a reduced budget. Our strength lies in facing any situation flexibly and moving toward the goal, supported by communication specialists who can overcome challenges. Originally, I worked for about 10 years at a major design firm, but I felt that this work could only deliver value from a fully independent position, so I spun out and founded the company. We started with four members.

— When the business began gaining momentum, what challenges did you face?

When the company grew beyond 10 employees, we began to feel the limits of managing orders with spreadsheets. Things that worked seamlessly among professionals no longer worked as younger staff increased. Everyone started issuing orders in different formats, making it unclear where information was stored. Important tasks such as quotations and budgeting became dependent on my personal know-how.

— The so-called 'wall of ten employees' that many companies experience. How did you search for a development company?

Since we had no in-house IT specialists, we used an external consulting service to introduce three companies. One of them was Fignny.

“Flexibility” Was the Deciding Factor — Choosing a Partner Based on Human Compatibility

— What ultimately led you to choose our company?

To be honest, there wasn’t a major difference in price or conditions. However, when I met President Satomi, I felt that this person would respond flexibly. In the end, I decided based on compatibility — whether our personalities seemed to match.

— We’re glad to hear that. In long-term projects, that may be the most important factor. There were difficult moments along the way. What were your honest thoughts?

Our industry is very unique, so the phase of getting them to understand our operations was challenging. We had weekly three-hour meetings for quite some time. We were truly grateful for their patience. There were moments when development team members changed and even times when post-delivery bugs temporarily made the system unusable. We honestly considered switching to a packaged product. However, we realized packaged solutions would only cover about 70% of our operations. So we decided not to abandon a project that could realize 100% of our ideal system, even if it took time.

Breaking Free from Individual Dependency! Organizational Transformation That Increased Sales Staff Fivefold

— How is the system being used now?

The biggest change is that we’ve moved away from operations that relied solely on my knowledge and experience. Now, younger team members can handle project-stage quotations and budget creation. Previously,sales-related operations were handled entirely by myself and one or two employees, but now about 10 members can manage them. This is huge. Formats are unified, and anyone can produce documents of the same quality. I truly feel thatwe’ve built the foundation for scaling the organization.

— Recently, we released an additional purchase order creation feature.

Yes, thanks to that,the ordering process has become dramatically easier, and nearly 100% of our PA operations now run on this system. We are steadily seeing visible results.

— If you were to introduce our company to others, how would you describe us?

If a fellow business owner asked, ‘How is Fignny?’ I would say,‘They’re flexible and will stick with you until the very end.’ There is no perfectly flawless system company, even among major firms. Ultimately,it depends on how flexible and sincere the leadership is. In that respect,Fignny is a trustworthy partner.

Creating a Positive Financial Cycle for Local Communities — Toward Making Japan a True Tourism Nation

— Finally, could you share your future vision?

We currently support Japan’s tourism industry, particularly businesses targeting affluent travelers. We believe tourism is one of Japan’s most promising growth sectors. What matters is not ‘how many visitors came,’ but ‘how much each visitor spends.’ My dream is to see two or three open hotels with vibrant nightlife built in each hot spring area across Japan. By renovating old ryokan and adding bars and lounges, we can transform towns that currently shut down at 8 p.m. into attractive destinations where visitors can stay for a week without getting bored. This would also create a positive economic cycle that benefits local communities.

— What kind of talent are you looking for?

People who want to use their language skills, such as English, and those drawn to keywords like interior design, hotels, food, and wellness. Together, we want to transform Japan into a true travel destination where affluent visitors can spend meaningfully. We take pride in being part of such a grand and rewarding vision.