People Software Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kurashiki, is an IT company founded by engineers.
Its corporate philosophy is summed up in the phrase “Creating Value That Inspires.” The services it provides go beyond simply developing systems. It also takes on social contributions such as industry-academia collaboration and solving local issues.
Through the interview, the writer felt that the company offers an environment where people can grow not only as system engineers but also as individuals.
Meet Ota Ayano, a young employee at People Software Co., Ltd.
The information presented was current when this article was published in May 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About People Software Co., Ltd.
People Software Co., Ltd. (hereafter, “People Software”) is an independent IT company with no parent company, founded in 1982.
The company was founded by five system engineers who happened to be gathered in Kurashiki City on secondment. Feeling that the work environment at the time left them wanting more, they thought, “We want to deliver better products through our own skills,” and established the company with the desire to “bring the value of engineers directly to society.”
People Software’s greatest distinguishing feature is that it is an engineer-first company. It has focused on creating a comfortable working environment for engineers, introducing flextime and casual dress from an early stage.
Other major attractions of People Software include an open, supportive culture where young employees can take the initiative and warm exchanges through club and committee activities.
What is the “company that creates inspiring value” that People Software aims to be?
As of 2026, People Software has three main business areas.
- “Contract software development,” which solves customers’ problems through advanced technical expertise
- “Development and provision of services planned in-house,” an area it has pursued since the company was founded
- “DX consulting services,” providing hands-on support by leveraging specialized IT knowledge
Through these businesses, People Software aims to become the “company that creates inspiring value” set out in its vision.
Inspiring value is value that appeals to people’s sensibilities and earns appreciation that exceeds their satisfaction and expectations.
Because it deals in intangible products such as software, the company places the utmost importance not only on solid technical expertise but also on continuing to engage with customers sincerely. Through this kind of craftsmanship, People Software strives to add digital “color” to the lives of people around the world.
People Software’s website features many columns in which employees talk about what makes the company appealing. If you’re interested, be sure to check them out.
Ota Ayano, who works at People Software
Our interviewee was Ota Ayano, who works at People Software. Born in 1998, she is from Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
She works as a system engineer in the Business Promotion Department of the Innovation Promotion Business Division, which was newly established in 2024.
About Ota’s work
Ota is currently working on the development of an “automated material handling control system” used in Japan and overseas. As part of a large-scale project, she is stationed at the company that developed the system and usually works at the client’s company rather than her own.
The writer, who knows little about system development, asked Ota to explain the automated material handling control system with an easy-to-understand example.
For example, when manufacturing golf clubs in a factory, a lump of iron, the raw material, is first moved to a processing area, where it undergoes processes such as “cutting” and “washing.” After a quality check, the finished product is transported to a designated location.
This entire process through to completion is called “material handling,” and an automated material handling control system automates it by moving robots freely, she explained.
Ota’s work also includes responding to requests from people at the sites where the system is actually used. She supports manufacturing operations by adding new features and improving the system.
When asked, “Were you nervous about being stationed outside the company for the first time?” she said, “I was anxious at first, but I got through it by relying on those around me, such as talking to colleagues working on the same project and getting support from people around my age at the client’s site.”
Let’s also take a brief look at the Business Promotion Department of the Innovation Promotion Business Division, where Ota works.
The Innovation Promotion Business Division is a department that works with customers to organize challenges and identify needs, then uses IT to take on the challenge of realizing the future they envision. Its work extends beyond technical development to social contributions such as industry-academia collaboration and addressing local issues. Within the division, the Business Promotion Department is responsible for consulting, development, and maintenance.
Ota’s department is responsible for using its strong technical expertise as system engineers to solve customers’ problems.
How Ota came to join People Software
At university, Ota studied in the Faculty of Letters, a field unrelated to IT.
Looking back on why she pursued a career as a system engineer despite her humanities background, she said, “At the commercial high school I attended, we had information-processing classes, and I found the programming I tried then surprisingly interesting.”
Ota wanted to work in a field or job she had at least some prior experience with, rather than one she knew nothing about. She looked for IT companies in Okayama Prefecture and found People Software.
What convinced her to join was the combination of the stability of its business, with contracts from major companies, and the opportunities to take on challenges through developing its own systems.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire selection process was online. After receiving a job offer, however, she was invited by a recruiter to tour the office. She also met employees close to her age and came away with the impression that “there are many energetic women at People Software.”
What does Ota see as appealing about People Software as a workplace?
Ota considers the greatest appeal of People Software to be its “many opportunities for growth.”
Of course, the company offers extensive training to develop technical skills, but it also provides many opportunities to learn beyond the scope of one’s work.
For example, the company has an initiative called “lightning talks,” in which employees give short speeches in front of an audience. The aim is to develop communication skills—which are even more important than technical skills—through the experience of speaking in front of a large group.
Ota says she used to find speaking in front of a large group difficult, but now feels she is developing the “ability to communicate,” which is essential in her work.
She also says the company is supportive when employees express a desire to take on a challenge or attend a particular training course. I think People Software offers many opportunities to take on challenges because it has a culture that respects employees’ initiative.
People Software offers an environment where employees can grow not only as system engineers but also as individuals.
Ota joined People Software and is now in her sixth year in 2026. We interviewed her about her journey to becoming a system engineer and what she finds rewarding in her work today.
People Software Co., Ltd. data
| Organization name | People Software Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | 1. Planning, design, development, construction, operation, maintenance, and management of information systems, and consulting 2. Intermediation between businesses and consulting services related to information processing 3. Development, sales, leasing, and maintenance of software and information and communications systems, and information provision services 4. Education and training related to information processing 5. Worker dispatch services 6. Sales, leasing, and maintenance of computers, related equipment, and peripheral devices 7. Telecommunications business under the Telecommunications Business Act |
| Representative | Yokomichi Akira |
| Year established | 1982 |
| Address | 4th Floor, Kurashiki Business Square, 1-15-3 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture (Head Office) |
| Contact | 086-426-5930 |
| Website | People Software Co., Ltd. website |
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