Problem solving case07

Are there any Japanese manufacturers
that can make similar machines?

Replacing aging overseas-made processing machines with Japanese manufacturers, taking into consideration operability and maintainability

PROPOSER

Tokyo Branch Sales Representative

We propose equipment and parts to various manufacturers.
We believe that the most important thing in sales is how to respond to our customers' problems.

BEGINNING

We want to update aging equipment manufactured overseas.

A customer who manufactures steel pipe piles had been using an old bending machine made overseas that they had modified, but it was getting to the point where they needed to update the equipment due to the aging of the machine.

In order to use overseas-made machinery in Japan, various modifications, including power, are required, but this customer also customized the machine to suit their own needs.

The company wanted to update its facilities due to the deterioration of its machines, but was unable to find a company that could manufacture equipment with the same specifications.
When the company came to us for advice, we began the project.

ALIGNMENT

120 years of history. We believe in our connections with over 1,000 business partners.

We immediately confirmed the exact functions and specifications required, and consulted with our existing business partners and suppliers, but it was difficult to find a machine manufacturer that could manufacture the machine. Since a dedicated machine is a one-off and can only be sold to that particular customer, this may have been a decision made with business considerations in mind. After that, we contacted HRD Thailand and they introduced us to a local vendor they had a friendly relationship with, so we immediately consulted with them, but they said that it would be difficult to handle a dedicated machine like this one.

If you give up, it's over. 　 I'm sure there are companies out there looking for you.

However, after initially being turned down as a challenge, the manufacturer put us in touch with another company in the same industry who might be able to manufacture the equipment. I feel that it was only by searching, searching and searching that we were able to find a company that could solve this customer's problem.

The customer was struggling to decide whether to continue purchasing and customizing the machine from an overseas manufacturer, as they do now, or to have a Japanese manufacturer make a special-purpose machine from scratch. However, they placed more importance on maintainability and after-sales service after purchase, and therefore preferred to have a Japanese manufacturer make a special-purpose machine. This matched the needs of our client, and we decided to proceed with the project.

SOLUTION

We can make the equipment, but we don’t have the parts

We started developing a special-purpose machine together with a Japanese machinery manufacturer, but we were faced with a shortage of semiconductors and a disruption of the supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant we were unable to get any parts.
The customer understood the situation, rearranged the schedule, and agreed to wait for the delivery date.

The manufacturer tried desperately to procure parts, but was unable to do so.

At this rate, we won't be able to meet the deadline.

I thought about how to procure the necessary parts somehow through our company's network, and with the cooperation of the in-house wholesale department, I made a list of parts that the machinery manufacturer found difficult to procure within the deadline, and checked the inventory of each one, including small dealers, and gathered parts from places that had stock, even if it was a small amount, and delivered them to the machinery manufacturer.
In the end, we were able to deliver the special-purpose machine thanks to the customer's patience.

What I learned from this experience is that it is possible to find the equipment and parts that our customers need. And it is important to solve our customers' problems in cooperation with partner companies that have valuable know-how. I would like to continue to move forward while always thinking about how to address the challenges our customers face.