Skip to main content

Fujitsu

Global

Archived content

NOTE: this is an archived page and the content is likely to be out of date.

Fujitsu Launches Services Leveraging its Manufacturing Expertise

Establishes manufacturing innovation team to deliver new value to customers

Fujitsu Limited

Tokyo, May 08, 2012

Fujitsu today announced the establishment of a "manufacturing innovation team" concept designed to strengthen the manufacturing industry in Japan by delivering new value to customers. Based on this, Fujitsu will offer services to customers that leverage the know-how, tools and human resources the company has nurtured over many years in manufacturing such products as the K computer(1) as well as a variety of servers, PCs and smartphones.

Services to be offered based on this concept will include "Manufacturing Expert Services" from veterans of the manufacturing front lines, a comprehensive "Manufacturing Toolset," consisting of on-site ICT solutions and production equipment, and "Manufacturing Outsourcing Services," in which Fujitsu will offer sophisticated, specialized outsourcing services and BPO services for operations that are common across the manufacturing industry. These services will be gradually rolled out starting in October 2012.

Fujitsu's new program utilizes ICT to connect all aspects of customers' manufacturing operations, supporting manufacturing innovation on the part of customers to shorten product development lead times and raise productivity. This will be done by leveraging such cutting-edge technologies as digital mock-ups, flexible manufacturing techniques (standardization and automation), and production monitoring, and by flexible development and manufacturing processes that utilize product development and manufacturing sites around the world.

Background

With weaker worldwide economic growth, a strong yen, higher environmental demands (lower CO2 emissions), and the impact of last year's earthquake and subsequent energy shortages, the manufacturing industry in Japan has been facing a severe operating environment. In overcoming these predicaments, it is not enough to simply enhance products and reduce costs while dealing with the issues of power supply and the environment. There is also an urgent need to take advantage of the strong yen in order to accelerate the shift toward both the procurement of raw materials and production outside Japan and seek new directions for growth by expanding business other markets, particularly in emerging economies.

With this in mind, as part of its "NextValue" activities to strengthen the products and services of customers in the manufacturing industry through the use of ICT, Fujitsu is establishing a new manufacturing innovation team concept to deliver new value to customers by leveraging the manufacturing know-how, tools, and human resources nurtured over many years. Based on this concept, a suite of new services will be gradually rolled out.

In offering these services, Fujitsu will provide opportunities to tour "model factory" and access to know-how from its manufacturing innovation promotion group and frontline experts. Initial model factory will include Fujitsu IT Products Limited, which manufactures supercomputers and a range of servers, Fujitsu Peripherals Limited, which develops and produces mobile phones, and Shimane Fujitsu Limited, which serves as a production base for notebook PCs, including its "Izumo" models. More model factory will be included in the future.

About the Manufacturing Innovation Team

1. Leveraging the Fujitsu Group's manufacturing know-how, tools and human resources

By offering the product manufacturing know-how the Fujitsu Group has accumulated over many years as a service, Fujitsu will deliver new value to customers to enhance the competitiveness of their products by strengthening product performance and quality, accelerating development and production speed, and reducing costs.

2. Extensive utilization of cutting-edge ICT, from planning to development, production and sales

Digital mock-ups are utilized to enable production lines to be reproduced virtually, allowing customers to verify completeness of product designs and the viability of mass production at the product development phase. In addition, flexible manufacturing techniques (standardization and automation) enabling the introduction of automated machinery and monitoring at every stage of the process (assembly, coating, inspection, and testing) and manufacturing monitoring, which aids in upgrading manufacturing systems, are also provided. In this way, Fujitsu will support customer efforts to drive improvements in product functionality and quality as well as production and cost efficiencies.

3. Offerings based on a wide spectrum of experience, from high-performance enterprise products to consumer goods

From enterprise ICT hardware requiring the high performance and high reliability provided by supercomputers, to smartphones and PCs, where considerations such as cost, design, and user-friendliness take priority, Fujitsu is able to provide a wide range of know-how based on its experience in developing and manufacturing a diverse array of products.

Menu of Services

1. "Manufacturing Expert Services" support manufacturing innovation though staff with sophisticated technical skills

Veterans of Fujitsu's manufacturing processes team up with experienced on-site staff in assisting customers by taking part in development and production processes, as well as providing diagnostic support and guidance connected with manufacturing innovation. For example, based on their experience with high-density packaging designs or effective heat-dispersing designs for mobile phones or other products, circuit and casing design specialists might offer specialized advice to the customer while providing broad support until targets for product specifications or indicators for performance, quality, or design are met.

  • Expert Services for Design Innovation: Eliminates design problems through the use of 3D data
  • Expert Services for Production Innovation: Eliminates mass-production productivity problems and supports production shifts to offshore sites
  • Expert Services for Coordinating Design and Production: Provides support in Japan for planning, development, and production preparations, as well as global manufacturing support

2. Offering an advanced "Manufacturing Toolset" to improve productivity and flexibility in manufacturing

Fujitsu is offering over 20 different tools it uses for its own production lines as an advanced manufacturing toolset. In addition to ICT solutions for product development and production management, such as the PLEMIA technology information management system, the "iCAD V7" 3-D CAD system, VPS, and GP4, this toolset includes precision assembly robots, assembly equipment for installing parts, soldering equipment, coating applicators, and endurance testing machines. In addition, equipment coordination and integration into the production line will be accompanied by comprehensive support.

Fujitsu is also providing manufacturing optimization solutions using portable wireless terminals able to collect results from on-site operations and perform standardization measures as well as adjustments to the work flow. This greatly improves the operational efficiency at every process and contributes to paperless facilities.

3. Offering "Manufacturing Outsourcing Services" for specialized indirect operations

Based on its experience in advanced quality inspection procedures for servers and impact analysis for highly-durable PCs and mobile phones, Fujitsu is offering outsourcing services for specialized functions such as collision and impact analysis as well as failure analysis. Fujitsu also offers outsourcing services for common operations such as purchasing accessory materials.

By outsourcing indirect operations, for which it is difficult to achieve efficiency at the individual plant level, or highly specialized analytical operations, indirect operations can be standardized and made more efficient, enabling scarce resources to be devoted to increasing production and making manufacturing operations more resilient in the event of emergencies.

Fujitsu Group's Initiatives in Manufacturing Innovation

Utilizing ICT to connect all stages of the manufacturing process from development to production, the Fujitsu Group leverages cutting-edge ICT technologies such as digital mock-ups, flexible manufacturing techniques (standardization and automation), and production monitoring to shorten product development timeframes and improve efficiency. The company has also been working to standardize its manufacturing know-how and convert it into digital form.

With digital mock-ups, 3D virtual prototypes and tests shorten the time required for verification testing of prototypes while significantly reducing both workload and cost. In addition, these tools help to eliminate design problems in the initial design stage as well as mass-production and productivity problems related to the design. In addition, Fujitsu is performing development optimization and know-how visualization through concurrent development, which is achieved through coordination between different design areas (i.e. maker, electronics, and software).

Furthermore, trial and error tests are performed on designs for high-productivity manufacturing processes and production lines in a virtual plant focusing on human activities, leading to the introduction of optimal production lines for individual plants. This method enables plants to respond to changing economic conditions such as component prices, supply and demand, business continuity, and the strength of the yen, providing support for the establishment of a system where production bases can be utilized flexibly. Repeated mock disaster response drills are part of Fujitsu's business continuity planning process, so when the Tohoku earthquake struck, a portion of the production of desktop PCs that had been performed at Fujitsu Isotec, which had been damaged in the earthquake, was switched over to Shimane Fujitsu, which normally handled just the production of notebook PCs. This switchover enabled a supply structure to be quickly re-established and manufacturing and shipping operations to be quickly resumed.

These new services will be exhibited at Fujitsu Forum 2012 held at the Tokyo International Forum on May 17-18.

Sales Target

100 billion yen over three years (including related business)


  • [1] K Computer

    Developed together by RIKEN and Fujitsu, the K computer achieved the world's highest computing performance in both the June and November 2011 TOP 500 lists. The next-generation supercomputer's nickname "K" has been used by RIKEN since July 2010.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Over 170,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$54 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

Press Contacts

Public and Investor Relations Division
Inquiries

Company:Fujitsu Limited


All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.

Date: 08 May, 2012
City: Tokyo
Company: Fujitsu Limited, , , , , , , , , ,