Solving the culture gap by centralizing and standardizing key processes

AISIN AUTOMOTIVE is a Japanese manufacturer of automotive components, including engines, chassis and drivetrains. It employs over 100,000 people globally and has a turnover of more than YEN 3,900bn. It established itself in Brazil in 1974 and now employs 800 people.

When establishing a local plant, Aisin Group is well aware of the cultural differences it may face. As a company of Japanese origin, its own culture and approach is well defined, however, that can sometimes clash with local employees.

Aisin Group found that in its Brazilian operation, AISIN AUTOMOTIVE LTDA., it was facing a challenge related to the nature of local employment. “Here in Brazil, people move between jobs with much greater frequency than in Japan, where employees tend to stick around for the long term. With people changing jobs so often, we lose knowledge,” explains Akira Muramatsu, VP IT and R&D, AISIN AUTOMOTIVE. “We’re talking about many different production preparation processes, which employees master only to leave. We wanted to automate and regulate these paper-based processes so that new employees can pick them up instantly.”

In order to meet these objectives, AISIN AUTOMOTIVE launched “Project Control System”, an advanced communication platform specific to mass-production preparation, which provides more practical knowledge to execute tasks quickly, and enables managers and board members to judge more accurately. “We didn’t want to purchase a pre-packaged solution and pay for lots of functionality we don’t need. Having already used FUJITSU RunMyProcess to automate some of our HR and procurement systems, we thought it would be well placed to help automate production processes,” adds Cleber Silva, IT Manager, AISIN AUTOMOTIVE. “RunMyProcess also provides unlimited potential to develop new applications.” 

AISIN AUTOMOTIVE and Fujitsu developers used the RunMyProcess toolkit to build an entirely new system that could control and automate every aspect of each pre-production process. Now coordinators can apply deadlines for each milestone during the production preparation process; managers can assign tasks; employees can submit and validate deliverable actions; and board members have full visibility of the production schedule via a dashboard.

“FUJITSU RunMyProcess gives us an integrated and transparent view of the production preparation process, so we know what is happening, when and who is responsible. Previously, that would have been difficult or involved lots of time-consuming paperwork,” continues Muramatsu. “And, because it is 100 percent cloud-based, users can access all that critical information at any time from any device.” 

AISIN AUTOMOTIVE worked with Fujitsu to develop the first RunMyProcess application and, with the skills its IT team has gained, the company has been able to develop an additional 16 applications, each targeting a different function or process.

“Developing RunMyProcess applications is not complicated – after our analyst completed basic training with Fujitsu, he was able to create more applications with more complexity in as little as two weeks,” says Silva. “Now, around 200 employees rely on RunMyProcess to successfully perform their daily tasks.

The new Fujitsu solution provides visibility of progress, ownership of tasks and gives new employees a clear framework so they can get up to speed quickly. Not only does this boost efficiency across the production cycle, it also ensures that AISIN AUTOMOTIVE can avoid repeating historical mistakes.

AISIN AUTOMOTIVE also enjoys enhanced deliverable management, which enables employees to track and comment on tasks while accessing the latest deliverables status. This provides practical tips on common tasks and allows employees to re-use such deliverables more efficiently.

“FUJITSU RunMyProcess imbues the system with knowledge so we can easily see past issues and therefore avoid making the same costly errors. Even a minor issue can have a delaying effect on production timetables, so this is critical to the smooth operation of our factory,” comments Muramatsu. “That saves us time and money while also equipping our employees from the factory floor to the boardroom with the information they need to be productive.”

If AISIN AUTOMOTIVE has any questions or technical difficulties, Fujitsu is on hand to help out: “Every time we need assistance, Fujitsu is there in an instant. As a Japanese company, it understands our culture, but it also has the local presence in Brazil to deliver on the ground,” remarks Muramatsu. With the first batch of RunMyProcess applications up and running,AISIN AUTOMOTIVE is continuing to develop new functionality in other areas of the business. It intends that any system not covered by traditional ERP software will be automated by RunMyProcess. “FUJITSU RunMyProcess has solved the culture gap by centralizing and standardizing key processes, which in turn increases productivity and efficiency,” concludes Muramatsu.

“We are delighted with the digital transformation we have undertaken and look forward to continuing to collaborate with Fujitsu in the future.”