AKEBONO REPORT 2012

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6 AKEBONO REPORT 2012 Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd.We Continue Monozukuri in Japanitem all the way to the pads and calipers used and then apply“commonization and standardization” principles. I believethis approach can also be utilized for production in emergingcountries where supply chains are not fully developed.Onuki (General Affairs): In the days after the earthquake some neighbors inquired what had happened to Akebonoafter seeing Ai-City headquarters in Hanyu with its lights allswitched off. I was impressed by the strong connection thatwe have with society. In the following days we installedbackup power systems at the Ai-City headquarters eventhough it is not a production plant. This ensured that facilitiesin the building that are used for such processes asdevelopment experimentation and examination did not haveto suspend operations. If operations there were to be suspended the entire production of company would eventuallybe gravely affected. In addition surplus power generated byour backup power systems is offered to an electric powerprovider as a part of our social contribution activities.Globalization Will Toughen Up JapanGoto (Production Engineering): I believe efforts to enhanceproduction technology including the introduction of automatedproduction are essential to maintain domestic productionand ensure its competitiveness. Specifically we need tointroduce innovations that improve efficiency as well as qualityand reduce costs through the combination of developmentand manufacturing facilities for example byimplementing facility advances that reduce the number ofprocesses needed from five to two.Mita (R&D): Hereafter I predict that we will see advances intechnologies that integrate the control of various automobilefunctions. In the future such functions as braking steeringand acceleration will be controlled by an artificial intelligenceable to make split-second decisions. One of our ambitions isto develop automobiles that through automatic functions bring even more social benefit by mitigating the damagecaused by accidents and careless driving. Development ofsuch control systems is a field in which Japan excels. Weneed to expand our scope of development to get moreinvolved and not remain a company that only makes brakes.Yamamoto (Monozukuri Center): As of April 2012 theCenter had accepted 2 000 trainees including 150 fromoverseas. Focusing on the Akebono Production System trainees in Japan receive exhaustive instruction in basictechniques. I am looking forward to seeing Akebono’s philosophyon manufacturing spread to group members worldwideas the overseas trainees apply and teach the techniquesthey have acquired in their home countries.Onuki (General Affairs): In recent years the number ofguests coming to Ai-City headquarters from overseas hasbeen increasing. I intend to create a better environment forthe overseas trainees accepted at the akebono TrainingCenter paying attention to their diet sleeping arrangementsand other aspects. I wish to hear them say “I’m very glad Icame to Japan ” and “Akebono is a good company.”Yamamoto (Monozukuri Center): My wish is to turn overseastrainees into Akebono fans. Of course there is much tolearn through interactions with them and this will ultimatelyhelp enhance the training program at the Monozukuri Centerthrough its cooperation with the akebono Training Center.Hayakawa (Purchasing): Our basic approach to global purchasingis “local production for local consumption.” Our reasonfor expanding factories overseas is not to ensure lowerlabor costs but to situate manufacturing in the region wherethe products are needed. By promoting “commonization andstandardization as well as incorporating enhanced productfeatures ” Akebono helps to increase the competitiveness ofautomobiles manufactured in the region. This will in turn increase the competitiveness of automobiles made in Japanand eventually lead this country to be an export giant onceagain in a new sense. In this regard continued manufacturingin Japan is significant.Onuki (General Affairs): Japanese industry is now confrontingsevere conditions. But this is not the first time the countryhas contended with adversity and it can happen to anymarket in any country. I believe that it is essential to raisethe competitiveness of Japan’s manufacturing from along-term perspective. We should not be preoccupied withshort-term trends.Hayakawa (Purchasing): When I participated in a local procurementproject in China I got the impression that Japan’smanufacturing was the most advanced. For example I oftenYoshiro HayakawaPurchasing Planning Department Purchasing Division“Currently I am proceeding withsurvey of suppliers that goesinto even more detail than theprevious survey of secondaryand tertiary suppliers conductedshortly after the earthquake aiming to exhaustively coverissues that we could not explorein the previous survey.”Kenji OnukiGeneral Affairs Department General Affairs Section“I believe that Japanese industryhas great potential for competitiveness.From the viewpoint ofgeneral affairs I believe we canboost it through such initiativesas reviewing energy procurementmethods and energy usage.”

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