Aiming to strengthen production capacity yet further

Demands as regards the maneuverability and environmental performance of motor vehicles are growing ever more complex, and manufacturers of automotive components are being called on more than ever before to provide high-performance, high-quality products at low prices.

Production engineering has an essential role to play in this regard. With our 60 production bases in 19 countries all over the world, it is important for AISIN to standardize our production methods worldwide and to train staff who are able to raise our production engineering capacity in every corner of the world. In order further to strengthen our production capacity and to foster production engineering staff, Aisin Seiki set up the Production Engineering Center in September 2007.

A major base for production engineering of the Aisin Group

The various functions relating to production engineering were previously scattered among factories in different locations, the head office, the R&D center, and laboratories, but by bringing them all together in the Production Engineering Center we have become able to raise the level of our production engineering and create new technology that oversteps the barriers between different divisions.

The Production Engineering Center currently groups together around 550 production engineers and mechanical plant engineers from the divisions involved in the design and production of equipment, metal dies and plastic dies. However, in the future we hope to turn it into an even large center for production technology that will support the Group as a whole, with a staff complement of between 800 and 1,000 including employees from all the companies in the Group.

We also hope that the Production Engineering Center will play a role as a focal point for joint projects embracing design, production engineering and procurement with the aim of developing new products for the future.

Aiming toward the construction of a global production system

Aisin has rapidly stepped up overseas production in order to respond to demand from automobile manufacturers all over the world.

However, the conditions needed for maintenance of facilities are by no means always readily available overseas. For example, the facilities may be located a long way from their manufacturer or employees at a new production base may have inadequate experience of production. This means that it is not easy to achieve the same stable production as in Japan.

Under these conditions AISIN is tackling the development and introduction of simple and slim production lines with a view to achieving the target of installing production lines that can be adequately maintained by engineers with less than three years experience, so that adequate maintenance and inspections can be carried out at overseas bases.

The Production Engineering Center will be a hub of activities aimed at accelerating the development of such facilities. A quarter of all production lines are currently produced inside the company, but we intend to raise this rate to a half in the future.

Production lines scheduled for introduction in factories inside and outside Japan will be assembled at the Production Engineering Center, where they will be put into trial operation. Products will be manufactured and subjected to quality inspections. After that, they well be moved to their permanent locations. thus we can reduce losses occurring at the start-up of production and the costs involved in preparing for production.

Fostering production staff capable of acting on the global stage

The Production Engineering Center already contains the functions necessary to train the engineers who will be involved in maintenance of production facilities inside and outside Japan. Many employees from overseas bases are currently undergoing training there.

An important feature of training for engineers is to enable them to experience the starting point for production activities through the creation of hand-drawn designs and the use of old-fashioned machines in addition to training them in the most advanced production technology. Engineers are trained in the skills needed to operate advanced technology after gaining real experience of how quality is created and how costs arise.

With sights set on expanding global business operations

In March 2007 AISIN opened the HR (Human Resources) Development Center with a view to strengthening global production operations and training the staff who will underpin these operations. We hold out high hopes especially for the training of the global staff who have particularly important roles to play in this regard.

Over the past five years, AISIN's overseas subsidiaries have increased their sales by approximately 3.4 times, the number of staff has increased threefold, and the number of bases has increased 1.6 times. These figures are indicative of the ongoing globalization of AISIN's business operations. Training of staff who are able to play roles on the global stage is thus an urgent priority.

Training at the HR Development Center is divided into three categories, “top management training”, “training of candidates for global executive positions” and “training prior to posting.” Trainees in each category acquire the knowledge and skills they need in their respective fields.

Training for global human resources development

The HR Development Center does more than just train employees directly involved in business overseas. It also provides graded training for everyone from new recruits to managerial staff. The same management training is provided to employees in the technical skills, administration, and technology sectors. Trainees are expected to acquire the knowledge and mental outlook required of members of the AISIN Group engaged on worldwide operations.

Another important role played by the HR Development Center is to ensure that, through such educational activities, the principles enshrined in ”The AISIN Way“, which was produced in March 2007, are conveyed to and take firm root in employees of the AISIN Group all over the world irrespective of country and region. ”The AISIN Way“ lays out the values and principles for action that are situated at the core of the theoretical and practical approaches to work in the AISIN manner that underpin the Group's strength. Training based on unique programs is being provided so that these values and principles can be shared by employees all over the world.

The AISIN Way

Human resources development applicable to the young people in whose hands the future lies

Another important role played by the HR Development Center is the running of the Aisin Technical Academy.

Located inside the Company premises, the Aisin Technical Academy is a boarding school that provides tuition to young people who have just joined Aisin after graduating from an industrial senior high school. Every year for one year around 120 pupils study the skills and knowledge that they will need when working on production and maintenance activities, for one year.

The Aisin Technical Academy was established as long ago as 1977, and it continues today to train many gifted employees who are able to support AISIN's global production activities.

In recent years, the activities of the school's students have been expanding to include all Aisin group companies in Japan and overseas. For instance, in 2008 the students included 68 from Aisin Seiki, 27 from group companies in Japan (10 companies), and 15 from overseas group companies (eight companies in four countries). Foreign students are of course given the opportunity to study the Japanese language.

School graduates who achieve particularly outstanding results in the first year are allowed to continue their studies for two more years as “skilled trainees”. The goal of these skilled trainees is to take part in the National Technical Skills Olympics, and the students devote themselves to acquisition of the skills and knowledge required of top-class skilled workers.

With a view to securing the foundations of our global production system, AISIN is working on human resources developed aimed at further strengthening our production capacity primarily through the activities of the Production Engineering Center and the HR Development Center.