GLOBE has earned extensive recognition over the years. This is not only because of its evident academic excellence but also due to the international exposure that it provides for its students so as to cultivate a global mindset within them.
As a prelude to the up-and-coming overseas exchange programme in Denmark and the U.S. in the 2nd and 3rd year respectively, our 1st year GLOBE students visited Fukuoka, Japan for their six-day orientation trip. There, they were given exclusive opportunities to pay visits to leading organizations in the world.
It is common knowledge that automation is a global trend that firms worldwide are moving towards as it implies higher efficiency as well as effectiveness. But to what extent is automation actually applied to a firm at present?
Yaskawa Electric is an excellent demonstration of how far robotics can be adopted within a plant and how cost-effective such highly automated production processes are. Established in 1915, Yaskawa Electric has always borne in mind its motto of contributing to the evolution of society and the welfare of mankind through the performance of its business. Thus, continuously exploring innovative technologies that can reduce production cost is one of its main objectives. Aside from that, the realization of Yaskawa’s motto can also be reflected from its offer of rehabilitation robots with which patients who have limited use of lower limbs can undergo rehabilitation while still in bed, therefore vastly improving their living standards.
At this stage, you might be amazed by how much robots can actually do for us. Yet, as a firm which seeks unremitting advancement, this is certainly not an end to Yaskawa. In the future, its goal is to achieve 100% automation in all of its plants worldwide as well as to develop human-friendly robots to be used in a variety of fields including homes and offices. Let’s wait and see!
Immediately after the visit to Yaskawa Electric, the students headed for another eye-opening experience at Denso Kita-Kyushu Plant. Please do not underestimate this organization which has only been established for about three years. In fact, the Denso Kita-Kyushu Plant is already a leading supplier of advanced automotive technology, systems and components for all the world’s major automakers, such as Toyota and Mitsubishi. With the annual production of the plant standing at 1 million air-conditioning units as well as its daily production of one hundred thousand automobile parts, its status as the number 1 plant of Kita-Kyushu is undoubtedly unquestionable.
Apart from being surprised at the amazingly large production capacity of the plant, our GLOBE students also learnt about what product strategies the pioneering plant adopted during the financial tsunami in order to sustain or even consolidate their position as one of the market leaders. Seeking ways of environmental preservation and harmony with society is also one of the goals of the plant. The question as to how it managed to find the balance between environmental conservation and profitability during the global financial crunch was also discussed in great depth.
From Sony Semiconductor Kyushu’s mottos of keep on shining in its industry and continuously improving itself, it is not difficult to comprehend why it managed to become the number one brand of digital camera today which has captured over 50% of the market share. Specialized in the production of CCD, CMOS sensor and H-LCD, the 3000 employees in this plant constantly seek higher level of accuracy and precision. No wonder why it takes them three months to make one image sensor.
This serious attitude also applies to the production of television sets. To Sony, TV is the king of pastime; people from all walks of life spend a great deal of time in front of the TV. Thus, though Sony had no choice but to close down non-core business in times of the global financial crunch, it never thought of cutting resources or investment in the TV department. Instead, it strived to inculcate more and more innovative technologies in TVs. During the visit, the students were told that Sony is currently working on a new model of TVs that can detect the sight of humans, so that when you fell asleep in front of the TV, it will automatically switch itself off. In other words, when you are watching TV, the TV is also watching over you! Though this may sound spine-chilling, it is certainly an effective way of conserving energy. This technology is yet to be marketed, but it is certainly worth anticipating.
“Wow!” was a constantly heard comment during the GLOBE students’ visit to the plant of Ajinomoto. This is totally conceivable as they were exposed to numerous remarkable sights there.
The first sight that appeared in front of their eyes was the 230000-meter-square plant area of Ajinomoto. “This size is equivalent to hundreds of baseball courts”, said the presenter from Ajinomoto with pride.
Another extraordinary sight was the largest tank of fermentation in the plant which has a capacity of 500 kilolitres and this equals the 3000 fully-filled bath tubs. “Though this tank was built in 1968, its inner surface which is made of stainless steel is still as clean and shiny as a mirror”, presented proudly by the Ajinomoto staff.
One more amazing fact is that the recycle rate of the by-products of Ajinomoto’s production is as high as 99%. As an ethical business corporation, Ajinomoto has constantly developed ways to conserve our environment while safeguarding profitability. “At present, we managed to recycle the by-products from the fermentation of raw materials like starch or sugar as organic fertilizers used for agricultural purposes.”, said the Ajinomoto representative loftily. Not only is this production method eco-friendly, it is also cost-effective, and this gives Ajinomoto a competitive edge in its industry.
The above are certainly notable facts that have amazed our students, but the most impressive thing is certainly the loyalty and sense of belonging that the Ajinomoto representative has towards her company. This is definitely a piece of solid evidence of Ajinomoto’s successful management which leads to such a high level of motivation and morale within its staff. Superior management is indispensable in a successful corporation, in this respect, our GLOBE students has gained an insight into how to achieve high-quality management.
