
There is an End User to Each and Every Car We Ship From Japan
Hello, I’m Ichiki of Sync Logistics.
In this issue, I’d like to share with you my renewed thoughts and feelings about the work that is actually carried out at shipping sites.
■What would the person who would eventually receive the car think?
Recently, I had the opportunity to witness the actual work done on a shipping site such as vanning for a project. After seeing all of the tasks involved, I felt that there is room for being more careful and efficient in doing these tasks.
For example, the screws in tires and the tires themselves are removed when loading cars into a container. What should be done to those screws and tires? Should they just be left unscrewed and removed then thrown inside the car?
If the goal is just to load cars in containers that would be fine, but we mustn’t forget that each and every car has an end user. Screws that are left on their own can be easily lost, making it impossible to tell which screw goes with which tire. Uncovered tires may also damage the interior of the car. What would the end user think if they receive the car in such a state?
■What we need to do in order to deliver cars that meet quality expectations
Japanese used cars are acclaimed worldwide for their quality and good condition, and there is a strong demand for them from developing countries with lower income levels. Let’s take Malawi, a used car destination country, as an example. Located in southern Africa, Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, where people have an annual income of approximately 25,000 yen. To them, a Japanese used car is an expensive and valuable commodity that they can only buy by collecting money from the villagers.
Let’s say a village representative chose a ten thousand dollar (about 1.4 million yen) Japanese Hiace van, the cost of which is more than 50 times the average annual income in Malawi. Picture this: everyone from the village is there to see the long-awaited Japanese van, and when they open the door, wouldn’t they be shocked if parts are scattered about, screws are missing, or a tire wasn’t loaded? The villagers will surely direct their anger at the village representative who arranged to buy the van.
Consumer satisfaction is directly related to a car’s condition, therefore it is important to structure tasks based on how we want the end user to feel. In the example above, some suggestions for improvement include putting the screws in a plastic bag, labeling which screw belongs to which tire, putting the tires in a bag or even placing the tires in a place where some dirt can be tolerated such as the back seat.
If we keep in mind that all cars have end users, we will be more careful in performing each task, which will also lead to improved consumer satisfaction. I want to emphasize that what I’m saying isn’t merely about doing things by the book or turning tasks into a manual to be followed.
■Creating a system to attain both quality and efficiency
There may be people who think “we won’t meet our deadline if we’re careful each step of the way,” or “it is inevitable that a certain percentage will have defects and will be delayed if we process ten thousand cars a month.”
However, it is possible to attain both quality and quantity by improving operations such as reviewing work area layouts, processes, and preparations.
For example, when making a stir-fry, we first cut the vegetables in ideal shapes and sizes, then we line them up along with the meat and seasonings in the order they will be used. Finally, we cook them and season to taste.This is a more efficient way of cooking than getting the vegetables from the refrigerator, washing them, cutting each one then getting the seasonings from the cupboards while stir-frying. Such a method prevents mistakes such as forgetting an ingredient, or missing a step in the cooking process.
In addition, an important point in improving operations is to obtain information such as export plans when receiving cars. Our company puts this into practice by grasping information such as “which cars go where” and “planning to export X number of cars in a month” through client interviews and linking data in our system. This makes it easier for us to forecast onsite operations.
While it is important for each company employee to do their best, because our shipping volume is in the thousands and ten thousands of cars per month, preparations must be made according to export plans and forecasts, and it is essential to create a system that levels out daily tasks.
Unavoidable defects and delays may occur but I hope everyone involved in shipping tasks and arrangements will aim for zero defects and delays because each and every car shipped from Japan has an end user waiting for it.
If each one of us is conscious of this and acts accordingly, we will be able to offer even higher quality and faster shipping services.
Thank you for your time.