Q: Please tell us what made you decide to introduce Nissan licenses.
Utilizing Licensing to Start Developing In-house Products
Our company originally started as a factory manufacturing jigs for substrate inspections. We set up a software development department in order to meet demands for collecting and analyzing inspection results, and, in terms of both hardware and software, we have supported the production sites of major electrical manufacturers. However, the number of jobs decreased when a major electrical manufacturer pulled out of Tottori Prefecture, and I thought that developing our own products was indispensable for stable management even though we had expanded the scope of our business to the Kansai area. But, it takes years to develop new products, and it is not easy to develop sales channels.
From left, Mr. Matsumoto, Mr. Omi, and Mr. Takashima
We were having a difficult time commercializing the several prototypes that we had made, and then, the Tottori Industrial Promotion Organization asked if we would participate in intellectual property business matching. At first, I couldn't imagine paying for a license but I was attracted to the ease of commercialization because the basic research in Nissan's patented technology lineup had been completed. I was particularly interested in the plastic fastener supply device. There is a clear need for technology to solve problems at production sites, and I thought that I might be able to find a sales destination for this. Currently, we are manufacturing and selling a product called "Orbit Feeder," and it only took half a year from the license agreement to product launch. We were able to realize commercialization of it at an incredible speed.
Q: What kind of results have you achieved by introducing the license?
Uncovering Production Site Needs and Developing New Sales Channels
Having our own products makes it easy to create opportunities to reach out to new companies, a great advantage in terms of sales. Automatically and accurately supplying workers with different numbers of small resin parts is a niche need, and isn't required at every production site, but for companies where it's a good match, they will happily say, "We want this product." To begin with, this is a common problem at automobile production sites, so we were able to develop new sales channels by delivering the products to Nissan's domestic production plants and supplier production plants.
We were introduced to a variety of licenses at the matching event, but I think that we were very compatible with Nissan's production technologies because we were originally a company that mainly worked on production technologies. The fact that the product was suitable for our company's scale was also a factor in establishing it as a business.
Q: Were you satisfied with Nissan's support in regards to introducing the license?
Providing Information Cultivated at Production Sites Also Contributes to Human Resource Development
Most of the customers who purchased "Orbit Feeder" have said that they "Want a product that automatically supplies bolts as well, not just resin parts," and we are currently working on the development of a "Bolt and Nut Feeder" with a license from Nissan. Nissan doesn't just simply conclude the license agreements, but also supports us from product development to sales activities, and actively advises us on acquiring our company's own licenses in the development process.
In addition, Mr. Hoshi, the developer for "Orbit Feeder" and "Bolt and Nut Feeder," has a lot of experience at production sites and came out to Tottori again and held a workshop. We don't have engineers with such a wealth of field experience, so it was a great experience for the young engineers. Also, working with a large company like Nissan contributes to improving our company's brand and our employees' motivation. Other than that, we are also developing an "AGV monitoring system" and "Hood rubber mounting jigs," and the technologies that were born at Nissan's production sites are full of wonderful ideas that should be utilized at other production sites as well. We are pleased to be able to provide these technologies to Japanese production sites.
Japan Micro System Co., Ltd., located in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, is a company the develops and manufactures both hardware and software for production sites. Japan Micro System Co., Ltd., for hardware, designs and manufactures labor saving devices and a variety of inspection tools and inspection equipment, and, for software, develops production management systems, OA systems, and embedded firmware for production sites, and furthermore develops and sells the "caDIY3D" DIY design software as a product for the general public.
Japan Micro System Co., Ltd. https://www.jpms.co.jp/
The license of "AGV Condition Monitoring Technology" developed by industry-academia collaboration, has been offered to the company in Tottori Prefecture.
