Working towards realizing "Managed Manufacturing,"
Production plan adherence rate improved significantly by over 35%

Tsukiboshi Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Metal Parts (Cold Forging)

Tsukiboshi Manufacturing Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is a precision parts manufacturer specializing in the production of automotive and motorcycle parts. With cold forging as its core technology, which enables the processing of products with complex shapes, the company performs integrated processes including cutting, grinding, heat treatment, and surface treatment. With offices in the United States and Germany, the heart of the automotive and motorcycle industries, the company quickly responds to the globalization of the industry and continues to manufacture high-quality products that meet the demands of customers worldwide at its three domestic factories, including the headquarters factory. The company considered introducing a production scheduler to respond to diverse orders from various customers and began the introduction of FLEXSCHE, which can flexibly respond to its unique process management. Although the introduction was once suspended, the company reviewed its internal structure, aiming to realize "Managed Manufacturing," and achieved a significant improvement in production plan adherence rate. We spoke extensively with those involved in the introduction of FLEXSCHE, from the first consideration of introduction to the current operational status after successful introduction.

Considering the introduction of a scheduler to seek flexible production plans tailored to the on-site situation

FLEXSCHE (hereinafter referred to as "F")　Could you tell us about the challenges you faced before the introduction of FLEXSCHE?

Maeda (hereinafter referred to as "Maeda")　Before the introduction of FLEXSCHE, we were unable to share information across processes like a production scheduler, and production plan management was conducted for each process. We predetermined the due dates for each process, and each process performed work according to those due dates. As a result, even if delays or advancements occurred in one process, the subsequent processes often could not adjust the schedule accordingly.

F　What specifically was happening on the ground?

Maeda　Well... there were frequent troubles such as products getting stuck between processes or lines being left idle because nothing was flowing from the previous process, which increased overall delivery delays. Additionally, since master management was entrusted to specific personnel, the work became more dependent on individuals, further increasing the delay rate. To address these issues, we decided to consider introducing a production scheduler.

Only FLEXSCHE could accommodate our unique process management method

F　How did you select the production scheduler during your consideration?

Maeda　During the 2013 MEX Kanazawa exhibition, where we went to gather information, we met with JCS Computer Service Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "JCS"), and when we mentioned that we were considering a production scheduler, they introduced us to FLEXSCHE, which has a high degree of freedom in master settings and can flexibly adjust schedules. Subsequently, the Production Management Department and the Manufacturing Department, which is the on-site team, considered various schedulers, including others, but ultimately decided unanimously to proceed with the introduction of FLEXSCHE.

F　Was it unanimous! What was the deciding factor for introducing FLEXSCHE?

Maeda　What was most striking was the flexibility that other products did not have. Our strength lies in small-lot production of a wide variety of products, and we have many manufacturing processes with unique approaches. We communicated to JCS that the ability to use the scheduler in a way that fits our methods was the top priority. In that regard, FLEXSCHE could be easily adapted to our manufacturing processes, so there was almost no hesitation. Many of the other products we tried at the same time could not adapt the scheduler to our process management methods, requiring us to adapt our process management methods to the scheduler. I can't even imagine what would have happened without FLEXSCHE.

F　We appreciate your evaluation of FLEXSCHE's flexibility. Thank you.

Promoting the introduction company-wide by changing the internal structure with the goal of realizing "Managed Manufacturing"

F　On the other hand, I heard that about a year after the introduction, the operation of FLEXSCHE was temporarily suspended. What was the reason for the suspension?

Maeda　At that time, the Production Management Department was responsible for presenting the overall delivery schedule, while the Manufacturing Department, which was the on-site team, was tasked with creating production plans to meet those schedules. The introduction of FLEXSCHE was driven by the Manufacturing Department, not our Production Management Department, with the aim of streamlining planning and improving inter-process coordination. However, it became difficult to move away from the personalized planning approach. When considering long-term operation, we concluded that it would be challenging for the Manufacturing Department to continue operations independently under the existing structure.

F　How did you come to reintroduce FLEXSCHE?

Maeda　The trigger was around 2021 when there was a movement to review various internal systems to realize our company's slogan of "Managed Manufacturing." Although several years had passed since the suspension of the introduction, issues related to inter-process coordination and delivery schedules remained unresolved. Along with the review of the internal system, we decided to push forward with the reintroduction of the FLEXSCHE project.

F　Thank you for reconsidering FLEXSCHE. In your earlier discussion, you mentioned that the introduction was suspended because it was difficult for the Manufacturing Department to continue operations independently. How did you approach the reconsideration?

Maeda　As part of the internal system review, we transferred the planning tasks that the Manufacturing Department was responsible for to the Production Management Department. With this change in the planning work structure, the introduction of FLEXSCHE became the responsibility of the Production Management Department and the Innovation Promotion Office. We began addressing the long-standing issues of personalized scheduling and establishing a sustainable operation system for FLEXSCHE.

F　Could you share any challenges you faced during the reintroduction of FLEXSCHE?

Maeda　Before reintroducing FLEXSCHE, we spent about a year coordinating with various manufacturing departments. The goal was to simultaneously understand the skills and know-how of the manufacturing sites within the Production Management Department and to promote FLEXSCHE to the manufacturing sites. It was quite a challenge because I was creating production plans using tables made in Excel while also gathering feedback and requests from the field.

F　Planning using Excel! That must have been quite a challenge, wasn't it?

Maeda　Honestly, it was a labor-intensive task (laughs). However, being able to hear directly from the field improved my understanding of the site, and the resolution of issues related to the field increased significantly. Looking back now, it seems that it was necessary time for the smooth introduction of FLEXSCHE that followed.

Kawahara (hereinafter referred to as Kawahara)　In the Innovation Promotion Office, we developed the integration part to allow FLEXSCHE to reference the master data managed within the core system. Although there were challenges, by separating the maintenance of data internally and managing the application externally, we were able to prepare the master data for continuous operation. From the perspective of the information system, I believe it turned out satisfactorily.

F　Your efforts during the preparation stage contributed to the successful introduction of FLEXSCHE. How long did it take from the start of the introduction project to the commencement of operations?

Maeda　It took about a year from the start of the project to the commencement of operations. We officially started operations at the head office factory in April 2022.

Significantly improved production plan compliance rate by over 35%, making plan adjustments easier

F　Did you notice any visible changes after introducing FLEXSCHE?

Maeda　We particularly improved the production plan adherence rate. Before introducing FLEXSCHE, the adherence rate for the first process was about 45%, but now it has improved to 80% to 90%.

F　That's a significant improvement!

Maeda　The first process is literally the initial process, so if it is delayed, the entire schedule could collapse. I am pleased that we were able to achieve such results at the starting point. Since these figures reflect schedule changes and adjustments received from the manufacturing department, there is still room for improvement in accuracy.

Kawahara　Furthermore, by developing the ability to reschedule at night, the overall schedule progression has become smoother. Before introducing FLEXSCHE, I saw Maeda manually adjusting the schedule, but I don't think we can go back to that work anymore.

Maeda　If it were just the first process, it could be adjusted manually, but moving the processes in between was really challenging. Now that FLEXSCHE automatically allocates, we can also make adjustments to the later stages, which we had previously given up on.

F　It was indeed a challenging task... I'm glad that the introduction of FLEXSCHE has reduced Maeda's burden.

Maeda　The introduction of FLEXSCHE was prioritized from the first process, but now we plan more than 90% of the internal processes with FLEXSCHE. We originally intended to have our suppliers use it as well, but we consider this the next step.

Further utilizing FLEXSCHE, aiming for smart factory transformation

F　Please tell us about the future developments using FLEXSCHE.

Maeda　The ultimate goal is to achieve a smart factory. We have begun specific discussions on how to upgrade FLEXSCHE and what systems to integrate with. To create a system that can be managed by a small, elite team, we are starting consultations with various parties. However, such a large theme as smart factory can only be achieved after solving the immediate issues. First, we need to replace the highly personalized tasks that still remain with systems. Furthermore, we aim to utilize FLEXSCHE with higher accuracy and bring the production plan adherence rate closer to 100%.

Kawahara　From the system side, we will support the transition away from tasks that rely solely on veteran experience, known as "Kan-Kotsu" work. For now, there are overlapping functions between the MPS (Master Production Schedule) system developed by JCS, which we use for production management, and FLEXSCHE. By unifying these functions on the FLEXSCHE side, we aim to simplify the system and achieve more efficient operations. Additionally, we want to focus on data analysis using MES. There is a mountain of things to do, so it looks like it will be busy ahead.

F　We will also do our utmost to contribute to solving your challenges. Thank you for sharing your story with us this time!

Overview of the implementing company

Tsukiboshi Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Head Office Location	71-1-1 Nagai-cho, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 922-8611
Established	1947
Capital	310,500,000 yen
Number of Employees	510 employees
Business Overview	Special precision parts for automobiles, special precision parts for motorcycles, parts for industrial machinery
URL	https://www.tsukiboshi.co.jp

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