Partner Roundtable Sales Edition Part 2Salesmen’s talk

What do you pay attention to in order to smoothly proceed with the project when introducing FLEXSCHE?

UIS Otsuka

It's about thoroughly defining the requirements. If the requirements are not firmly established at the beginning, there will be a gap between the customer's requests and the finished product. If corrections are made at the end of production, it will place a significant burden on the engineers within the company, sothe initial requirements definition is extremely important.In the past, neglecting this resulted in comprehensive testing taking a year.

ACT Katayama

We make sure to communicate with the people on the ground between the inquiry and the order. If we only meet them after the project has started, discussions that only the people on the ground understand will emerge one after another, and what we proposed may be overturned from the premise.We want to be able to discuss from the beginning, including who will use it. .

YJP Sasaki

Customers themselves often do not understand planning and constraints, so we listen to many people,and if they do not realize the true issues that were not clear until then, the implementation will not go well.

KSI Nakai

We make sure to have the master data prepared as early as possible.If it takes time to prepare the overall master data, progress will naturally be delayed. Even if production proceeds well with only the sampled data at the initial stage of the project, there have been cases where issues arise when the master data is complete, so I think caution is necessary.

YJP Sasaki

I also have experience where constraints that were not present when only representative item data was input became apparent when the overall data was complete. This was with biologically derived products, where item switching and equipment handling were very complex, and the allocation balance of the entire handled items was important. Realizing this late caused inconvenience to the customer.

JCS Miyazawa

In cases where FLEXSCHE is introduced as a successor to a factory that previously used another production scheduler, data migration can be done, and progress goes smoothly. However, most factories still rely on manual scheduling, so such cases are not very common.

UIS Otsuka

When we contact customers a few years after losing a competition to another company's production scheduler, things often go well. We hear stories that the production scheduler initially chosen by the customer was not operated well, the implementation itself did not progress, or this process did not go well. We had told them during the competition that "FLEXSCHE can handle this process too."

If there are any cases where you feel anxious about the implementation, please let us know.

UIS Otsuka

I feel very uneasy about projects that run in parallel with core systems. The scale of the price is completely different from FLEXSCHE, so the progress of the core system is prioritized, and FLEXSCHE is put on the back burner. There are cases where the progress of FLEXSCHE stops for about a year due to delays in the core system's progress.

YJP Sasaki

That certainly happens. It's good if FLEXSCHE is introduced after the core system is operational. Alternatively, it works better if FLEXSCHE is introduced first and then later takes close coordination with the core system.

UIS Otsuka

Many people want to do everything at once, butit's challenging to grow the trunk while sprouting branches and leaves.It is.

YJP Sasaki

Moreover, production management systems and core systems usually progress slowly. Being dragged along and delayed is honestly painful.

KSI Nakai

It's not just the delay in progress, but there are times when the requirements change midway, it doesn't quite meet the customer's requests, or the acceptance inspection is not completed, and the project doesn't proceed smoothly to completion. How do you prevent that, and what do you do when it happens?

UIS Otsuka

To prevent such occurrences, we ensure to provide prototype data during the requirements definition stage. We also thoroughly develop the requirements definition document.

MSI Watanabe

When we feel that it is difficult to create something perfect,we discuss with the customer, saying, "Instead of aiming for a perfect system, let's aim for 50% and get it running first."Initially, we allow some flexibility in scheduling, and by operating it, it leads to subsequent improvements.

ACT Katayama

In the first place,achieving a perfect system with a production scheduler is quite challenging,That's right.

KSI Nakai

and even with well-prepared master data, cases of achieving complete automatic scheduling are rare.Adjustments on the Gantt chart are often necessary,most of the time.

MSI Watanabe

That's right. We discuss with the person in charge, explain the situation to their supervisor or president, and let them choose whether to continue until it reaches perfection or to postpone some parts for now.

JCS Miyazawa

Depending on the customer's situation, if you seek perfection too much, you may end up not being able to implement it at all,so I believe it's best to get it running first and let it demonstrate its effectiveness during operation.I think so.

How does FLEXSCHE compare to other production schedulers from a salesperson's perspective?

JCS Miyazawa

In competitive situations, we've never lost when the product itself is properly compared. From a sales perspective,it's a solution we can propose with confidence..

MSI Watanabe

I alsobelieve there are no competing products.For us, who stand between the manufacturer and the customer, the worst situation is when the product has defects, and the customer says, "I want to return it," but as long as we handle FLEXSCHE, there's no such worry. Customer demands vary, and there are requirements that emerge after the requirements definition. What's important in such cases is"flexibility.".With FLEXSCHE, we can handle any case, and if asked which production scheduler won't fail, I can confidently say, "There's only FLEXSCHE."

UIS Otsuka

There are products from other production schedulers that increase sales with slogans like "Our overseas bases are at XX locations!" or "Winner of XX award!!", but truly,if they look at the product itself, we will never lose,I believe.

YJP Sasaki

FLEXSCHE, which is built by writing formulas, has overwhelming expansiveness as a system,as it can comprehensively address various circumstances in factories. From that perspective, when comparing production schedulers, I think FLEXSCHE stands out.Regarding response and other aspects, there are cases where a clear difference is evident at a practical level. This is something you can understand by actually using it.

JCS Miyazawa

Also,it feels like it's made with the end-user's perspective in mind.In cases where the actual users are from the information systems department, they might prefer other products, but for the planning personnel on the ground, FLEXSCHE is likely better. Additionally, while many package manufacturers conduct one-sided information dissemination like email newsletters,there are hardly any companies like FLEXSCHE Corporation that provide a mailing list as a service for all users..They quickly reflect user feedback into new features,and in this line of work, I interact with various package manufacturers,but FLEXSCHE is the most user-oriented product.I feel that way.

YJP Sasaki

However, I feel that FLEXSCHE Corporation is weak in terms of public relations. Customers tend to focus on the track record of production schedulers with a longer history than FLEXSCHE.There's no doubt that the product is excellent, but from a sales perspective, we need impactful strategies to impress customers.That's right.

KSI Nakai

When major vendors endorse it or when you hear phrases like "Many people choose this," there are indeed customers who select based on appearance without fully understanding the content.

Please share what makes you happy about handling FLEXSCHE.

UIS Otsuka

At our company, we created a package software called 'LaPSS' for the analysis industry, such as soil analysis, based on FLEXSCHE. The customer who inspired us to create it said, "Feel free to use all our know-how, let's boost this industry together!" They also fully supported us in customer development. Meeting suchcustomers, who can be called partners, is a great asset for our company..

ACT Katayama

In my case, there are many hardships, and I can't recall many happy moments (laughs), but when a long-term project closes after various efforts, it's a joyful moment. There was a project that took 8 years from the initial inquiry. Although initially not very enthusiastic,nurturing the relationship and getting the customer to be positive is a rewarding moment.That's right.

JCS Miyazawa

As a company, there are things we handle that have unique value not found in others.Handling FLEXSCHE allows us to work with unique know-how cultivated through experience, which is gratifying.

YJP Sasaki

I also find it an interesting product to be involved with.FLEXSCHE responds even to seemingly impossible challenges,That's why.and by changing our mindset, the possibilities of FLEXSCHE itself expand infinitely.While it's the engineers who actually create it well, I also feel good handling it.

MSI Watanabe

I believe FLEXSCHE is software worth dedicating the rest of my career to.It's something necessary for all manufacturing industries, so if there's a factory that says it's not needed, they just haven't realized its value yet.I'm happy when they realize the necessity of FLEXSCHE.

Finally, please tell us about your work mindset and future goals.

KSI Nakai

What I value most in my work is a sense of speed. The time without a response is what makes customers most anxious and affects the progress of projects. It can also impact the quality itself.To ensure that work can be entrusted with peace of mind, I place an extraordinary emphasis on speed.I do.

UIS Otsuka

What I keep in mind isthat I want our customers to be profitable.That's what it means. Otherwise, it won't lead to our company's profit, and we won't be able to continue maintenance. I feel that FLEXSCHE is an important presence for our customers to increase their profits. Whether it's increasing production or cutting costs, I want to work hard to hear stories of FLEXSCHE being effective.

MSI Watanabe

IThoroughly satisfying our customersis what we always aim for. However, many companies set their goals solely on sales, and we often hear stories of solutions failing with a 'sell and forget' stance. For us, the work we undertake is not over until the customer is thoroughly satisfied. Without the desire to pursue this, we will ultimately lose orders. Even if the customer is satisfied at the time of delivery, dissatisfaction may arise the following year, andthe feeling that customer satisfaction never ends is importantI believe.

ACT Katayama

I feel that FLEXSCHE is an entity that can differentiate management policies and factory operations from other companies.We propose it, and once it is understood and implemented, results will follow, and it will have an effect on the entire Japanese industry. There is a local manufacturing company that has achieved a profit margin of over 15% for 15 years using IT. I think it would be great if such companies could be established all over Japan, and I believe FLEXSCHE has the power to make that happen.We want to continue providing solutions that lead to ultimate profit.That's right.

JCS Miyazawa

While working with FLEXSCHE, we have been increasing integration costs year by year. This is because we have gained confidence by enhancing our technology with experience, setting our own added value, and competing. I believe this is the result of our customers recognizing our value.We want to continue working humbly so that we can make a solid profit ourselves, and as a premise, ensure that our customers can also make a solid profit.I think so.

YJP Sasaki

IWe want to do things that are appreciated in various places, not just in manufacturing.I believe there are many areas where FLEXSCHE can be utilized. I read in a book that in the 18th century, Edo had a population of one million people and was the largest city in the world. It seems there were various innovations there. The structure of modern Japanese industry will not suddenly change drastically. However,we can make the most of the current environment, find better procedures, and grow.For that reason, we will continue to strive to ensure that everyone can make good use of FLEXSCHE.