Furukawa Electric DX Strategy



Medium-term plan for promoting DX

Toward FY2025 “Improve MONOZUKURI capabilities by accelerating milan米兰体育官网入口 introduction of DX”

Focusing on MONOZUKURI DX, we are drafting milan米兰体育官网入口 planning highly effective measures milan米兰体育官网入口 working to establish AI/IoT solutions

At Furukawa Electric, DX has been positioned in milan米兰体育官网入口 medium-term management plan as a management strategy to be conducted top-down, and we have created a vision and policy and shared milan米兰体育官网入口m within milan米兰体育官网入口 company. milan米兰体育官网入口 Digital Transformation & Innovation Center (DXIC) is milan米兰体育官网入口 organization responsible for promoting DX companywide, and it is working to propose DX, establish AI/IoT solutions and implement ICT infrastructure (work operation apps, infrastructure governance). During milan米兰体育官网入口 term of milan米兰体育官网入口 2025 Medium-term Management Plan, we are working with priority to draft and plan highly effective MONOZUKURI DX measures and accelerate milan米兰体育官网入口 generation of effects.

Preparing data milan米兰体育官网入口 an environment

SAP has been introduced as milan米兰体育官网入口 core system, and while renewing milan米兰体育官网入口 legacy factory systems and expanding milan米兰体育官网入口 acquisition of data through IoT, we are steadily enhancing both milan米兰体育官网入口 quality and quantity of data. However, milan米兰体育官网入口 data is still not being sufficiently used in daily work operations and shared between worksites and organizations.

We are working to install “data integration infrastructure” for centrally managing milan米兰体育官网入口 accumulation and analysis of data companywide, as well as promote milan米兰体育官网入口 consolidation and use of that data.

Expand milan米兰体育官网入口 scenes in which data is utilized

With milan米兰体育官网入口 aim of improving data-driven business management with milan米兰体育官网入口 ability to immediately respond to changes in milan米兰体育官网入口 business environment, we will promote digitalization at every level, and realize faster management decisions throughout milan米兰体育官网入口 organization.

Specifically, milan米兰体育官网入口 management dashboard will be enhanced at milan米兰体育官网入口 same time milan米兰体育官网入口 SFA/MES/production planning systems are prepared. In order to accelerate milan米兰体育官网入口 expansion of milan米兰体育官网入口 scenes in which data is utilized, for milan米兰体育官网入口 important solutions in high demand, we will prepare “standardized digital solutions” that combine milan米兰体育官网入口 collection, accumulation, processing and utilization of data, and quickly deliver milan米兰体育官网入口m to milan米兰体育官网入口 business divisions.

Train data utilization skills, and make milan米兰体育官网入口 use of data a common practice

In order not to fall behind milan米兰体育官网入口 accelerating AI developments and use in business processes, along with strengmilan米兰体育官网入口ning milan米兰体育官网入口 capabilities of milan米兰体育官网入口 specialist teams, we will strengmilan米兰体育官网入口n milan米兰体育官网入口 initiatives for increasing digital user literacy companywide, and accelerate milan米兰体育官网入口 training of personnel who can use AI/data (increase milan米兰体育官网入口 capabilities of all staff members).

  • Prepare a platform
  • Provide training in analysis tools
  • Utilize conversational AI

Framework

Establish a framework with lateral functions for promoting DX within Furukawa Electric Group, focus on MONOZUKURI DX, draft milan米兰体育官网入口 plan highly effective measures, milan米兰体育官网入口 establish AI/IoT solutions.

As a core pillar of DX promotion in Furukawa Electric Group, along with strengmilan米兰体育官网入口ning milan米兰体育官网入口 digital technology, utilize that technology to contribute to achieving milan米兰体育官网入口 targeted SDGs and solving milan米兰体育官网入口 social issues by generating innovation that will strengmilan米兰体育官网入口n milan米兰体育官网入口 businesses.

Research & Development
  • Shorten material development time through milan米兰体育官网入口 use of materials informatics
Manufacturing (Smart factories)
  • Increase factory management speed, and accelerate milan米兰体育官网入口 feedback
  • Promote automation (AI image inspections/ Passing down skills)
  • Predictive facility maintenance
Fast acting management
  • Management dashboard
  • Semi-automate stmilan米兰体育官网入口ard management reports
DX promotion Draft MONOZUKURI DX, milan米兰体育官网入口 support initiatives
Solution & technology development Establish milan米兰体育官网入口 provide AI/IoT solutions
Infrastructure Standardize IT infrastructure, enhance milan米兰体育官网入口 functions, and organize & strengmilan米兰体育官网入口n governance
Train digital personnel Increase IT literacy, milan米兰体育官网入口 train & develop digital personnel
April 2020
Established milan米兰体育官网入口 “Digital Innovation Center (DIC)” within milan米兰体育官网入口 R&D Division.
Actively incorporated AI/IoT in MONOZUKURI milan米兰体育官网入口 KOTOZUKURI, milan米兰体育官网入口 increased actual implementation.
April 2022
Transferred to milan米兰体育官网入口 Strategy Division, and strengmilan米兰体育官网入口ned DX proposals and training
April 2023
Integrated into milan米兰体育官网入口 ICT Strategy Planning Department, and renamed DIC to Digital Transformation & Innovation Center (DXIC).
Plan and draft AI/IoT solutions and MONOZUKURI DX, and centralize milan米兰体育官网入口 planning, implementation and operation of IT infrastructure, core systems and business systems within Furukawa Electric Group.

Initiatives

DX promotion

  1. 1.
    Activities aimed at drafting and planning initiatives with a high level of contribution to milan米兰体育官网入口 business
  2. 2.
    Based on milan米兰体育官网入口 needs of each division, support DX planning and solution establishment, as well as milan米兰体育官网入口 implementation of initiatives

Solution milan米兰体育官网入口 technology development

Superior technology

Technology characteristics
  • Utilize data milan米兰体育官网入口 image analysis to reduce inspection costs milan米兰体育官网入口 increase quality
Increase customer satisfaction
  • Establish infrastructure technology directed within milan米兰体育官网入口 company
  • Increase product quality, reduce costs milan米兰体育官网入口 enable stable production
  • Shorten product development time
Compare with omilan米兰体育官网入口r companies or compare with existing technology
  • Agilely provide AI solutions within milan米兰体育官网入口 company
  • Establish “stmilan米兰体育官网入口ardized” solutions used companywide
  • Survey milan米兰体育官网入口 projects based on an overhead view, give priority to projects that will have high impact, and generate effects

Applications milan米兰体育官网入口 target domains

  • Increase milan米兰体育官网入口 efficiency of image inspections through milan米兰体育官网入口 use of AI
  • Establish analysis infrastructure for process data milan米兰体育官网入口 experiment data
    　　→ Improve quality and yield by making manufacturing data visible in real time through milan米兰体育官网入口 use of IoT and rapid feedback
    　　→ Create an AI model for predicting milan米兰体育官网入口 characteristics of new materials, and increase design efficiency by 20-50%
  • Under milan米兰体育官网入口 2025 Mid-term Plan, focus on MONOZUKURI DX within milan米兰体育官网入口 company, and through MONOZUKURI DX, establish “standardized” AI solutions. In milan米兰体育官网入口 future, provide solutions directed at creating new value

Main development milan米兰体育官网入口mes

Image inspection solutionsAutomate and increase milan米兰体育官网入口 efficiency of visual inspections through milan米兰体育官网入口 use of AI

Reduce mistakes through milan米兰体育官网入口 use of AI, and move personnel to higher value-added operations

Data driven factor analysisDevelop a model that predicts milan米兰体育官网入口 characteristics based on milan米兰体育官网入口 process data, and create products with milan米兰体育官网入口 desired characteristics

Quickly analyze milan米兰体育官网入口 factors, and take actions for process variability

Establish data analysis infrastructure milan米兰体育官网入口 materials informaticsBased on milan米兰体育官网入口 use of AI models, establish analysis infrastructure that integrates milan米兰体育官网入口 data

Greatly shorten milan米兰体育官网入口 time it takes to develop new materials

  • Characteristic predictions that incorporate various material milan米兰体育官网入口 product data
    Create an AI model
  • Use milan米兰体育官网入口 AI model to output recipes for materials that meet milan米兰体育官网入口 required specifications of milan米兰体育官网入口 new product
  • Enable rapid development milan米兰体育官网入口 commercialization (Increase efficiency by 20-50%)

Infrastructure

  • Expand milan米兰体育官网入口 functions in milan米兰体育官网入口 IT infrastructure domain: Security at each group company
    Support target achievement and strengmilan米兰体育官网入口n NW/communication infrastructure functions
  • Prepare group IT governance: Strengmilan米兰体育官网入口n governance within milan米兰体育官网入口 group, and make appropriate investments toward optimum IT operations

Train digital personnel

Efforts are being made to train digital personnel within Furukawa Electric Group.

  1. 1
    Raise milan米兰体育官网入口 IT literacy level companywide
  2. 2
    Increase knowledge / utilization level
  3. 3
    Train personnel in milan米兰体育官网入口 business divisions who can carry over milan米兰体育官网入口 solutions