An Environment that Supports Manufacturing and Transmission of Skills

  The Yamaha Group aims to create an optimal production structure while clarifying the roles and functions of each of its bases in Japan and overseas, in order to adapt to changes in the manufacturing environment. China and Indonesia, for example, are designated as key manufacturing bases for affordably priced products, including pianos, string, percussion and wind instruments, and electronic musical instruments. We dispatch many technicians and supervisors from Japan to provide support and guidance at these sites.

  In Japan, we consolidated our production bases for pianos into Kakegawa Factory in August 2010. In March 2012, we finished integrating wind instrument production into the Toyooka Factory. Both the Kakegawa Factory and the Toyooka Factory will manufacture our highest-quality products. At our factories in Japan, it is increasingly important to constantly hone our competitive edge and stay in tune with trends in the global economy. From this perspective, we aim to improve Yamaha QCD (Quality Cost Delivery) and strive to consistently exceed our customers' expectations by coming up with new ideas and projects.

  Our domestic factories play several roles, from technological development to leadership in the transmission of skills and training of personnel. Many highly skilled employees in manufacturing positions have been reaching the retirement age in recent years. In order to guard Yamaha manufacturing technologies and traditions so the Group remains a world-class manufacturer, skill transmission initiatives have been conducted to ensure that core production skills are faithfully passed down to younger workers, and working to cross-train key manufacturing personnel. These initiatives are embodied in the Skill Registration System and From-To Program.

  The Skill Registration System was introduced in 1988 in order to plan for the transmission of skills that have been identified as essential to manufacturing in each business division. Around 380 skills were registered as of fiscal 2004, and in fiscal 2011 we plan to reorganize the registration categories.

  With a focus on the From-To Program, specific skills are identified from a selection of registered skills and timetables set up for when these skills should be passed on from veteran employees to younger workers in a very practical way.

  (P.T. Yamaha Music Manufacturing Asia)

  P.T. Yamaha Music Manufacturing Asia (YMMA) was established in the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia in 1997. It manufactures digital musical instruments such as digital pianos and keyboards as well as professional audio equipment such as analog mixers and power amps for the global market. In its initial stages of establishment, YMMA built a production system with guidance and support from Japan and has since worked to create a human resource development system and various programs to drive improvements with the aim of becoming a manufacturing company that can grow independently. Currently, there are over 4,000 employees engaged in production-related operations that seek to establish the world’s leading manufacturing base for digital musical instruments and professional audio equipment.

  YMMA was awarded the Monodzukuri HRD Contribution Award in Japan Management Association’s Good Factory Awards 2011. In particular, YMMA was highly evaluated for initiatives to develop human resources for manufacturing such as creating a system for the smooth management of multi-product production processes led by Indonesian employees. The company will continue pursuing higher quality and productivity going forward.