The fabrication is provided in the factory. There are machinery in the factories. That is normal.
Sometimes, Machinery is broken and needs for maintenance. Tools are needed to replace frequently. That is also normal.
Factory workers are familiar with machinery and tool which they are using. And spares for the tools are stored in each factory for emergency requirements. That is normal as well.
However, please don’t forget that the more obvious means the more difficult. It will takes years for factory workers to gain skills in order to use machinery and tools because there are plenty kinds of machinery to be used for metal preparation, and preparation process and tools vary depending on each works. Therefore, it is not easy for fresh worker even to predict consumption of the tools to be required in a few days.
Why they can manage it?
It is thanks to local distributors. Local distributors visit each customer quite often and communicate with factory workers intimately. If there is any challenges for factory workers, local distributor is the person who rush to the factory to hear such challenge and solve the issue on premise.
Yes, each distributor has enough expertise to help factory workers, including well experienced professional workers. Thanks to local distributors, Japan quality has been maintained under any situations.
There are distributors near the Factory. Sales of distributors visit the factory multiple times every day to see storage conditions and to catch up any new inquiry as soon as possible.
Now, e-commerce has started to change this in person relationships between factory workers and distributors. The list price on e-commerce platform is cheaper than the prices proposed by local distributors. For the tools that the distributor doesn’t have stock, e-commerce is able to deliver with earlier turnaround time than the distributor.
Let’s see how local distributor recover its advantages while e-commerce is increasing its presence in the factory market.
I believe there is nothing better than human relationship in the business.