Metal One Isuzu – Isuzu Factory Tour
Isuzu Corporation is an expert trading company which specializes in the steel industry. The Steel Service Division of the company processes and supplies cold rolled steel to various industries. Isuzu has nine regional service centers in the Kanto, Chuo and Tokai regions and one affiliated steel service company based in Kyushu. Isuzu Group also has Logistics, Life Service and Solution Divisions which provide other services related to its core-business.
Corporate Information
- Company: Isuzu Corporation
- Foundation: 1947
- Location: headquartered in Tokyo
- Main Business: cold rolled steel processing and distribution
Isuzu Corporation – Lean Characteristics
Standardization, 5S, Corporate Culture
Isuzu specializes in the processing and sales of cold rolled steel. It is a completely unrelated entity to that of Isuzu Motors. Isuzu has several regional service centers for distribution of steel coil to various industries, including the automotive and electronic industries, that demand reliable and timely service.
The company believes that coil distribution is an old economy and that in order to remain profitable in this maturing industry the company must focus on creating new value for the market and cutting costs by boosting shop floor and office efficiency.
Isuzu strives to make efficient use of space within its service centers, through minimizing stock on hand and utilizing racking with automated picking. Efficient operations are supported by a high level of standardized work and their enterprise resource planning system developed in-house, which not only allows them to achieve a high processing volume, but in conjunction with their internal logistics division, enables them to respond to urgent orders with a lead time of between 2 to 3 hours from receipt of order to dispatch to their customer, without compromising their day’s production schedule.
The company is extremely dedicated to the thorough implementation of 5S and workplace safety. Their shop floor operators carry out a 5S and safety patrol daily, with the responsibility for these audits shared across every member of their factory, office and logistics staff. The confidence that the company has in the management and presentation of its facilities, together with the capability of its staff, enables Isuzu to use its factory as a showroom, in order to build confidence in potential customers and drive sales.
The company also boasts an excellent corporate culture and an engaged, dedicated and vibrant workforce through their “full participation” and “all-in-management” approach.
Toulouse, France
Amazing Tour. Great experience to see and share with Japanese managers. I learned a lot about their culture, their way to think, to work and to improve by themselves. Great moments during training and after work. Thanks a lot. We will return back home with a new eye and mindset.
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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
I joined the tour with little understanding of lean. This tour opened my eyes to the possibilities of what can be achieved through continued focus on improvement and team work at all levels. The plant tours showcase the Kaizen and 5S principles perfectly. The surprising thing for me is that safety and quality were paramount…
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Adelaide, SA, Australia
The Japan Housing Mission was a fantastic experience. It was insightful, highly informative, and very well run. The team at Shinka Management were great hosts and delivered a well-curated program with genuine depth and access. It was a great opportunity to connect with industry peers and build meaningful relationships, and I’ve come away with a…
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Zurich, Switzerland
It was an inspiring week with great learnings around lean and how it is applied across various levels of the supply chain. The tour also provides a nice glimpse into the Japanese culture with its amazing food and friendly people.
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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
This tour was recommended to me by our VP Operations who undertook the tour the previous year. Both Ben and Paul provided an excellent tour of the Japanese manufacturing industry and the program was both well run and highly focused towards the practical implementation of lean strategies. There were plenty of opportunities to ask questions…
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Lean Japan Tour has allowed me to learn both professionally and culturally. It has been an invaluable experience to learn through interacting directly with a Japanese sensei. It has been a pleasure experiencing this program in Japan, with the locals always helping us as if we were a relative. The Lean Japan tour is…
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The Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour is a professional development program run several times annually. The program includes a mix of lean and kaizen seminars, hands-on lean training and visits to several benchmark lean companies. For further information and program dates, see the lean tour overview page.
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