Casio produces over 100 million product units per year, including peripheral devices. In order to quickly and efficiently deliver a large number of products such as several thousand types of watches, all the processes from design and procurement to manufacturing and logistics must be performed in a synchronized fashion. By ascertaining the latest market demand data, forecasting future changes, and conveying the necessary information to each process simultaneously, Casio prepares production plans that adapt to continually changing demand.
Design affects all subsequent processes in ways that determine the amounts of materials used, the labor required in manufacturing, and the energy required for transportation.
Accordingly, excess needs to be removed, the number of parts minimized, and inefficiency thoroughly eliminated in the design process. Design at Casio is all carried out using 3D computer-aided design, and the design data is shared internally over the company intranet. The data is then used in all sorts of downstream processes. For example, it is used to check the necessary components for manufacturing, to create manufacturing molds, and to prepare diagrams for user manuals.
Production plans change on a daily basis in accordance with fluctuations in market demand. In order to avoid inventory shortages or surpluses, it is necessary to have detailed control, even of parts procurement. Casio is continually adjusting its procurement quantities based on the latest production plans through an online network connecting the headquarters and plants. In order to work together with suppliers on social and environmental issues, Casio has established its Procurement Policies, and promotes CSR activities throughout its supply chain with efforts such as supplier briefings and questionnaire surveys.
Casio