Leading printing and paper machinery manufacturer optimizes service parts inventory management to lay the foundation for product uptime-centered after-sales service.

Tokyo and Atlanta – SyncronTM, a provider of cloud-based after-sales service solutions focused on empowering the world’s leading manufacturers to maximize product uptime and deliver exceptional customer experiences, today announced Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems, Ltd. (MHI MS) has selected Syncron InventoryTM to optimize service parts inventory management for its industrial printing and paper converting machinery.

MHI MS’ lineup of printing machines includes both newspaper printing presses and commercial printers for flyers and magazines, while the company’s paper machinery consists of corrugators and box makers. Corrugated fiberboard is an indispensable asset in global logistics – a market that is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.49%[1] – and manufacturers of this commodity must keep up with increased demand. If a machine that manufactures corrugated paper goes down unexpectedly, it could have detrimental impacts all the way down to the point of consumption. This, coupled with machines that are intended to last 20 to 30 years, is driving MHI MS to optimize its after-sales service operations and focus on maximizing product uptime.

An optimized service parts supply chain will become a key differentiator for manufacturers and an important prerequisite for maximizing product uptime. Manufacturers across industries and verticals will need to efficiently and quickly resolve issues, and this will become increasingly dependent on having the right part to service equipment within complex networks.

MHI MS identified that a sophisticated service parts inventory management solution could help achieve just this, while also greatly improving fill rates.

Additional benefits MHI MS identified include:

• Increased service levels and optimized global inventory to improve customer satisfaction
• Reducing excess and obsolete stock
• Using one central solution that integrates with systems around the world and provides global visibility at a corporate level
• A user-friendly User Interface (UI) that can be easily introduced across global locations
• Syncron’s hands-on, customer-first approach to product development
• Access to the latest in Syncron’s product innovation with twice-yearly product updates

“At MHI MS, as our business grows, our after-sales service needs are becoming more advanced and manual efforts will no longer suffice,” said Mr. Toshihiko Nakatani, General Manager, Service Department, Printing & Packaging Machinery Headquarters at MHI MS. “With Syncron, we will be able to take a more sophisticated approach, not only gaining increased visibility into our global service needs, but also improving forecast accuracy based on historical results. We believe the Syncron team will be a great partner in our efforts to maximize product uptime.”

In the near-term, MHI MS will focus on optimizing service parts inventory levels for its current inventory, while more long-term plans include working with suppliers based on demand forecasts and incorporating machine operation performance data to optimize inventory levels in an effort to maximize product uptime.

“The foundation of any successful uptime-centered service organization is optimized, efficient service parts management. We are thrilled to work with MHI MS to further optimize their service parts supply chain and support the company’s journey to maximized product uptime,” said Katsuto Ochiai, Managing Director, Japan at Syncron.

To learn more about Syncron and its service parts inventory management solution, visit syncron.com.

[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-logistics-market-2017-2018–2023—market-is-estimated-to-grow-to-12-6-bn-300708730.html