Tetsuji Ohashi, Ceo, Komatsu
Launching a business mostly seems the biggest achievement for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining it for years and years is a difficult challenge. Businesses fail mostly due to bad product delivery, weak customer relationship, frail marketing strategies, and many other reasons. And, these aspects contribute to the failure of about 20 percent of business startups within the first year after their establishment.
In this scenario, think about an organization that successfully sustains in a competitive industry almost for a century. Not fiction, in reality, Komatsu Ltd, a Japanese multinational corporation has been effectively delivering services to the customers in the construction industry since 1921. From the beginning itself, the company has been proving its expertise in the field and maintaining the position of the world’s second-largest manufacturer of both construction and mining equipment, even today.
“While remaining an international leader in the field of construction and mining equipment, Komatsu also engages in other businesses, such as utility equipment (compact machines), forest machines, industrial machinery, logistics, and other solutions-based operations,” explains Hiroyuki Ogawa, the president and CEO of Komatsu.
Providing a Wide Range of Exceptional Services
By upholding ‘quality and reliability’ as the most important management policy, Komatsu is committed to providing innovative products and services that best meet the expectations of its global customers. To achieve their requirements, the company embraces technology as the lifeline of their business management. And, through cutting edge technology, Komatsu works to develop and introduces unique products, services, and solutions in the construction industry, as well as enhances customer’s productivity by working together with them.
According to Hiroyuki, Komatsu not only focuses to improve the competitiveness of its products but also supplies parts and services by using the Komatsu Machine Tracking System for construction and utility equipment. Furthermore, the company supplies intelligent machine control models designed to streamline and automate construction, such as the Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) for driverless dump trucks and other systems, which take full advantage of leading-edge ICT (information and communication technology) benefits. It also manufactures forest machines to meet local needs at strategic manufacturing bases worldwide with a focus on Komatsu Forest AB, a wholly-owned subsidiary in Umea, Sweden.
“Apart from this, Komatsu promotes ‘smart construction,’ a new solution business by connecting all information of construction job sites through ICT to help our customers realize safe and high-productivity job sites of the future,” says Hiroyuki.
He further adds, “Komatsu will connect all information of three manufacturing sites of customers, distributors and its production, including that of suppliers, through its IoT to improve safety and productivity of all manufacturing sites.”
Perceiving Customers as the Key to success
When asked about the relationship with customers, Hiroyuki proudly states that customers are the pillar of the strength of his company. Because they are the contributors behind the constant growth of Komatsu —from 1921 to 2020. To meet each of their expectation, Komatsu strictly focuses on every customer and perceives their requirements as the guidelines to the company’s success.
Hiroyuki remarks, “Komatsu introduced each of its advanced services by listening to its potential customers and understanding their requirements. We have built our Services that range from forklift trucks to Excimer laser with a vision to help our customers.”
Towards a Shining Future
Concerning future endeavors, Hiroyuki states that his company desires to meet its future at the next level. To attain this, the team Komatsu plans to expand its service level by introducing much more innovative services.
“We are moving very positively to meet the future with a plan to strengthen both our service level and customer base. And, we are confident that we can achieve our goals,” concludes Hiroyuki.