Japan is one of the countries that have gone through the most painful experiences during the nightmare of World War II.
The economy of the Land of the Rising Sun collapsed completely in the forties, and it would seem that in such political and economic circumstances (occupation, the need to change branches of activity of many companies etc.), the position of Japan on the economic map of the world will not be enviable. Still, it turned out different. Thanks to legendary features of Japanese Employees, a specific school of management, a corporate culture characteristic exclusively to the inhabitants of the Far East, determination and very hard work, Japan has soon entered the phase of dynamic development, therefore becoming the second largest economy of the world. Today, all organizations whishing to improve their competitive position, can benefit from the experiences of the Japanese managers, and an example of Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. proves that it is usually a great idea for the business activity.
The History of the Company
While Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. (SMP), based in Polkowice in the Lower Silesia region, was established in 2004 and the production started a year later, the correct story of Sanden Corporation, which the SMP is a part of, reaches the most horrible, most chaotic years of War World II – the forties. In 1943 Kaihei Ushikubo, president of a textile factory with a history stretching back many generations, under pressure from the government, was forced to change the branch of the activity of the plant, so that it met the needs of defense industry. Thus the Sankyo Denki K.K. was born – the manufacturer of condensers and parts for wireless communication equipment. The history of development of the company is fascinating for the historians of organizations. Particularly surprising is the range of services offered by the company that was able to transorm completely to realize the main goal, which was always the desire to meet all the Customers’ expectations, regardless of industry and area of activity. Thus, already in the 40s and the 50s, Sankyo has been a manufacturer of bicycle lights, electric washing machines, freezers and other products, in addition to condensers. In 1962, the company, whose sales division had, already for seven years, its separate headquarters in Tokyo, was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, manufacturing pot – type kerosene heaters and investing heavily in new heating technologies, which resulted in the development of the world’s first clean – burning forced exhaust heater. Just two years later, the sales division trnasformed into an independent company, Sankyo Electric Sales Co., Ltd. The 70s was the period of the most rapid development of Sankyo – establishing cooperation with the American company, Mitchell Corporation and manufacturing of compressors for automotive air conditioning systems, changing the company’s trademark to “Sanden” in 1973 and finally creating Sankyo International Co. Ltd. in 1974, expanding to the U.S. and Singapore, as well as the UK and Australia four years later. The 80s means primarily the continuation of business development on a global scale and changing the name of the company to Sanden Corporation in 1982. Since then lasts expansion of the company, whichat the moment, thanks to modern technology, sound investment and a coherent development policy that takes into account the latest trends and expectations of Customers, is a leader in the automotive industry, controlling 25 % of shares in the global market of compressors for automotive air conditioning systems.
The Philosophy of Success
Flexibility, the highest quality of products and services and individual approach to each project. Those features, characteristic to Sanden Corporation, aqcuired by the organization during many years of world scale activity, apply as well to Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. SMP, being a part of Sanden Corporation, can count on the technological and know – how support. But how, in just a few years, the company from Polkowice managed to achieve such a strong competitive position in an extremely demanding industry, like automotive industry ? The answer to this question must begin by discussing the situation of the company’s Employees, who, regardless of the scope and area of activity, are the most important part of strategic potential, the greatest good of any organization. Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. employs at the moment 430, perfectly prepared for their tasks, Employees. To support the development of their competencies and skills, the organization uses a specific system of training, involving various assignments, depending on personality and needs of each employee individually. Moreover, thanks to the comprehensive training that supports the development of soft skills as well, teams of SMP’s professionals were, and are, successful in the small group activity contests, also on the international level. Thanks to these actions, one can say with full responsibility that Employees of Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. are among the best of the best, worldwide. SMP’s motto is “delivering excellence”. To make it real, staff alone, even it is a global elite, is not enough. Highest quality of the manufactured compressors can be attained only on the basis of excellent technological facilities. The modern production lines with high level of productivity, own foundry using the technology of shot blasting and laser marking, precise machinery involved in the process of machining of the aluminum parts, assembly technique that allows the execution of more than 1.5 million compressors per year and the company’s laboratory are hard arguments supporting SMP’s aspirations to become a modern plant, designating new trends. Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o., even on the background of rapidly growing companies, appears as a very dynamically developing enterprise. It is the result of vast experience of Japanese managers, who created an entirely original philosophy of management and developed unique elements of corporate culture. “Delivering excellence” contains much more than just numbers and procedures, responsible for the production capacity. Sanden’s philosophy inludes a partnership approach to Customers in the context of the individual treatment of every contract and such activities of the company, which take into account the optimal development of Recipients. Not surprisingly, among the business partners of Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. we can find such renowned car manufacturers as Volkswagen, Opel, GM, Ford, Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin and McClaren. Trust of such brands is the best reccomendation. Sanden operates globally, but pays attention to local conditions and treats with respect cultural distinctiveness, adjusting the procedures and processes of business activity to the cultural characteristics od societies, among which the company operates. Simultanously, the corporate culture assuming that the best motivation is creating new challenges and the idea of a wide range of independence of every Employee, makes Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. the perfect place for young, ambitious Employees. The company’s activity in this area have been properly noticed outside – in 2008, SMP was awarded the title “Company of the Year” among medium – sized enterprises in the automotive industry. Sanden delivers excellence, which also means a commitment to carry on such a development policy that takes into account requirements of environmental protection and continous reduction of the cost of activity, in order to optimize production processes and become a better partner for the company’s Customers. Implementation of the Kaizen philosophy as a way of managing processes in the organization ensures that Sanden Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. walks the path of endless improvement in every aspect of activity of a modern production company. Taking into account that SMP has planned its development for the coming years in every detail, we can expect to hear a lot about the company’s activity. Ever – changing market conditions necessitate the same need for continous correction of the company’s policy. The analysis of all elements of Sanden’s activity in Poland shows however that with appropriate approach to the hierarchy of values in the organization and management philosophy, which doesn’t allow stagnation, the company’s competitive position will only strenghten with time. The constant search for new solutions already surprises, which is proven by the Akagi plant, established in 2002. The plant is designed to work in complete harmony with the environment. This type of investment and, more importantly, this way of thinking of Sanden’s managers, guarantees that “delivering excellence” is not and will not be just an empty slogan.
