Interviewee

Yasukazu Tomihari
President and CEO, Tomihari Seisakusho Co., Ltd.

Efficient Drawing Management and High-Precision Search Capabilities Lead Tomihari to Choose CADDi Drawer for Seamless Asset Utilization without Increasing Workload

Drawings Remembered but Hard to Retrieve: Unlocking the Potential of Existing Assets

Tomihari has specialized in mechanical sheet metal processing for many years, primarily producing metal piping components used in elevator installation projects. Leveraging over 40 years of experience and expertise in the elevator industry, the company excels in delivering custom, one-off orders with short lead times. Emphasizing a "user perspective" in their manufacturing process, Tomihari has built long-term trust-based relationships by collaborating closely with clients to develop optimal solutions.

In most cases, Tomihari produces parts based on received purchase orders and accompanying drawings. Custom orders typically include detailed part drawings, from which manufacturing starts from scratch. Unless specifically managed, these custom drawings are scanned along with purchase orders and saved using the client's order number as the file name.

Custom parts often receive repeat orders, though the intervals can vary widely, sometimes extending over a year. These repeat orders may use the same drawing numbers, different ones, or feature similar shapes with varying dimensions. When the same drawings are used, previous manufacturing information can be effectively leveraged. For similar shapes, minor adjustments to dimensions or designs can suffice. Utilizing past drawings is therefore essential for enhancing production efficiency.

However, locating past or similar drawings proved challenging, especially when dealing with different drawing numbers, infrequent order patterns, or entirely new designs. Finding relevant drawings required tracing through order dates, order information, personal notes, and CAD data, often relying heavily on individual memory and effort, making quick retrieval difficult.

Additionally, situations arose where dimensions were unclear, necessitating client inquiries for clarification. If a repeat order came with a different drawing number but had the same ambiguous dimensions, the process of seeking clarification had to be repeated. If corresponding past drawings could be easily located, these confirmations could be streamlined by verifying whether previous dimensions still applied. Unfortunately, finding such pertinent drawings was often arduous under the existing system.

Choosing CADDi Drawer for Its Usability and Efficiency Without Increasing Workload

Tomihari had long been searching for a functional tool that could transform their drawing assets into shared resources accessible by all employees, featuring easy registration and efficient similarity search capabilities. Despite testing several systems, none had yielded satisfactory results.

Yasukazu Tomihari
"Drawings and CAD/CAM data are vital company assets. When considering how to preserve and utilize these assets, it's crucial to have a system that allows everyone to access and share this information. We wanted to systematize the know-how accumulated by our company and employees over many years, ensuring we continue to meet customer expectations regardless of personnel changes. We were looking for an easy-to-use, cloud-based tool that wouldn't require hiring additional staff for system input tasks."

Mr. Tomihari actively sought information through media research, exhibitions, and seminars, eventually discovering CADDi Drawer, a cloud-based drawing data utilization platform. He promptly reached out for more details.

Yasukazu Tomihari
*"The functionality seemed excellent. Our main concern was whether we could achieve a good cost-effectiveness ratio and whether the pricing was sustainable for a company of our size. We felt that if users could fully leverage the system, the benefits would justify the costs.

A common challenge with these systems is the drawing registration process. Many services require renaming and registering drawing data based on internal rules, organizing them according to client-specific management rules, and manually inputting additional information like material and thickness. Implementing a new system significantly increases this workload. There's also the risk of duplicate registrations or overwriting when different people upload drawings with the same name.

CADDi Drawer, however, can instantly and accurately read even hard-to-decipher handwritten text on drawings and automatically rejects duplicate data. In this regard, it outperforms manual organization and data entry both in accuracy and capability."*

After thoroughly reviewing these details, Tomihari decided to implement CADDi Drawer and has since begun utilizing the system.

Driving Digital Transformation and Operational Reform with CADDi Drawer

Post-implementation, the integration of past drawings and purchase order data into CADDi Drawer has been progressing smoothly. The cloud-based processing exhibits minimal lag, providing a stress-free user experience that has garnered high satisfaction. Looking ahead, Tomihari holds strong expectations for CADDi Drawer in addressing ongoing challenges.

Yasukazu Tomihari
*"If we can promptly locate and respond using identical or similar past drawings for repeat or similar custom orders, we anticipate significant benefits.

For new orders or infrequently repeated custom orders with different drawing numbers, we've previously been unable to effectively utilize past similar information, often creating new manufacturing instruction drawings from scratch. By registering and saving newly created instruction drawings moving forward, we can avoid unnecessary repetition of the same tasks when future repeats or similar orders occur. This ensures consistent manufacturing processes even when different personnel handle the orders."*

Through the continued utilization of CADDi Drawer, Tomihari aims to resolve previously unaddressed issues and promote digital transformation within their manufacturing operations.