Bridgestone 2012 Annual Report Download - page 7

5Annual Report 2012 Operational Review
In our MTP 2012, which was announced in October
2012, we have formulated ve items as initiatives to
be “Dan-Totsu.”
The rst is expansion of strategic tire products and
businesses. In passenger tires, including runat tires, UHP
tires, and winter tires, we will incorporate the Group’s
leading-edge technologies and take steps to aggressively
expand sales on a Group-wide basis. In the truck and bus
tire segment, in order to meet the needs of customers
and society for environment-responsive, cost
optimization, and safe operation, we will implement
global development of our solutions business utilizing
retread technologies, targeting especially strong growth
in emerging markets. In off-the-road radial tire market for
construction and mining vehicles, we will promote new
plant project in North America and will build a new plant
in Thailand as second overseas production site of off-the-
road radial tire. In this way, we will strengthen our system
in order to respond rapidly and with exibility to changes
in the operating environment.
The second initiative is focused on reinforcing
fundamental competencies, specically by leveraging
optimized specications and reviewing cost for
processing while enhancing safety and quality in order
to bolster overall supply chain competitiveness. In
optimizing specications, the fundamental task is to meet
the quality requirements demanded by the market. On
that basis, we will focus on technical developments that
also contribute to the environment, with a focus on
achieving enhanced safety and reducing raw material
consumption (half weight). We will strive to maximize
those effects through integrated activities that combine
product development, production technologies, and
procurement/internal manufacturing. In reviewing cost
for processing while enhancing safety and quality, we will
develop high-productivity technologies while maximizing
the use of existing production capacity. This will allow us
to establish an organizational system that contributes to
improved global protability.
The third initiative is to make full use of vertical
and horizontal expansion efciencies. Through vertical
Creation of New Customer Value through Technology and Business Model Innovation
The Bridgestone Group will work to reinforce the strengths of its “vertical and horizontal expansion.”
In this way, we will strive to achieve “technology innovation” in raw materials, products, and services, and to realize
“business model innovation” in the conduct of solution-based businesses from the customer’s perspective.
Technology innovation
Raw materials • Guayule
• Russian dandelion
• Biomass synthetic rubber
Products • Strategic products
• 100% sustainable material concept
• Air Free Concept
Services • Contact Area Information Sensing technology
(CAIS)
• Tire Printing Technology
Business model innovation
Fleet solution • Solutions package proposals combining new
tires, retread tires, and maintenance services
Mining solution • New customer value created by combining
Bridgestone products and services