Nikon 2014 Annual Report Download - page 31

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What direction is your business unit headed
under the Medium-Term Management Plan?
We previously focused all our competitive effort on improving
the performance of our equipment, but now there is demand for
us to propose systems oriented to our customers’ needs and
fi nd solutions through software enhancements. As I mentioned,
as we increase offerings in X-ray inspection and non-contact 3D
measurement systems—areas in which we anticipate growing
demand—we use software and other means to offer solutions to
enhance productivity and quality and to reduce costs. If we lack
certain technology, knowledge, or know-how, we obtain what we
need through M&A or by creating some type of business alliance.
The Instruments Business, which comprises our business
unit and the Microscope Solutions Business Unit, has a target
of ¥100 billion in net sales for the fi scal year ending March
2017 according to the Medium-Term Plan. Considering future
market trends and the size of the present business, to reach
this target we believe we will need to expand our business
scope through M&A.
What is your strategic policy going forward?
First, cost reduction is a must. In development, this means
aggressively trying to lower upstream costs. Our development
section must listen carefully to those involved in manufacturing,
sales, and services, then analyze the entire supply chain to
design optimal processes.
We may further increase output by deepening collaborations
between worksites in Japan and those in Europe and the United
States. As a concrete example, the markets for X-ray and CT
inspection systems and 3D metrology are large in Europe and
the United States, so our knowledge and know-how in these
areas are naturally concentrated in these locations. Japan and
Asia, on the other hand, still show more interest in 2D metrol-
ogy and other more conventional products. Bearing this in mind,
we think that sharing the knowledge and know-how concentrated
in one area with the other will enable us to have a decisively
competitive edge. This type of transfer must be made easier,
so we are planning to readily move staff back and forth between
Japan, Europe, and the United States.
As a new general manager, what do you feel
most enthusiastic about?
In our business unit, with customers calling for faster develop-
ments, we are focusing on many products for which expectations
are high. Take our X-ray inspection systems, for example—high
in precision and output, these systems allow deep inspection
inside an object. Image processing of data obtained with non-
destructive measurement makes it possible to view complex
inner structures in 3D, which attracts more customers, including
those who inspect engines or other complex equipment in
automobiles, airplanes, or ships.
Some products will require additional time before they
can truly be profi table for us, but with great expectations from
the market, our future as a business appears positive. For the
moment, we will aim to move into the black in the fi scal year
ending March 2015 with as many products as possible to
create a more solid base for profi tability.
CNC video measuring system NEXIV VMZ-R6555
29
NIKON REPORT 2014