2010年 3月の記事一覧
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ファッション小売店チェーンのしまむらが、景気停滞期にもかかわらず、2010年2月期に前期比11％増の連結営業利益を記録した。しまむらは、全国で1,100店舗以上を展開する超優良企業であるが、経営者がマスコミに登場することはなく、知る人だけが知る、尊敬すべき経営者である。この企業の素晴らしい点は、強者であるためのシステムが完成されていることである。例えば、7,000人以上のパートの勤務形態が完全に標準化されており、パートの改善提案を受け入れて、定期的にマニュアルをアップグレードしている。自分の提案が受け入れらると、誰でも、仕事に力が入り、商品への思い入れが大きくなる。そして、接客態度にも好影響を与え、結果的にストアロイヤルティも向上する。さらに、注目すべきは、品揃えの標準化が徹底しており、売れるからといっても、自社の範囲を外れている商品は扱わない。目先の売上にこだわらない、しまむらの経営戦略に学ぶべきことは多い。(Written by Shigeo Sunahara of CBC, Inc.)
No. 50: System is vital to become a leading company. (March 29, 2010)
Shimamura Co., one of Japan’s leading retail chains of fashion products, recorded an 11% increase in consolidated operating profits for the fiscal year ended February 2010 despite the current economic downturn. Shimamura is a super excellent company operating more than 1,100 outlets nationwide. However, Shimamura’s president never appears in mass media, and only a small number of people know him. In view of the fact that many managements wish to appear in mass media and write a book on his success once they achieve success, he is truly an esteemed management who devotes himself to his business. His company remains leading because it has built a system necessary to be a leading company. For example, it has the completely standardized working form for its 7,000 part-timers, and they all work according to the system regardless of family situation. In addition, it collects and examines proposals from part-timers to upgrade its manual regularly. Naturally, everyone grows more serious about his job and thinks more about his products should his proposal be incorporated in the manual. Accordingly, he grows more polite to customers, and subsequently store royalty improves. It has also completely standardized its assortments. It does not handle products outside its assortment even if they seem promising. You can find many lessons from Shimamura’s management strategy that focuses not on short-term profits but on long-term profits.
No. 50: System is vital to become a leading company. (March 29, 2010)
Shimamura Co., one of Japan’s leading retail chains of fashion products, recorded an 11% increase in consolidated operating profits for the fiscal year ended February 2010 despite the current economic downturn. Shimamura is a super excellent company operating more than 1,100 outlets nationwide. However, Shimamura’s president never appears in mass media, and only a small number of people know him. In view of the fact that many managements wish to appear in mass media and write a book on his success once they achieve success, he is truly an esteemed management who devotes himself to his business. His company remains leading because it has built a system necessary to be a leading company. For example, it has the completely standardized working form for its 7,000 part-timers, and they all work according to the system regardless of family situation. In addition, it collects and examines proposals from part-timers to upgrade its manual regularly. Naturally, everyone grows more serious about his job and thinks more about his products should his proposal be incorporated in the manual. Accordingly, he grows more polite to customers, and subsequently store royalty improves. It has also completely standardized its assortments. It does not handle products outside its assortment even if they seem promising. You can find many lessons from Shimamura’s management strategy that focuses not on short-term profits but on long-term profits.
韓国のサムソン電子が、グアテマラやアンゴラなどで、市場開拓に本腰を入れ始めた。有能な社員を新興市場に送り込み、現地に即したマーケティング戦略を構築し、世界中にサムソン製品を浸透させている。サムソン電子の大躍進は、経営陣の戦略の正しさと、それをバックアップする韓国の現政権の素晴らしいリーダーシップにある。アウトプットをインプットで割ると、生産性が計算できる。つまり、アウトプットを増やすか、インプットを減らせば、ただちに生産性を上げることは可能である。前者を選んだのが対外指向の韓国政府なら、後者を選んだのが内向指向の日本政府といえる。ドラッカーが言うように「事業とは、顧客の創造」である。新興国という市場を、さらに細分化して奥地に橋頭堡を築くサムソンの戦略は、まったく理にかなっている。インプットの削減では、大きな成果を上げることは難しいが、アウトプットは無限に増加させることが可能である。
No. 49: Business is to create and keep a customer. (March 23, 2010)
Samsung Electronics of Korea has started to make genuine efforts to develop the market in such less-developed countries as Guatemala and Angola. The company is increasing its presence in the global market by stationing competent staffs in emerging markets worldwide. The dispatched staffs are required to be at home in the local culture and devise a business strategy suitable most to the local market. The great development that Samsung is scoring can be attributed to its right management strategy as well as to the wonderful leadership of the current Korean resume. You can get productivity by dividing output by input. That is, you can improve productivity in a short period of time by increasing output or by decreasing input. The outward-looking Korean government selected the first alternative, while the inward-looking Japanese government picked the second alternative. As Peter Drucker said, “The objective of business is to create and keep a customer.” Samsung segments the emerging market and builds a bridgehead in the less-developed market. This is totally an intelligent and reasonable strategy. It is very important to know that you cannot improve productivity drastically by decreasing input, but you can improve it infinitely by increasing output.
No. 49: Business is to create and keep a customer. (March 23, 2010)
Samsung Electronics of Korea has started to make genuine efforts to develop the market in such less-developed countries as Guatemala and Angola. The company is increasing its presence in the global market by stationing competent staffs in emerging markets worldwide. The dispatched staffs are required to be at home in the local culture and devise a business strategy suitable most to the local market. The great development that Samsung is scoring can be attributed to its right management strategy as well as to the wonderful leadership of the current Korean resume. You can get productivity by dividing output by input. That is, you can improve productivity in a short period of time by increasing output or by decreasing input. The outward-looking Korean government selected the first alternative, while the inward-looking Japanese government picked the second alternative. As Peter Drucker said, “The objective of business is to create and keep a customer.” Samsung segments the emerging market and builds a bridgehead in the less-developed market. This is totally an intelligent and reasonable strategy. It is very important to know that you cannot improve productivity drastically by decreasing input, but you can improve it infinitely by increasing output.
すべての日本企業にとって、コスト削減と海外市場の拡大が緊急の課題になっている。日本製品は高性能であるがゆえに、価格が高く国際市場では苦戦するという言い訳はもう通用しない。アジアの太陽電池メーカーが日本市場への進出を加速している。低人件費と併せたコスト競争力を強みに世界市場に進出している。生産性を上げるには、機械が稼動している時により多くの製品を生み出すか、機械が稼動していない時間を無駄としてこれを排除する方法がある。これまで、日本の高い生産性は、無駄な時間を排除するという視点の産物である。日本人の勤勉さから、とにかく労働時間は真面目によく働く。しかしこの視点からのコスト削減は、すでに限界にきている。機械が稼動している時の生産性を上げる視点が必要である。日本企業の労働者が日本舞踊を踊っているとき、海外企業の労働者はフラメンコを踊っている。この現実を直視しないと、さらなるコスト削減は難しい。(Written by Shigeo Sunahara of CBC, Inc.)
No. 48: Flamenco instead of classical Japanese dance (March 15, 2010)
It is an urgent task for every Japanese company to reduce cost and expand the foreign market. It is no longer possible to say that Japanese products are high in price and destined to have a tough game because they are sophisticated and high in production cost. Asian solar battery manufacturers are accelerating their efforts to branch out into Japan. Actually, they are increasing their presence in the global market with cost competitiveness realized by low labor cost. There are two ways available to increase productivity. One is to produce as many products as possible while machinery is running, and the other is to eliminate the time when machinery is idle, that is, keep running machinery with as least idling time as possible. Japanese high productivity is largely thanks to the second way, namely, eliminating fruitless time as much as possible. However, it seems hard to realize further cost reduction by virtue of eliminating fruitless time. That is, we have to shift our attention to increasing productivity while machinery is running. It is important to notice that while workers in Japan are dancing classical Japanese dance, workers in Asia are dancing flamenco. Further cost reduction is hard to realize without paying attention to this difference.
No. 48: Flamenco instead of classical Japanese dance (March 15, 2010)
It is an urgent task for every Japanese company to reduce cost and expand the foreign market. It is no longer possible to say that Japanese products are high in price and destined to have a tough game because they are sophisticated and high in production cost. Asian solar battery manufacturers are accelerating their efforts to branch out into Japan. Actually, they are increasing their presence in the global market with cost competitiveness realized by low labor cost. There are two ways available to increase productivity. One is to produce as many products as possible while machinery is running, and the other is to eliminate the time when machinery is idle, that is, keep running machinery with as least idling time as possible. Japanese high productivity is largely thanks to the second way, namely, eliminating fruitless time as much as possible. However, it seems hard to realize further cost reduction by virtue of eliminating fruitless time. That is, we have to shift our attention to increasing productivity while machinery is running. It is important to notice that while workers in Japan are dancing classical Japanese dance, workers in Asia are dancing flamenco. Further cost reduction is hard to realize without paying attention to this difference.
次から次へと新商品を増やす飲料メーカー。限られた市場で多くの飲料メーカーが競争している。かつて、サッポロ飲料は、より規模の大きい他のビール系飲料メーカーを意識して、負けてはならないとばかりに商品数を増やした。そのため、3期連続の営業赤字を記録した。そこで、商品を大幅に絞り込み、宣伝・販売のコストを身の丈に合わせたことで、現在、利益は上昇傾向にある。セイコーもブランド数を半減した。企業規模に関係なく、日本企業は世界市場を視野に入れて、体系的なブランド戦略を考える必要がある。米国流の規格品の大量生産に背を向けて、ひたすら職人技の結晶としての高級ブランドの構築に成功したグッチやエルメス。対象的に、欧米流の生活様式の広がりを背景に規格品の大量生産品で、世界市場で勝負するプロクター・ギャンブル。どちらの戦略を選択するにしても、ブランド育成には、時間と費用が必要で、ブランドの絞込みは不可欠である。(Written by Shigeo Sunahara of CBC, Inc.)
No. 47: Fewer brands are better for brand development (March 8, 2010)
In Japan, beverage manufacturers release new products one after another. Too many competitors and too many competitive products are undergoing harsh battle in the market that will not grow as fast as it did before due to falling birthrate. Sapporo Beverage, a subsidiary of Sapporo Breweries, increased the number of brands to compete successfully with other bigger beverage manufacturers and recorded operating deficit three years in a row. The company was brave enough to decrease the number of brands drastically and pursue marketing strategy suitable to the company strength by reducing costs for advertising and sales promotion. This strategy worked well, and the company now enjoys increasing profits. Seiko Watch has also decreased the number of brands to half. Regardless of company size, every Japanese company needs to construct a systematic brand strategy with a view to competing in the global market. Instead of pursing the American type strategy featured by mass production of standardized products, European luxury brands, such as Gucci and Hermes, have successfully established their presence in the global market as crowns of craftsmanship. In contrast, such leading U.S. companies, as McDonald’s and Proctor & Gamble, are dominant in the global market with mass production of standardized products against the background of spreading western lifestyle. Whichever strategy a Japanese company selects, it needs lots of time and money to bring up a brand. It is vital to narrow down brands for an effective and efficient strategy.
No. 47: Fewer brands are better for brand development (March 8, 2010)
In Japan, beverage manufacturers release new products one after another. Too many competitors and too many competitive products are undergoing harsh battle in the market that will not grow as fast as it did before due to falling birthrate. Sapporo Beverage, a subsidiary of Sapporo Breweries, increased the number of brands to compete successfully with other bigger beverage manufacturers and recorded operating deficit three years in a row. The company was brave enough to decrease the number of brands drastically and pursue marketing strategy suitable to the company strength by reducing costs for advertising and sales promotion. This strategy worked well, and the company now enjoys increasing profits. Seiko Watch has also decreased the number of brands to half. Regardless of company size, every Japanese company needs to construct a systematic brand strategy with a view to competing in the global market. Instead of pursing the American type strategy featured by mass production of standardized products, European luxury brands, such as Gucci and Hermes, have successfully established their presence in the global market as crowns of craftsmanship. In contrast, such leading U.S. companies, as McDonald’s and Proctor & Gamble, are dominant in the global market with mass production of standardized products against the background of spreading western lifestyle. Whichever strategy a Japanese company selects, it needs lots of time and money to bring up a brand. It is vital to narrow down brands for an effective and efficient strategy.
フィットネスクラブやホテルなどで、利用時間を短縮して料金を抑えたサービスが広がっている。都内のフィットネスクラブでは、一回あたり90分以内の利用に限定した会員を募っているほか、ホテルでも宿泊料金を2－3割引で客室を8時間利用できるプランが登場した。その背景には、支出を少しでも減らそうとする消費者の行動とともに、従来型の9時から5時の勤務形態の変化も見逃せない。集中と自由な発想を求める仕事では、一時間フィットネスクラブで汗を流して、午後、人より一時間長く働き実績を上げる勤務形態も可能なら、仕事に勢いが出てきて、そのまま夜勤をする。そして、ホテルで朝6時にチェックインして睡眠をとり、昼から出社ということも可能になっている。新商品の開発となると、大抵、所得層や家族構成の切り口で、消費者の好みの変化を追いかける。ライフスタイルや勤務形態の多様化は商品開発に必要な市場細分化の切り口を与えてくれる。(Written by Shigeo Sunahara of CBC, Inc.)
No. 46: Diversification means market segmentation. (March 1, 2010)
An increasing number of fitness centers and hotels are offering services that consumers can use at a lower price in exchange for shorter utilization time. A fitness center in Tokyo, for example, invites consumers who wish to use the facilities for less than 90 minutes per visit, and a hotel allows guests to stay for eight hours for a price 20-30% lower than the standard price. Of course, consumers’ intention to decrease spending drives these trends, but it is also noteworthy that the conventional working hours from 9:00 to 17:00 are changing in the business world. In the work that needs high degree of concentration and freewheeling thinking, workers can have a different working form from office workers. They can increase productivity by working out for one hour in a fitness center in the afternoon and working for one hour longer in the evening with much concentration in the quiet workplace. They can work through the night while creativity springs from their brains. Next morning, they check in a hotel nearby at 6:00 a.m. and sleep until 12:00 p.m. to start another working day at 1:00 p.m. Companies usually look into the change of consumers’ tastes from such clues as income group and family structure to develop a new product. It is important to note that diversification in lifestyle and working form gives a clue of market segmentation necessary for the development of new products.
No. 46: Diversification means market segmentation. (March 1, 2010)
An increasing number of fitness centers and hotels are offering services that consumers can use at a lower price in exchange for shorter utilization time. A fitness center in Tokyo, for example, invites consumers who wish to use the facilities for less than 90 minutes per visit, and a hotel allows guests to stay for eight hours for a price 20-30% lower than the standard price. Of course, consumers’ intention to decrease spending drives these trends, but it is also noteworthy that the conventional working hours from 9:00 to 17:00 are changing in the business world. In the work that needs high degree of concentration and freewheeling thinking, workers can have a different working form from office workers. They can increase productivity by working out for one hour in a fitness center in the afternoon and working for one hour longer in the evening with much concentration in the quiet workplace. They can work through the night while creativity springs from their brains. Next morning, they check in a hotel nearby at 6:00 a.m. and sleep until 12:00 p.m. to start another working day at 1:00 p.m. Companies usually look into the change of consumers’ tastes from such clues as income group and family structure to develop a new product. It is important to note that diversification in lifestyle and working form gives a clue of market segmentation necessary for the development of new products.
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