Manufacturing, Distribution, Sales and Service

We are facing a rapidly changing business environment, such as the diversification of business tools and markets, and changes in customers' behavior. "Flexibility" and "cooperation with business partners" are indispensable for Brother to handle these situations.
We cope with such changes by listening to customers, taking advantage of the technologies, expertise and know-how we have developed, and working in proper cooperation with partners in new fields such as new businesses.
Brother aims to be able to transform itself in this way.

Promotion of Logistics^*1 Operations that Improve Working Environments and Optimize Logistics

The Brother Group is promoting activities to ensure that the human rights of people involved in its business are respected and to provide a safe and secure workplace for workers as part of “pursuing a responsible value chain,” one of the five materialities identified for realizing the Group Vision “At your side 2030.”
Brother International Corporation (Japan) (BIC(J)), which oversees the Brother Group’s global logistics, works with group companies and partners on a variety of initiatives, including improving logistics efficiency and responding to work style reforms, based on the Brother Group’s Management Policy with an emphasis on sustainability.

When loading containers during transportation, directly loading cartons without utilizing pallets improves loading efficiency, but unloading and transporting the cargos to the warehouse requires significant time and effort, placing a heavy workload on the warehouse staff, leading to port congestion and a worsening working environment. Moreover, in response to many issues facing the logistics industry, such as a shortage of truck drivers and the need to improve working environments, government agencies and the transportation industry have recently launched the “White Logistics Movement,”^*2 aiming to build an efficient and sustainable logistics system. BIC(J) is therefore working with partners to pursue efficient palletization,^*3 including proposing the use of sheet pallets which save space compared to traditional pallets, and improve working environments.

BIC(J) has also worked with BIL’s related departments and business partners to introduce a proprietary platform for visualizing logistics. This platform has put in place a system that allows for real-time monitoring of the transportation status and expected arrival dates of Brother products, improving the accuracy of ordering and inventory management at each sales company and optimizing manufacturing and sales across the entire Group.
Going forward, we plan to go beyond simple visualization and promote further evolution, such as building a system that will enable early detection of risks such as port congestion, disasters, and customs issues, and rapid understanding of their impact, allowing for swift decisions to be made, such as changing transportation routes and reallocating inventory.BIC(J) will continue to meet the expectations and requirements of global stakeholders , providing high-quality logistics that improves working environments and optimizes logistics.

1. This is an overall efficient system regarding the distribution of goods. It goes beyond the distribution of goods and includes raw material procurement, business management, and cost management.
2. In response to a worsening shortage of truck drivers, this is a movement that is aimed at the stable logistics operations needed for domestic life and industrial activities while also contributing to economic growth. It seeks to improve productivity in truck transportation, create greater logistical efficiency, and achieve more conducive working environments in the logistics industry.
3. The final stage of the production line, in which cargo such as boxes, bags, and cases are stacked on pallets.

The Brother Group places our customers first everywhere of its global operations, including manufacturing, logistics, sales, and service, with “At your side” Spirit. Stable product quality, in particular, is a key factor in ensuring customers can use our products with peace of mind.

Brother Industries (Philippines), Inc., the manufacturing facility in the Philippines, and Brother International Philippines Corporation, the sales facility, leverage their geographical proximity to strengthen collaboration, enabling them to respond accurately and quickly to customer feedback received through dealers. For example, when a quality issue with product printing occurred, direct communication between the manufacturing and sales facilities allowed them to quickly implement measures to address the production process that was causing the issue, leading to a swift resolution of the quality issue. Moreover, by working closely together to thoroughly improve product quality and prevent customer inconvenience, the two facilities also solved other quality issues, reducing the time from problem detection to resolution from an average of 16 days to four days, a quarter of the original time.
Strengthening collaboration between the manufacturing and sales facilities has also led to a reduction in the number of returned products. For example, when a product was returned due to improper customer use, such as a paper jam, both facilities worked together to create a leaflet explaining how to solve the problem and how to use the product correctly, which was then included with the product warranty. In addition, online product training sessions were held for customers, providing a forum for directly addressing any issues they may have. As a result, customers were able to understand the causes of product problems and solve them themselves, preventing recurrence of such problems, reducing the number of returned products, and improving customer satisfaction.

These collaborative efforts are also being continued for successor models of the affected products. Thus, we are always committed to our stance of “not causing any inconvenience to our customers” by quickly solving quality issues and providing direct guidance on how to use the products. The Brother Group will continue to strive to improve customer satisfaction by providing better products and services through its flexible response capabilities, which leverage its global network, and by promoting quick problem-solving through close collaboration between facilities in each process of manufacturing, logistics, sales, and service.