NEC Nexsolutions Enhances Chemical Substance Management for Ohm Electric with Cloud-Based PLM

NEC Nexsolutions, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, has taken a significant step in supporting the manufacturing sector by implementing its cloud-based Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) service, "Obbligato for SaaS," at Ohm Electric, based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka. This initiative is aimed at addressing the increasing demand for chemical substance surveys from customers, which are projected to surpass 1,000 requests annually.

As environmental regulations tighten and customer expectations rise, the pressures on manufacturing firms to manage chemical substances have escalated. Medium-sized and small manufacturers, often lacking dedicated resources and IT operating capacities, find it challenging to maintain traditional systems.

Ohm Electric, which specializes in developing and selling environmentally friendly products such as wiring parts and thermal management devices, has observed a staggering increase in requests for chemical substance surveys, jumping from approximately 170 inquiries to around 1,200 in the past decade. Facing this demand, the firm recognized the need for a flexible and efficient solution and chose to transition to "Obbligato for SaaS," which offers tailored features for managing chemical substances in line with practical operational needs.

Key Benefits of Using Obbligato for SaaS in Chemical Substance Management

The implementation of Obbligato for SaaS brings significant improvements and benefits, making chemical substance management more effective and streamlined:

1. Enhanced Traceability through Historical Management
The system allows for centralized management of historical data concerning chemical substance information for various products and components. This capability enables rapid verification of regulatory compliance statuses for past products in response to inquiries from clients, thereby enhancing traceability and expediting customer service.

2. Improved Searching Efficiency for Investigative Work
Users can conduct advanced searches based on regulatory compliance statuses or chemical names, encompassing comprehensive cross-searching of product information. This facilitates swift identification of components and products affected by regulatory changes, significantly streamlining investigative processes. Additionally, the user-friendly interface improves visibility into compliance status, further enhancing operational efficiency.

3. Streamlined Workflow from Registration to Response
The introduction of an environmental Bill of Materials (BOM) has reduced the time needed for registration from half a day to approximately ten minutes for components made from the same materials. Furthermore, the system can manage not only regulated substances but also voluntarily reported substances, decreasing the time for revisions and edits during response preparation. The duration for uploading response information has also been cut dramatically from thirty minutes to just five. The capability of the system to automatically determine regulatory compliance statuses for products and components minimizes both labor time and human errors, achieving remarkable efficiency gains.

4. Empowering On-Site Management of System Operations
The no-programming capability allows non-IT departments to easily adjust system settings, which can help reduce operational costs associated with server setup and management due to the cloud service model. This flexibility ensures that the system can adapt quickly to new regulatory requirements or customer requests with minimal effort, enabling user-friendly operational management aligned with fieldwork needs.

NEC Nexsolutions is committed to aiding its clients in adapting and enhancing their development and production processes for sustained growth and competitive advantage. By providing the "Obbligato for SaaS" solution, the company empowers its customers to accelerate their digital transformation in manufacturing, fostering development and innovation in chemical substance management.

Conclusion

Through this partnership with Ohm Electric, NEC Nexsolutions demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing environmentally responsible manufacturing through technological innovation. The success of the Obbligato for SaaS implementation is a testament to the company's dedication to improving operational efficiencies and fostering a sustainable future in the manufacturing sector.