Shikumi Inc. releases reports on manufacturing automation

Shikumi Inc., a Tokyo-based AI implementation consultancy, has released two new reports aimed at helping the manufacturing sector address operational inefficiencies and person-dependent workflows through automation.

The first report focuses on reducing delays in quotation responses. It highlights that a significant portion of time—approximately 37% of monthly processing time in certain cases—is often wasted on manual tasks such as cross-referencing inventory and production schedules rather than actual decision-making.

The second report addresses the issue of person-dependency in creating work instruction sheets. It details how manual transcription and the concentration of knowledge within single employees can halt production if those individuals are unavailable.

Both reports leverage data regarding generative AI adoption, noting that while 34.5% of companies surveyed by Teikoku Databank are currently utilizing generative AI, the focus is shifting from whether the technology works to identifying specific business processes where it can be most effectively implemented.