The Dream Site 2 parts factory at Okuma's head office (Oguchi-cho, Aichi Prefecture) received the "2018 8th GOOD FACTORY Award and Monozukuri Innovation Award" sponsored by the Japan Management Association.

In Japan and Asia, the "GOOD FACTORY Award" focuses on effective examples of improvement in factory productivity and quality. Those processes and success factors include positive use of shop-floor know-how, changed worker attitudes and social contributions as honorable models of the Japanese manufacturing industry. Okuma received the "Monozukuri (Manufacturing) Innovation Award" out of the four award categories.

The following efforts by Okuma toward the "construction of a highly-efficient production system for super high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) applications at a next-generation Smart Factory Dream Site 2 (DS 2) parts factory" were highly evaluated.

1. The Dream Site (a future factory that blends automation and skilled techniques) as a guideline, to perform "mass customization" in the manufacture of approximately 4,000 machine tool parts, and achieve automated/unattended factory operations by consolidating the power of improvement through IIoT and shop floor activities.
2. From the start-up of the new factory to improvement activities during mass production, the Manufacturing and Technology divisions collaborated to build the optimum production system that would be effective throughout the factory.
3. Training workers with skills to supplement machining accuracy that can not be achieved by automation alone.
4. With DS2, promoting innovation to solve problems through various management techniques.

Along with the encouragement received from this award, Okuma will continue to strive for highly-efficient manufacturing with super HMLV production, and build more-advanced smart factories that evolve to meet the diverse needs of our customers. In addition, Okuma will provide the know-how acquired through building smart factories as a "monozukuri service" to the global manufacturing industry.