The Furukawa Automotive Systems Group (“Furukawa AS Group”) spans the globe with over 41,000 Group employees, including those in Japan. In this worldwide network, one company holds an especially crucial position: Furukawa Automotive Systems Vietnam Inc. (FASV), our Vietnamese manufacturing arm.
The concept behind FASV is “a plant that makes and ships only the products it knows it can sell, when it can sell them, based on confirmed orders from customers, using few personnel and with skillful use of goods and equipment.”
The production cycle at FASV can be simply described. Production instructions are received as orders every day from Japan. In the afternoon FASV begins to fill the day’s orders, cutting electrical wire and crimping terminals. On the following afternoon the products are assembled and inspected, and the complete products are shipped to port in containers.
Employee safety and product quality are the Plant’s highest priorities. FASV continuously improves productivity and safety in the course of its daily production activities, with a Kaizen mindset.
The Plant’s 27,000sqm facility houses some 90 production lines large and small. From each process to cargo collection and container shipping, FASV continuously accumulates improvements to eliminate waste, manufacturing high-quality products every day.
Vietnam lies approximately 3,600km away from Japan as the crow flies. Ho Chi Minh City is about a 6-hour flight from Narita International and Haneda Airports, about 51/2 hours from Kansai International Airport and 5 hours 55 minutes from Chubu International Airport. Northern Vietnam has a four-season, subtropical climate, while southern Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate characterized by alternating dry and rainy seasons.
The average atmospheric temperature in the south is 27°C, with hot temperatures lasting year-round. A rainy season lasting from May to October is followed by a dry season from November to April. The period around the beginning of the rainy season in April or May is the hottest.
FASV was established in 2008 in Ben Tre Province as the Furukawa AS Group’s second location in Vietnam.
The first plant, FAPV, is located in Ho Chi Minh City. Ben Tre Province lies across the Mekong River, 90km to the southwest. One of the 13 provinces of the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre consists of two deltas. The province has an area of 2,539 sq. km, similar to that of Kanagawa Prefecture. Its population is approximately 1,460,000.
Previously, Ben Tre’s industry had focused on fruit-growing aquaculture and agriculture. Today, however, many of its residents work at foreign-affiliated companies, primarily in textiles. Over the past two or three years, Ben Tre has also emerged as a domestic sightseeing destination, as it can be reached by car in under 4 hours from Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong Province.
Container shipping became available in 2009 with the opening of the Rach Mieu Bridge.
First-time visitors to Vietnam are routinely surprised by how many motorcycles are on the roads.
In Vietnam, which lags other nations in development of trains and subways, the most common method of transportation is the motorcycle. Most people in Vietnam get around by motorcycle in their daily lives. In terms of number of motorcycles sold per year, Vietnam tops the list. In 2019, 60 million motorcycles were registered in Vietnam, and some 3.5 million are sold every year. In the vicinity of FASV, people commuting by motorcycle can be seen all around. Bikes with displacement of 50cc or less are treated the same as electric bicycles, requiring no license to drive.
Starting Work with Calisthenics
FASV developed an original program of calisthenics to enable over 2,000 people to exercise together in a confined production space. Employees make sweeping motions with their hands and feet, turn their shoulders and do stepping exercises. Among other benefits, these exercises help to prevent falls and other accidents.
First Thing in the Morning: Daily Report on Changes
On a weekly rotation (daily, in the case of the Production Department and Quality Assurance Department), all departments deliver reports on recent events. These reports provide a means of sharing information among national staff, such as reports on problems that have occurred, measures taken and their effects.
Go-anzen Ni!
FASV employees greet each other with the phrase Go-Anzen ni! (“Stay safe!”) This greeting reflects FASV employees’ commitment to securing a safe work environment as their No. 1 priority as they produce and deliver products that earn customer satisfaction.
Training at the Parent Company in Japan
In May 2018 the Furukawa AS Group instituted a program of offering one year’s training in Japan. As of this writing 35 FASV employees in four yearly cohorts have worked and studied in Japan under this program. Upon their return to Vietnam, the trainees are active every day as candidates for future leaders and staff members.
Employee Benefits and Motivation
In gratitude to employees for their service, once a year FASV holds a Company-wide party. At a raffle party, winners claim generous prizes such as motorcycles and iPhones. FASV offers other benefits as well. Once a year, a company trip is organized. While employees must bear some of the costs, they can choose from a day trip, one-night trip or two-night trip. The two-night excursions travel the furthest, setting out for sightseeing destinations 6 to 8 hours away by bus, where employees can enjoy a fun time together. Production Department employees who work quickly and skillfully and have good attendance records can earn the President’s Award. The winner is awarded a sum of cash and a badge commemorating bestowment of the award. Also, the winner of the Annual Best President’s Award is selected from among annual President’s Award winners. In these and other ways, FASV expresses its gratitude to employees for their hard work.
FASV 10th Anniversary Celebration
On November 15, 2019, a celebration was held commemorating the 10th anniversary of the foundation of FASV. Guests were invited from Japan and Vietnam. A total of about 100 people, including employee representatives, played roles in the ceremony honoring this key milestone. Representative participating Vietnamese female staff wore the ao dai, regarded by many as the world’s most beautiful traditional dress. Looking forward to the next 20 years, employees of FASV are pulling together as a team, pouring their efforts into continuing production activities.
| Official name | Furukawa Automotive Systems (Vietnam) Inc. Abbreviated name：FASV |
|---|---|
| Location of head office | Lot C1-C5, Giao Long Industrial Park, An Phuoc Commune, Chau Thanh District, Ben Tre Province, Vietnam Tel：(84)-275-361-2792 |
| Date of establishment | 2008 |
