providing high-precision quality and service.
Sakata Warehouse has cultivated various expertise through more than 20 years of logistics operations in the electrical industry. We confidently provide high-precision logistics services, including picking tens of thousands of parts by lot number, supporting assembly processing, operational/process management, transport and delivery management, and the construction of logistics information systems that achieve both labor savings and high quality.
Furthermore, our staff, who are well-versed in the logistics of the electrical, industrial, and medical equipment industries, act as an agent for our customers. We provide support for logistics innovation and undertake business operations while effectively utilizing our customers’ assets.
Value.Strengths
Service Q&A
Overview.3PL Service List
3PL IT System Overview
List of Locations
Quality Management Overview3PL for Electrical Industry
MOVIE
(Electrical Parts.3PL Logistics)
Sakata Warehouse has cultivated various expertise through more than 20 years of logistics operations in the electrical industry.
We introduce the electrical parts logistics and 3PL services (video) at our Izumiotsu Office, a logistics center that supports manufacturing services such as Build To Order (BTO), inspection, and repair.
*A web browser supporting MP4 format is required for video playback.
Distribution Overview of Electrical, Industrial, and Medical Equipment Industries
Industry Structure (Electrical Parts, Industrial Machinery Parts, and Medical Devices)
The following is a simplified diagram of distribution channels for the electrical, industrial machinery, and medical equipment industries. While assembly parts may pass through wholesalers or trading companies, they are often delivered directly to factories or designated areas within factories, accompanied by customer-specific “Item Labels” / “Shipping Instructions.” This is an industry with strict requirements for lead time reduction and logistics quality due to its direct link to production.
Furthermore, services such as BTO, kit assembly, and inspection/repair operations are required based on customer needs.
Value.Strengths
The following is our unique summary of issues and requests in the electrical industry.
① Logistics Issues (Examples)
- Individual items lack part numbers/names, and there are many irregular products such as sets and accessories, forcing reliance on experienced staff. In the event of a shipping error, it could affect the customer’s production, so there is a desire to build a system-based check mechanism.
- Shipping management based on delivery dates for each customer order number is essential. Handling shipping cancellations or urgent shipments khi back-ordered items arrive makes deadline management complex.
- Requirements for packing methods and the attachment of specialized vouchers for each destination/delivery area are strict. Failure to follow procedures leads to claims, requiring experienced staff and increasing costs.
- Assembly, operational testing, and repair work are required based on customer requests, necessitating skilled personnel.
- Management of shipping history by serial number is sometimes required in addition to lot number management, but strict compliance is difficult due to the high man-hours needed for investigation.
- With the spread of Just-In-Time (JIT) practices, lead time reduction has become essential for business. However, reducing lead times involves significant costs, which impacts price competitiveness. Urgent shipments based on customer needs must also be supported.
- Demands for logistics quality from distributors are strict. In the event of a shipping error or damage, it may be necessary to arrange chartered vehicles at the company’s full expense. To maintain business relationships, we must eliminate shipping errors and product damage.
② Customer Request Examples (Examples)
- Respond to individual requests from customers (destinations), further improve logistics quality, and promote standardization through IT systems to prevent shipping errors.
- Systematize responses to individual customer requests and establish a system capable of providing services with consistent quality.
- Organize/manualize error-prone products and irregular management items to improve total logistics quality.
- Establish a mechanism for barcode management even for products without part numbers or barcodes on the outer packaging.
- Proactively handle Build To Order (BTO)/kit assembly and repair work based on customer requests to improve service and expand sales.
- Easily obtain shipping history information using keywords such as destination name, shipping date, lot number, serial number, or order number. Simplify the search for past shipping labels and vouchers.
- Balance delivery costs and lead times for each destination by combining various transport carriers.
- Eliminate shipping errors and product damage to avoid unnecessary transport costs.
Sakata Warehouse 3PL Services solve these challenges
① Individual Item Management with “Receiving Labels”
For machinery parts that often lack part numbers/names on individual items, individual management via barcodes is possible by issuing/attaching “Receiving Labels” during inspection. Furthermore, accurate inventory management and barcode inspection during shipping are achieved by managing locations by product lot. Leveraging our expertise in the industrial machinery industry, we build storage and work layouts based on shipping frequency to further improve efficiency.
② Serial Number History Management via Operations and Systems
The complex management of lot and serial number histories, which is cumbersome on paper, can be simplified by introducing our proprietary management system. Regarding operations, we can propose business formats tailored to product characteristics and item-level receiving/shipping. Leveraging our expertise in the electronic components industry, we optimize work layouts based on shipping frequency to improve productivity.
③ Transport Optimization through Carrier Integration
Based on past shipping/transport records, we distribute shipments among multiple partner carriers according to area, lot size, and delivery conditions such as time specifications. Through high-precision simulation and registration of delivery results/lead times, we achieve higher quality transport management and cost reduction.
④ Operations and Systems to Eliminate Shipping Errors
We systematically implement proprietary packing calculations based on dimension data in the product master. Since picking and inspection can be done by line item for each package (label), workers no longer struggle with box selection or package splitting. By introducing a system where labels and picking lists are linked via handheld terminals, we contribute to improved shipping accuracy at the package level.
⑤ Optimized Delivery Date Management for Advance Shipping Data
Based on advance shipping instructions, our WMS/TMS calculates delivery lead times (LT) to manage shipping dates and assigns the optimal carrier from multiple providers for each destination. We also handle irregular shipments, such as urgent same-day shipping upon arrival of back-ordered items.
⑥ Preventing Shipping Errors for Irregular Products via Systematization
For irregular items like “set products” or items with accessories, we register them in the product master with images/photos. This allows verification via image display on the POS inspection/packing line, eliminating reliance on highly experienced workers to identify products.
⑦ Smooth Handling of Individual Requirements for each Destination
We centrally manage destination-specific packing formats and “Item Label” / “Shipping Instruction” attachment methods on của system. By displaying those on the POS inspection system screen, we achieve visualization and standardization of tasks.
⑧ Support for BTO, Kit Assembly, Repair Centers, and Support Centers
We handle BTO and kit assembly based on customer requests, managing processing tasks and progress. We also support the operation of “Repair Centers” to fix defective products or items requested by customers, and “Customer Support Centers” to respond to product information or repair inquiries.
⑨ Smooth Response to Inquiries via Delivery Status Management
By assigning unique tracking numbers and linking them to customer order/voucher numbers, we centrally manage everything from order numbers to tracking status and freight costs. This achieves “visualization” from shipping to delivery.
① Improved Item Management and Inventory Accuracy with “Receiving Labels”
Previously, accurate inventory could not be determined without physically checking the shelves. By attaching barcode “Receiving Labels” to parts without part name displays and using handheld terminal storage systems with real-time updates, we achieved accurate linking of locations and inventory, significantly improving system accuracy.
② Enhanced Traceability and Clearer Accountability via Serial Number History Management
Transitioning from manual cross-referencing of invoices and serial numbers to an automated lot-level tracking system has drastically cut administrative man-hours. This granular history management enables precise tracing of production lines and sequences, streamlining root cause analysis and accountability across the supply chain.
③ Balancing Reduced Transport Costs and Short Lead Times
Requirements that could not be met by carriers before outsourcing are now handled by efficiently combining multiple carriers. As a result, we achieved a balance between freight costs and lead times, satisfying the delivery destinations.
④ Reduction in Shipping Errors
We have replaced experience-based tasks with a standardized workflow, enabling any operator to achieve veteran-level performance with minimal practice. By digitizing inspections via handheld barcode terminals, we minimized manual checks and slashed human error to below 0.001%. This system also ensures early detection of labeling errors and warehouse holds, significantly reducing customer impact.
⑤ Compliance with Delivery Dates and Improved Transport Quality
Through the integration of TMS and our “Standardized Shipping Label System” *1 with carrier EDI, we achieved compliance with delivery dates, support for customer-designated carriers, and improved customer satisfaction through high-quality transport.
[Note] *1. “Standardized Shipping Label System” is our proprietary shipping support system that integrates “Transport Label” functions required by carriers and “Shipping Label” functions used within the logistics center into a single label.
⑥ Promotion of “Visualization” and Improved Total Logistics Quality
With the “visualization” system for receiving/shipping tasks, the progress of work and stock shortages for each order number can be grasped instantly. This allows for rapid response to irregular tasks such as cancellations or urgent shipments, improving customer trust and total logistics quality.
⑦ Standardization of Work and Reduction in Customer Claims
By systematizing individual requests for each destination and handling irregular products (e.g., accessories, set products) which previously relied on experience, anyone can now provide services at the same level. This has allowed us to maintain logistics quality even when adding staff during busy periods, leading to a reduction in claims.
⑧ Improved Customer Service via Visualization of BTO and Support Centers
Systematizing the progress management of BTO and kit assembly has streamlined inventory management for parts and allowed for rapid delivery responses. Furthermore, the promotion of standardization and visualization using customer management and product database systems has improved service quality. *2
[Note] *2. Product repairs are based on the premise that our staff will acquire the necessary skills under the guidance of the customer’s engineers for a certain period. Inquiries regarding technical information can be handled via prior registration in the database.
⑨ Faster Response to Inquiries
With the “visualization” of delivery status, the response time to customer inquiries has significantly improved. Rapid responses have also enhanced customer trust.
Service Q&A
We have organized frequently asked questions from the electrical and industrial machinery industries and our responses regarding our 3PL services.
Sakata Warehouse offers one-stop solutions, ranging from business analysis, problem identification, and improvement proposals via logistics improvement consulting (paid) to actual business execution (Warehousing.3PL Services). Please feel free to consult us on any logistics matters, such as logistics improvement, logistics system restructuring, and cost control
We support barcode inspection of overseas imported parts/components, product verification based on ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice), and the issuance/attachment of receiving labels. We report actual data from accurate receiving and storage inspections to our customers. Furthermore, through external damage inspections and simple continuity testing (customer guidance required), we manage non-defective and defective products separately. Based on those results, order allocation can be processed for non-defective products only.
Through our WMS/Warehousing and 3PL services, we enable data integration with your ERP system. By using your order number as a key, we provide status information ranging from the receiving status of ordered products and product inspection progress to internal work progress and shipping status, allowing you to entrust domestic logistics center operations to us entirely.
In the parts and components industry, there are requests to combine multiple parts (individual items) and deliver them Just in Time according to the customer’s needs. Based on your processing plans and priorities, we handle the preparation and sorting of necessary parts, along with progress/status management of assembly tasks using barcode systems, part allocation, and transfer management, all integrated through our information systems using your order number as a key.
In addition to shipping lot number management by delivery destination, we handle serial number performance management*1 for shipped products. You can also entrust us with the bundling and inventory management of accessories (instruction manuals, CD-ROMs, etc.) included with products or set items.
【Note】*1.Serial number shipping records require that serial number barcodes be displayed on each individual item in advance.
Our TMS manages delivery lead times for multiple shipping companies. It back-calculates from the pre-registered designated delivery dates to manage shipping dates within the system. Additionally, independent of the billing parties, we manage direct delivery destination registrations for each factory building and support the issuance of JEITA (EIAJ) delivery notes and their attachment to packing boxes. Specialized slips for specific factories and unique delivery formats requiring dedicated operations can be supported as an option (*2).
【Note】*2.Individually customized delivery services require an additional fee separate from transport costs.
In addition to product repairs and operational testing through “Repair Center” management, we handle the operation of a “Customer Support Center” to respond to customer inquiries and consultations. We organize, systematize, and manage customer needs using a customer management system *3.
【Note】*3.Product repairs are based on the premise that our staff will acquire the necessary skills under the guidance of the customer’s engineers for a certain period. Inquiries regarding technical product information can also be handled through prior registration in the database.
Overview.3PL Service List
Sakata Warehouse proposes and supports the realization of integrated Supply Chain Logistics from domestic suppliers to end users.
We introduce our 3PL services for the electrical, industrial machinery, and medical equipment industries.
Overall Image of Logistics Outsourcing
(1) Warehousing.3PL Services
① Inventory Management (Storage)
Inventory management is conducted using a Warehouse Management System (WMS) developed independently by the Sakata Group, which already has an extensive track record in parts and components logistics operations. By linking with inbound/outbound and location management, it enables real-time physical management of individual item lot control, sets/items with accessories, and maintenance parts.
② Transport and Delivery
We select and combine the optimal transport modes using simulation systems. Through EDI tracking with multiple carriers, we respond quickly to retail inquiries. We also provide delivery info via email linked to order numbers. For international transport, we provide integrated services from overseas transport to customs clearance and domestic delivery through partnerships.
③ Individual Item Picking
We handle shipping management by order number, supporting individual item picking with serial number history management and piece picking for set products. We also handle combined shipping cho products and attachments (manuals, etc.) and support urgent shipments based on established procedures.
④ BTO (Build To Order)
We support the creation of BTO (stocking parts and assembling/processing for shipment according to customer orders) and set products tailored to the delivery destination’s requests, as well as the implementation of product/part inspection and repair operations. Furthermore, we handle progress management for associated processing work, management of multiple products using representative part numbers, and inventory management of individual items required for processing.
⑤ Information Systems
In addition to WMS, we manage total operations via receiving systems based on ASN data, destination-specific “Item Label” / “Shipping Instruction” systems, labeling systems, and POS inspection systems with image displays and voice alerts for irregular products.
⑥ Quality Management
We provide continuous logistics quality and services through daily quality management, setting quality goals, and executing improvement plans via PDCA.
(2) PMD Act Compliance.Manufacturing
Manufacturing (Packaging.Labeling.Storage)
At warehouses with manufacturing licenses, it is possible to perform manufacturing operations (packaging, labeling, and storage) such as external inspection of imported medical devices based on the PMD Act, repackaging, attachment of pharmaceutical labels/insertion of package inserts, and lot-based sampling inspections and operation checks, as well as the creation of manufacturing records and business/quality management by technical supervisors.
3PL IT System Overview
Sakata Warehouse promotes the “systemization” and “visualization” of logistics aimed at maintaining and improving logistics quality and achieving “zero errors” through business standardization and efficiency. This is achieved by linking inbound/outbound management, inventory management, and transport management for electrical components, industrial machinery, and medical devices using core systems such as WMS and TMS, as well as warehouse support tools like shipping label systems, picking systems, and inspection systems. Furthermore, we provide high-quality, high-precision information services (fulfillment services) to our customers by utilizing business support tools such as Web order systems and shipment history management systems.
3PL Logistics System Overview (Standardization.Efficiency.Visualization)
Major System Introduction
List of Locations
Sakata Warehouse has logistics centers located in the Kansai, Chubu, and Kanto regions, providing warehouse services and distribution center functions that comply with the PMD Act (Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices) for cosmetics, quasi-drugs, and medical devices, which are highly requested by our customers.
Furthermore, by linking and networking each base, we provide logistics services compatible with BCP.
Quality Management Overview
Sakata Warehouse has established a department to implement company-wide quality control. We are working to maintain and improve total logistics quality through education, guidance, and support for 5S activities and Kaizen (continuous improvement) initiatives at each branch and logistics center, as well as through coordination and cooperation between related departments. In addition, we hold regular meetings with our customers to enhance trust and facilitate internal and external communication. Through root cause analysis and countermeasures for accidents or complaints, as well as Kaizen activity reports, we ensure stable quality management.
