Software That Creates Synergy With Technological Capabilities

In addition to manufacturing products such as pumps and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, EBARA Corporation also uses the data obtained from these products to provide software and solutions that address customer problems. As a field, this could be called value creation, as opposed to manufacturing. One example is the EBARA Maintenance Cloud.

By installing wireless sensors on EBARA products such as pumps, air blowers, and chillers in operation in various locations throughout Japan, the EBARA Maintenance Cloud remotely monitors the operation data in real time in the cloud. This service quickly detects signs of abnormal conditions or failures based on the sensor data and sends notifications over email.

In charge of the development were Yasumasa Yamada (Solution System Development Section of the Solution Business Development Department, part of the Development Division at the Building Service & Industrial Company) and Bunshi Ono (Smart Solution Section of the Sales Strategy Promotion Department, part of the Domestic Business Division; Ono was part of the Product Planning Department at the time of the development). Both note that it is because EBARA excels in manufacturing and hardware that it can create valuable software. We asked Yamada and Ono about the journey to create the EBARA Maintenance Cloud as well as the unique strengths EBARA offers in the field of software.

Ono: If the EBARA products a customer is using stop due to a failure or abnormality, it will of course have a significant impact. Commercial facilities and restaurants may have to stop operations; factories may even shut down. In order to avoid such problems, it is of course important to make products that do not fail easily. But if we can quickly detect changes in a product or signs of failure using sensor data, we will be able to deal with them beforehand. We developed this service with that idea in mind.

EBARA has sales offices and cooperating stores all over Japan, and we are confident in our after-sales services such as repairs and inspections following product installation. It would be of great significance if we could always keep track of the status of the products at our customers' sites through the cloud, and if an emergency were to occur, staff in the relevant area would be able to arrive and respond immediately. There have already been cases of this, and I think it would give customers a sense of security that EBARA is always keeping watch.

Yamada: We also wanted to strengthen our connections with customers after the installation of our products. Pumps and blowers are generally installed through construction companies, equipment companies, and distributors. We see the products on site during regular inspections and repairs. We wanted to create an opportunity to learn more about how EBARA products are used on site and how they are operating. This information will help us understand new challenges facing our customers and let us develop new ideas for creating better products going forward.

Ono: The first concept was defined as a connected pump. It was on this that development began. The sensors on the product had already been developed primarily by Yamada, and the two of us thought of a service to link them with the cloud.

Yamada: EBARA is not only focused on manufacturing; it is also focused on value creation, on creating software and solutions that solve problems facing customers. Our team's mission is to develop the necessary systems and apps to enable this, and this cloud service is one element of this. I have been in charge of everything from planning to system design and development.

Ono: The two of us worked together on a single purpose, so we became pretty good friends (laughs). The EBARA Maintenance Cloud was officially released in November 2022. I was transferred from the Product Development Planning Department, where I was at the time of development, to the Sales Department. Here, I am now moving the project forward as a service manager.

Ono: When it comes to manufacturing, Ebara has a history of over 100 years and has knowledge of what types of products are in demand in the market, but there are few examples of the company creating cloud services or software, so this was my first attempt at doing so. So, we started by understanding our customers' needs, and it was a struggle to think from scratch about how to gather information about those needs in the first place.

Yamada: During development, we had customers use prototypes of the system, and we repeated the cycle of collecting their feedback, incorporating it into our work, and making improvements. Improve and implement, listen to customer feedback, and improve again. And do it with speed. The hardest part was keeping that cycle going.

Ono: The strength of software is that it can be continually improved. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that the deciding factor in success lies in how quickly you can improve the issues you identify. I have been discussing this with Yamada on a daily basis.

Yamada: We were sometimes receiving tough requests (laughs). The official release is not the end, but rather just the beginning. The cycle of improving the system based on the feedback from customers who use it will continue.

On the other hand, the process of making improvements while listening to customer feedback is also rewarding. That is because we can hear directly from customers about the results they have actually seen while using it and how useful this service was for them. We have had customers say that they were really saved by our system because we were able to detect an abnormality that no one had noticed before.

Yamada: With this service, just having sensors and the cloud doesn't make it useful. For example, knowledge of equipment and manufacturing sites is required to consider what kind of changes occurring in a pump indicate an abnormality, where the line is that separates abnormalities from normal operations, and where to draw the thresholds for sending notifications. It is also impossible to collect the needed data if you do not choose the appropriate point for the sensor. EBARA has the fundamental product and on-site expertise that allows us to create such useful systems. Furthermore, in the future, by adding AI analysis technology to this know-how, it should be possible to perform more advanced condition monitoring.

Ono: Another thing is that Ebara has sales offices and partner stores all over the country, and has a thorough support system in place in the event of a breakdown. The synergy between EBARA's strengths and remote monitoring systems is important. Even if a failure is detected, if no one is able to be on site, we cannot solve the customer's problem. Although it is software that detects the abnormality, the resulting repair work requires human labor. It's meaningful to have both.

In order to take advantage of these strengths of Ebara, we would like to put more effort into software development in the future, and it would be great if we could increase the number of engineers who are skilled in software development. I think this is a rewarding company for people who believe that the combination of industrial machinery, software, and IoT can improve society.

Ono: I've been with Ebara for a long time, while Yamada was hired as a mid-career employee. Working with mid-career hires who have experience at other companies gives us a chance to rethink whether what we consider normal or obvious is really true. You could say that it allows us to go back to the basics. I hope that more people will have this kind of exchange.

Yamada: I feel that it is an easy place to work for someone like me who comes from outside the company. Instead of each individual engineer using their own skills and knowledge and going it alone, they actively share these with others. In our department, we are creating a database of technical information and working to formalize skills and know-how, and we also hold regular study sessions on new technologies.

There is no discrimination based on career history, and, to put it simply, most of the people here are kind and serious. I believe that value creation and the manufacturing of EBARA products, which support the daily life and economic foundations of society, have great social significance. I would like to work together with the young people who will be the future leaders of this industry.

Yamada: The sensor-based cloud monitoring service will enable us to further improve operations across the entire company. For example, if the number of products whose operation status can be determined by sensors increases, the total number of EBARA pumps that are currently operating and the number of products that are about to be replaced regularly can be determined, and parts can be ordered in advance. We will also be able to put in place a service system for customers, which should be one solution.

Ono: I believe that by incorporating software, IoT, and AI, Ebara can become a better company, and that is what I want to do. But that's not to say that we're going to replace our conventional sales style or business style with new technologies. As with the after-sales service mentioned earlier, Ebara's strengths lie in what we have cultivated over the years.

What's important is to prioritize customer convenience, and to achieve this, we would like to incorporate new technologies while making use of the strengths we have cultivated thus far. We would like to explore this form in our own way.

※Department names are as of 2023/12