In December 2024, NSSOL Systems Indonesia’s dedicated steelmaking system solutions team embarked on another trip to Japan. The focus of the trip is the factory tour to the Wakayama Steel Works, one of steelmaking factories operated by Nippon Steel across Japan.

There are multiple purposes that this trip serves for NSIDN. First is to gain insights into the advanced operational practices in Japanese factories to ensure stable system operations to meet KNSS’s expectations for reliability and efficiency. Second, the team also wants to observe and learn practices in Japanese organizations, aiming to eventually implement these practices to effectively address the growing demand for localized support and expertise. Third, the team wishes to learn about NSSOL Japan’s standard knowledge and quality assurance methods to be compared with those that are already implemented in Indonesia. Lastly, the trip’s purpose is to eventually facilitate a better collaboration between NSIDN and KNSS, by aligning our practices and standards with what we observed during the company tour.

The trip’s destination, the Wakayama Steel Works, was established in 1942 and is in Wakayama Prefecture, within Japan’s Kansai region. Currently, it is a producer of steel sheets, structural steel, steel pipes and many more. These products are used as a material in constructing various objects, such as various pipe-based products (casing for offshore oil field and pipeline etc), electric cars, home appliances. The area encompasses the main Wakayama Steel Works with 1,25 million production capacity per year and the Kainan branch (per 2017), with 480,000 production capacity per year.

On December 20th 2024, NSIDN’s team embarked on a visit to the site of Wakayama Steel Works’ center, where they experienced tours to the steelmaking factory and seamless pipe and tube steel making factory. Afterwards, the team was welcomed by the management representatives of the Wakayama Steel Works and moved forward with a sharing and discussion session. The NSIDN team focused on presenting the process of quality assurance, including the approach for quality maintenance, emphasis on the use of detailed checklists, and rigorous number of internal audits. Additionally, the members of NSIDN team were given opportunities to share their personal experiences from the past challenges that they encountered and how they would reflect from the experience by elaborating the steps taken to overcome their mistakes, as well as the key lessons learned.

After the sharing session, Wakayama Steel Works team presented their initiative for employee skill improvement through standardized training programs and mentorships. At the end of the day, our members participated in a social gathering together with the Wakayama Steel Group management. For the rest of the trip, the team members visited and went sightseeing in Osaka city.

Members of the NSIDN’s steelmaking system solutions department team that participated in the trip also shared their own experience and insights during the trip. Mr. Ricahyo Priya Utomo, one of the NSIDN’s team members, said, “Wakayama factory has many plants, but it can be integrated in one system to make several types of products. Each plant has a different role and function and if one function is failed, it will have an impact on other systems. It is a big opportunity to see this complex system and learn from their work management.”

Another member of the team, Mr. Yusak William, also shared his thoughts regarding the trip and its enjoyable timing, “Despite the hassle in preparing for a winter trip, I much appreciated it because I prefer cooler weather, and in turn I enjoyed my time in Japan. Moreover, even though I've seen how steelmaking works from books and the internet, this is the first time I've seen it in person and learned the finer details. The Japanese members were also very welcoming despite the language barrier, and I'm looking forward to visiting again if given the opportunity.”

In conclusion, the trip becomes a valuable experience and lessons for NSIDN’s steelmaking system solutions teams, as they gained various insights into advanced operational and localization practices and obtained hands-on experience with productivity improvement initiatives. NSIDN is hoping to be able to align these experiences observed during the factory tour with our own practices in Indonesia, ensuring in quality improvements, smoother operations, and stronger partnerships.

As NSIDN is always aiming for greater heights to deliver high-quality services to our clients, this trip to Wakayama Steel Works marks as an important milestone for us as a stepping stone for our continuous learning process. Stay tuned for more news and updates of our life in NSIDN!