Q: What strategies has Mitsubishi Electric implemented to gain greater access to German and American brands?

OE: Japanese technology is highly regarded, enabling us to expand our strategies and penetrate non-Japanese markets. From a technological standpoint, Mitsubishi Electric developed technology compatible with several communication protocols at an industrial level to support global customer needs. Our products can be used with multiple automation brands either by annexing processes and installed platforms or installing a superior solution to gather information from existing systems.

VF: We need to comply with the quality Mitsubishi Electric has established for Asian clients across all markets worldwide. The company has already differentiated itself in the Mexican market by jointly developing solutions with customers. The reliability offered by our solutions encourages prospective customers to turn to us to solve their technological needs.

Q: How does Mitsubishi Electric help its clients choose the best automation and communication tool for their operations?

OE: It is our job to understand client requirements before we become their technology providers. Companies are experts in their production processes, making them an essential partner in the creation of the right solution. We find a way to help clients achieve their goals with a robust, safe and quality process.

VF: The automotive industry is extremely demanding in terms of logistics, safety, quality and repeatability. We can integrate that into a single solution. The competitive advantage our equipment offers is simple operability. We make our technology available to anyone in the supply chain and are the only provider in the market that can offer a three to five-year product warranty.

Mitsubishi Electric invests an estimated US$2 billion in R&D every year. We engage in different training courses and technical seminars with specific companies and automotive clusters to reach Japanese, European and US companies.

Q: What is the company’s focus regarding Industry 4.0 in the automotive manufacturing segment?

VF: As technology advances, it becomes more complex. Mitsubishi Electric has worked for many years to develop solutions that increase the linkage between user and machine. We provide clients with the highest level of technological quality that can be effortlessly adapted and is easy to operate. There is no point having excellent technology that is difficult to use, so we develop software tools that follow the same logic. Our products balance technological quality and price. As specialists in programmable logic controllers (PLC), we must transfer our knowledge to our clients and final users.

Q: How can Mitsubishi Electric help clients address their connectivity needs?

OE: The industry emphasizes the importance of having free and transparent access to information on PLCs. Mitsubishi Electric has been working to close the technological gaps created by technology that only links to products from the same brand, offering a powerful automation platform to our customers to achieve the openness the market needs. Making the production process more agile while enhancing monitoring and traceability is one of the biggest challenges the manufacturing industry in Mexico is facing.

VF: The connectivity our technology offers to communicate with German and US technologies in line with their specific standards puts us above our competitors. To comply with client requirements, Mitsubishi Electric’s guidelines are set by final users. This allows us to fit the market’s needs and opens windows of opportunity to companies that may be limited in their technological options.

Q: How has Mitsubishi Electric developed its technology to adapt to the needs of smaller automotive providers?

VF: Mitsubishi Electric channels a portion of its profit toward developing new technologies for emerging market needs. The automotive industry in particular has always demanded equipment that is faster, safer and more flexible. Introducing Mitsubishi Electric solutions to a client’s operations translates to better costs for their clients as processes are improved from within. The durability of our products has left a positive impression on clients as their investments last longer than the three to five-year warranty.

Q: How does the e-F@ctory focus influence your philosophy of creating accessible technology?

VF: E-F@ctory helped us align different visualization and process-control concepts to improve our processes and energy consumption mechanisms. The e-F@ctory concept enables us to compile client information on production processes and use it for future decision-making so that our clients at managerial and operational levels can make better decisions. What cannot be measured cannot be controlled. If we can find ways to increase client operation efficiency as a result of our analysis, we have a better chance of generating customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Q: What are Mitsubishi Electric’s goals in the automotive environment in Mexico?

VF: The automotive market has been the pillar of Mitsubishi Electric for many years, which has consequently allowed the company to increase its market share within the technology development segment. Thanks to the market’s ongoing vitality, we have been able to stay on top of emerging tendencies.

OE: Mitsubishi Electric is at an expansion and consolidation stage in the Mexican market. We are a well-known brand in the Asian market and we hope to consolidate our brand in Mexico by continuously developing technology in a fast-paced market while evidencing quality communication and operability. Mitsubishi Electric is projecting it will become a strong, high-end provider focused on tailor-made solutions. We operate under our motto, “Global Presence, Local Support.”

VF: From a regional standpoint, it has been gratifying to know that Mitsubishi Electric can offer high-end technology alternatives at competitive prices, which the regional market previously had limited or no access to. Mitsubishi Electric Global believes product availability must be homogenous in every market. Satisfied customers are the best advertising. When we are referred to as one of the top three suppliers in the automotive industry, we know the company has the right focus.