Corona everywhere: not only for the industry no easy situation

At Tsurumi, the situation is more relaxed than elsewhere, because the Japanese have a different supply concept

At Tsurumi, a manufacturer of pumps for clear water, wastewater and sewage, the situation is more relaxed than elsewhere, because the Japanese have a different supply concept.

"The majority of our product range is available at short notice," said Daniel Weippert, Managing Director for Europe, in Düsseldorf, Germany. There are currently no shortages, the warehouses are full. Only extreme weather conditions such as continuous rain could cause short-term bottlenecks. This statement is somewhat surprising, as some companies complain about a difficult delivery situation. In fact, however, many things are different at Tsurumi in comparison to other manufacturers. 

Contract manufacturing is the standard of the industry, with weeks and months of waiting time for the customer. Not so with Tsurumi. The Japanese maintain huge intermediate storage facilities and distribution warehouses. For Europe, for example, Belgium functions as the central logistics centre. That´s where Tsurumi keeps a stock level that can guarantee supply for six months. As a precaution to the Corona crisis, the stock in Düsseldorf has also been considerably increased. A substantial part of the product range can be delivered within 24 hours. Even large aggregates are at the customer's site within a few days after ordering. The spare parts supply in the EU is handled centrally from Düsseldorf.

This organisation is currently playing into the manufacturer's hands. However, costs have increased because freight rates are higher than before due to scarce transport capacities. But Tsurumi does not pass these on to the customer, Mr. Weippert said. He does not see the supply situation for the plants in danger. Most of the pumps are "Made in Japan": the country is by far not as affected by the crisis as others. 

Think big, is also the motto in direct manufacturing. A product is manufactured in large quantities with a high degree of automation. In Kyoto, Japan, the manufacturer maintains the world's largest production facility in the industry. Final individual tests are intended to guarantee the lowest possible response rates. Users also benefit from the efficient pump construction with many identical parts even after purchase: because they can carry out maintenance themselves thanks to the modular design. Admittedly, even Tsurumi, the world's largest pump manufacturer in the construction sector, is not immune to stagnation should Corona in Asia unexpectedly become more severe again.