Yanmar City Has Customers at its Heart

Yanmar Compact Equipment has embarked on a transformation journey that has seen it business, products, and brand all revitalized.

What a difference a few years makes. Since bauma 2019, Yanmar Compact Equipment has embarked on a transformation journey that has seen it business, products, and brand all revitalized. Yanmar City, the company’s striking booth at bauma 2022, has been designed to demonstrate just how far, fast, and successful that transformation has been.

“Our aim is to be a global leader in compact equipment by helping our customers build success,” said CEO, Giuliano Parodi. “Our Yanmar City concept aims to show just how far we have come on our transformation journey. Historically we have been seen as a successful Japanese mini excavator producer. Our transformation journey has built on that strong base, creating a truly global company with a diverse product portfolio and a global manufacturing capability. Thanks to our three sales regions, Japan/AOLA, EMEA and North America, we are now closer than ever to our customers.” 

Successful acquisitions of Terex Compact Equipment, Germany and ASV in North America have helped bolster Yanmar’s product portfolio, which now encompasses mini excavators, wheel loaders, wheeled excavators, carriers and compact tracked loaders. In addition, these acquisitions have also brought an influx of talent, energy, and ideas. Yanmar CE’s vision is to locally manufacture and support 70% of its machines, reducing lead times, logistics costs and environmental impact. Yanmar CE’s transformation is delivering strong results, states Parodi. “When you compare our revenues today with those of 2015 we have almost doubled our business and dramatically increased the portion of the business generated outside our home base in Japan from 50% to 75%. This milestone clearly demonstrates that we have moved beyond being a strong Japanese manufacturer into a global company serving global customers.”

For Yanmar CE, being a global leader in compact equipment is about helping customers build by embracing a more sustainable way of working. The Yanmar Group has set itself a challenge to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and a zero ecological footprint by 2050. The Yanmar Green Challenge is a Group-wide initiative as Yanmar Group CSO, Director and Member of the Board Shiori Nagata explained: “At Yanmar our Brand Statement since 2012 has been ‘A Sustainable Future’. This is not just to please our investors, it is truly our passion, our purpose – and our dream. But no one said it was going to be easy. Across the Group we have made progress, but we still have a long way to go to achieve our zero environmental impact goal. By 2050 we will be totally free of greenhouse gas emissions in our business activities, circulate all resources and support our customers, so that they can achieve the same greenhouse goals as us.”

As well as showcasing Yanmar’s highly fuel-efficient diesel technology, the Yanmar City has a dedicated Zero Emissions Zone that features Yanmar CE’s latest electrically powered prototype, pilot, and pre-production innovations. Following extensive field tests and customer evaluation, Yanmar’s pilot electric excavator, the SV17e, makes its public debut at bauma. Customer feedback has been positive, with operators praising the design and comfort of the cab, ease of use and charging and the overall performance and power of the machines. The SV17e is scheduled for launch in Q2 2023 with delivery envisaged for Q4 2023.

Yanmar’s prototype V8e wheel loader also makes its public debut. With an operating weight of 4,500kg, making it ideal for heavy lifting in the tight confines of the city. The V8e benefits from an extremely powerful onboard charger that delivers 11kW in standard configuration, and 22kW in optional fast charging. The anticipated launch date for the V8e is Q1 2024 Yanmar’s zero emissions team is completed by the pre-production C08e electric carrier. With an operating weight of 566 kg this compact carrier has the power and maneuverability to excel in tight spaces. The C08e has a smart, color LCD control panel making it easy for the operator to select the optimum working mode to boost productivity and conserve energy. This new carrier is scheduled for launch in Q1 2023 with deliveries expected in Q2.

Yanmar CE’s transformation is about changing the business, the products and the brand to deliver a richer customer experience. Visitors to the Yanmar City will discover the Yanmar Scan App, an example of this customer centric approach. All Yanmar machines are shipped with a unique QR code. Scanning this QR Code with a smart phone gives operators and customers immediate access to the machine’s information, documentation, specification and even product and walk-around videos. With the information available in multiple languages, this smart App saves time and enhances the ownership and operational experience. 

Operator’s clubs are also an important way to build relationships and enhance customer experience. Yanmar is pleased to launch its Y.O.U Club. That’s short for Yanmar Operators United. With special loyalty offers, competitions, skills tests and much more, the message to Yanmar operators is simple – ‘it’s all about you!’.  Summing up the Yanmar City concept, EMEA Managing Director, Damiano Violi said: “We are delighted to be back at bauma again and meeting customers face-to-face. Customer success is central to everything we do. Through the transformation of our business, our products, and our brand, together with our valuable dealer partners, I am confident that customers will see that we are proactively changing to ensure their greater success in the future.”