How Shimadzu Transformed Workplace Processes With Alteryx

Shimadzu Corporation, founded in 1875, is a Japanese precision equipment manufacturer that produces analytical instruments, medical devices and measuring instruments. The company is particularly strong in mass spectrometry and X-ray equipment, earning high recognition worldwide in the medical, environmental and industrial fields. Within the Manufacturing Promotion Department, Shimadzu is advancing efforts to visualize manufacturing processes, optimize operations and improve efficiency by utilizing data.

About five to six years ago, Shimadzu introduced the BI tool Domo and training was provided to approximately 250 employees. Today, about 450 employees use the same tool on a daily basis to collect and analyze various data. A good example can be seen in a case where statistical analysis was carried out using the tool SAS. As a result, in-process issues that had not been resolved for 20 years were dramatically improved.

In the data analysis process, while the analysis itself could be completed in just a few dozen minutes, it took nearly three months to prepare the necessary data for the analysis.

Mr. Maruyama explains, “Data had been accumulated over many years but since it was done manually using Excel and other tools, and due to the presence of incorrect data, the data was disorganized. As a result, it took time to organize it into a state where it could be accurately analyzed.”

For Mr. Maruyama, who was originally responsible for quality control and assurance, it was important that the manufacturing process was clear and yielded the same results regardless of who was in charge. He recognized that product assurance could be conducted by reviewing the evidence.

“In one department, at the start of each month, young employees worked overtime processing data, but no one really understood what it contained. Although it was automatically aggregated and processed by Access, they were simply assigned to handle the data without knowing the process behind it. It felt as if they were just being told to do it, and I strongly felt this was the exact opposite of what manufacturing processes should be,” says Mr. Maruyama.

Mr. Maruyama believed that collecting data without understanding the process and analyzing it blindly would not lead to meaningful results. He thought it was necessary to automate the entire flow from data entry to utilization through the introduction of Alteryx, and to standardize data in line with the company’s cloud-based information infrastructure. With this in mind, he began taking countermeasures.

Making challenges visible and identifying opportunities for efficiency gains with Alteryx

When Alteryx was introduced, Mr. Maruyama first held a whiteboard session within the Manufacturing Promotion Department to identify issues. The department was divided into a Fixed Asset Management Team and a Production Performance Team. They listed details of their current work, workflows, tools used and time required, and carried out brainstorming sessions. Matching data between the two teams had previously taken a significant amount of time, but with Alteryx it became clear that efficiency could be improved.

“We achieved significant results by having managers form teams to identify issues and visualize operations. Digital transformation accelerates when managers understand the actual situation,” says Mr. Maruyama.

To shed light on workflows and data creation processes that had become a black box, a team was also formed to analyze the Access database system and macros, and to clarify how data was being collected internally.

“By identifying these tasks, we could measure the potential for efficiency improvements with specific numerical values. Through Alteryx, we also realized that visualization not only improved efficiency but also enhanced data quality, which allowed us to make reliable business decisions. This led to the submission of internal proposals and ultimately the adoption of Alteryx in March 2025,” says Mr. Maruyama.

Visualizing operations and transforming mindsets

Immediately after introducing Alteryx, the company began identifying issues and moving ahead with improvements in workflows and efficiency. Since this is still a transitional period, working hours have not been reduced significantly. However, for employees the meaning of work has become clearer, and Mr. Maruyama has noticed a shift in perception from simply doing tasks to engaging in work.

“They seem to have moved from a situation where they are forced to do work to one where they are able to think about what the work means and whether it is good or bad,” says Mr. Maruyama.

The clarification of Alteryx’s business processes has also made training possible. With a deeper understanding of operations, younger employees now have opportunities to present their results at departmental meetings and company events attended by senior management, including the president. This has contributed to energizing the teams.

Looking ahead, it is expected that the use of Alteryx will expand beyond the manufacturing department to include sales and accounting departments. “About 20 employees in the company are already involved in improving operations with Alteryx. We will continue to hold hands-on training and sharing sessions, broaden these success stories and help more people understand the Alteryx approach, which we expect will expand adoption of the technology across the company,” says Mr. Maruyama.