Yamato embarks on global knowledge sharing project

We spoke to Mark James, one of its senior managers, to find out more…

Mark James is a man with a big job title – and rightly so. He is Yamato UK’s Global Product Inspection General Manager and General Manager, Sales.

Quite a mouthful, he admits, that may not roll off the tongue easily.

But once you get talking to him, you know you are in the hands of possibly the most technically knowledgeable and experienced man in the UK product inspection and checkweigher sector.

He knows even the tiniest detail about Yamato’s entire range of metal detectors, x-ray machines, checkweighers, multihead weighers, semi-automatic machines, standalones. Every single one of them.

So, it’s not surprising that his role has expanded to include overseeing the sales teams, across all products, to ensure they are fully trained and up to date with the latest machinery details.

Mark said: “It’s all about improving standards, making every member of the sales teams a specialist in their market sector.”

It helps that Mark, who joined Yamato UK in 2014, has decades of experience in the manufacturing sector behind him. This means he has built trusted relationships with many of the UK’s leading food manufacturers.

He said: “Over the years it has become increasingly clear that customers, especially on the product inspection side, want to talk to a specialist with deep technical knowledge. It is of huge benefit to them, enabling them to understand the types of equipment they need to maximise productivity and reduce waste. We are also very aware of the cost implications of investing in new machinery, so we engage with every customer with ROI and total cost of ownership in mind.”

In addition to training up Yamato UK’s expert sales teams, Mark also has a remit to transfer his knowledge to Yamato subsidiaries around the world.

Mark said: “Product inspection is taken extremely seriously globally, so I’m providing additional support to our overseas locations to improve their product inspection capabilities. This will give customers the confidence that they are buying equipment from a trusted company, with an excellent reputation, that has the knowledge to provide them with technical know-how and after-sales support.”

One of the main focuses is to emphasise the importance of metal detection and x-ray product inspection equipment to improve food safety for consumers around the world. The sales teams are also being trained up on Yamato Stats, the company’s data monitoring system that enables the collection of live data by production line, product, shift and site.

Mark said: “Yamato Stats is an unrivalled suite of analytical tools that provides accurate production monitoring and ensures compliance to customers’ specifications. The data can be accessed remotely, so managers will receive instant email alerts if there is a problem, such as non-compliance, wherever they are. This is vital for all processors seeking to improve productivity and drive down the cost of waste. The UK is a leader in product inspection, so we are privileged to be able to share our expertise with all our overseas teams.

“We are also introducing x-ray inspection machines into their portfolio of products, ensuring our teams have the technical knowledge to explain how it works and why, for certain manufacturers, x-ray inspection is a vitally important part of their production line.”

After seven years at Yamato UK, Mark remains as committed to the company as he was at the start. Prior to joining, he was a technical director at one of Yamato UK’s main rivals.

So why the move?

Mark said: “I had always been impressed by Yamato’s focus on the customer and its commitment to R&D. Also, as it’s a global weighing company it has the capacity to develop a multitude of weighing and inspection solutions, many of them very technical. It is also able to offer customers the complete line, which is a huge benefit as outsourcing projects like this to one company is much more reliable and cost effective.

“I also love the fact that there is such a focus on knowledge sharing – not just in my role with the global subsidiaries – but also within the company where we like to grow our own talent where we can.

“It is also very satisfying to be able to be able to respond quickly to customer issues. The culture here at Yamato is that we go the extra mile. Everyone gives their best, as part of a very supportive team environment, and that’s why we are able to deliver excellent results consistently.”

Mark is determined to take this a step further for Yamato’s global offices.

He said: “From the point of view of a global company like Yamato, it is incredibly important to retain the local perspective of our overseas locations and that is exactly what we are doing. It’s all about having the ability to change and be adaptable according to local needs.

“This means keeping a finger on the pulse of customers’ needs and requirements – which can change very quickly. That’s why I’m helping our global sales teams to understand the technicalities of increasingly accurate machines that will reduce waste and save energy. And that’s as important anywhere in the world as in the UK.”