Over 60% of Japanese manufacturing workers say they are short of time to improve creativity, least in the world

meviy, an AI platform for machine parts procurement (service provider: MISUMI Group Inc.), conducted a survey on how manufacturing workers around the world are working to improve their creativity on the occasion of "World Creativity and Innovation Day" (WCID), one of the international days established by the United Nations General Assembly.
In response to the survey, Japan had the highest percentage of respondents (61.2%) who said they "don't have enough time" to work on improving creativity among the countries compared, with one in three respondents citing "too busy with work and don't have time" as the reason, while 83.3% of respondents said they "want to take enough time". The survey revealed that Japanese manufacturing workers are generally eager to improve their creativity, but face challenges in terms of productivity at work.

WCID is one of the international days established by the United Nations General Assembly in April 2017. It was created to raise awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in achieving "sustainable development" and in solving problems.
In support of this international day, meviy, whose mission is "Creativity and Smiles in Manufacturing," conducted the following survey on efforts to improve creativity in the manufacturing industry.

Q1. Do you work on improving your own creativity and senses?

There was no significant difference in the percentage of respondents in Japan, the U.S., and Germany who engage themselves in activities to improve their creativity. In Japan, "reading books," "going to museums," and "getting in touch with nature" were the most common examples of specific efforts, while "hands-on manufacturing and co-creation activities" were also seen, as is typical of those working in the manufacturing industry.

Q2. Please select all of the following reasons for working on improving your own creativity and senses. (Questions for those who answered "Yes" in Q1)

The number one reason for working on improving creativity in all countries was "Skills development", followed by "To improve the quality of the current task". On the other hand, the third most common reason was "Sork efficiency improvement" in Japan, and "To take on a new job" in the U.S. and Germany. These results suggest that Japanese respondents are highly conscious of improving the current situation, while those in the U.S. and Germany are highly conscious of taking on challenges for the future.

Q3. Do you have enough time to spend on improving your creativity and senses? (Question for those who answered "yes" to Q1)

Among those working to improve their creativity, Japan has the highest percentage of respondents (61.7%) who say they "do not have enough time", while the percentage of those who "would like to have more time" is also the highest at 83.3%. In general, it is clear that Japan, despite its strong desire to improve its creativity, lacks the time. On the other hand, Germany had the highest percentage of respondents who said they "have enough time" at 70.2%, indicating that efforts to improve creativity are already underway.

Q4. Please tell us all the things and factors that hinder your efforts to improve your own creativity and senses.
(Questions for those who answered "Yes" in Q1)

In Japan and Germany, "I’m busy at work and I don’t have time" was the most common factor hindering efforts to improve creativity. In the U.S., on the other hand, "Too busy with work and lack of energy" was the most common response. The trend of responses was similar in Japan and Germany and different in the U.S.

In all countries, a large percentage of respondents would like to spend more time improving creativity in manufacturing. However, the challenge of busy work and lack of time is a common issue in all countries, and there is a recognition that productivity reform is needed on a global scale. For the global manufacturing industry to achieve sustainable development, there is no doubt that "time creation" through productivity reform will be essential.
MISUMI's meviy "creates time" by eliminating various inefficiencies of people involved in manufacturing. Today, meviy is one of the largest manufacturing platforms in the world, providing services in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and Asia. We will continue to contribute to the sustainable development of industry by using the time generated by meviy to create great ideas and products.

With meviy, customers simply upload a 3D CAD model of a mechanical component, the AI automatically provides an instant quote, and our digital manufacturing system enables an order to be shipped in as little as one day.
meviy is a platform that eliminates perceived inefficiencies in parts procurement by reducing the time customers traditionally spend procuring mechanical components by more than 90%.
meviy received the Prime Minister's Prize at the Ninth Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Awards, achieved the No. 1 market share in Japan for three consecutive years, and is highly regarded for its contributions to improving productivity in the manufacturing industry. For our global customers, the range of services on each meviy website is expanding. meviy delivers "time value" to customers worldwide through digital transformation in component procurement.

MISUMI sells mechanical components required on-site for factory automation, as well as tools, consumables, and other products to more than 320,000 companies* worldwide. We wear two hats: a manufacturer with manufacturing functions and a distributor of other company’s branded products. With this unique business model, supported by a solid business base, MISUMI achieves "globally reliable on-time delivery" for greater customer convenience. (* As of March 2023)