ADC (A&D Company Limited) was founded in 1977 by a group of 13 engineers who left Takeda Instrument Company (currently Advantest Corp.) in Japan. The company enjoyed initial success by manufacturing and distributing analog to digital converters and multimeters. After adopting the name A&D (which stands for Analog & Digital), Hikaru Furakawa, the company’s President, entered the end user marketplace by selling A&D’s electronics to both a scale company and a balance company. These two companies eventually were purchased by A&D and became the Kensei subsidiary specializing in balance and medical manufacturing, and the Litra subsidiary specializing in load cells and scales. These facilities, along with A&D’s Technical Center in Japan, and other manufacturing in Korea, China and Australia, are the backbone of the company’s weighing business now.
While continuing to use analog to digital technology to provide innovative scale and balance products, A&D entered the medical business in 1987 by acquiring Takeda Medical, a leading manufacturer of blood pressure monitors. A&D’s technology in analog to digital conversion and sensor, have enabled A&D to become a leading provider of blood pressure monitors to both the professional and consumer markets. Through other key acquisitions, A&D has also become a major supplier of test equipment.
Founded in 1982, A&D is a global corporation with distribution, sales and marketing around the world, including wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, Australia, Korea, China and Japan. The company manufactures in Japan, China, Australia and Korea. A&D Engineering (ADE), operating as A&D Weighing and A&D Medical, is located in Milpitas, CA and has responsibility for the North and Central American market. The company was founded in 1982.
In 1988, Paul Huber, prior president and CEO of ADE, joined the company and shortly after joining A&D, he instituted a process of evolving the company culture and improving business processes that provided the direction for the way A&D does business. These tools have helped A&D flourish despite a marketplace that has experienced constant changes in the economy, customers, currency fluctuation, and rapidly changing laws and industry standards. A&D’s culture provides its associates with a defined set of tools to maximize empowerment of the individual and aid in their self improvement; while advancing the profitable growth and success of the company.
In 1993 Mr. Furukawa set a vision for A&D Company and its subsidiaries to be “…Clearly a Better Value to all those we serve”. This has become the cornerstone of all A&D companies. To help fulfill our “Clearly a Better Value” statement, A&D makes its best effort in recruiting the best and the brightest in the marketplace. A&D strives to provide a learning and growing environment. A&D Associates are expected to meet high standards of performance on the job and adapt to the many changes in business and market climates. They are expected to constantly learn new skills and apply them at work.
After an individual becomes an Associate, he/she first meets with the president to review the corporate statement and this memo. This is followed by extensive training in the A&D way of doing business including courses in Communicating for Results (CFR), ISO 9000 and Non ISO Policies & Procedures, and a broad range of other courses and on the job training. In order to ensure continuous growth and learning, an 18-month custom training program is developed by the Associate with the assistance of his/her supervisor and Human Resources. This helps guarantee that Associates remain A&D’s greatest asset.
After over 15 years of dedication to A&D, Paul Huber retired on March 2005 and Teru Moriya succeeded his position. The company corporate culture continues to be sustained by A&D Associates.
A&D Mission
A&D is a technology driven, market oriented, global manufacturer of measurement equipment; sensitive to multi-national needs and always providing…Clearly a Better Value to all those it serves.
A&D Core Values
Learning and Growing. Focus and change is critical to A&D’s survival and its ability to provide…Clearly a Better Value to its customers. It is essential that A&D Associates possess the best skills and training to excel under constantly changing conditions. The rolling 18 month personalized training plan is developed by the Associate in conjunction with supervisory personnel and Human Resources to ensure the Associate continues on a path that encourages accountability, flexibility and creativity.
Trust, Honesty and Integrity. A&D believes people want to succeed, and will, if provided with the proper tools and support. Openness, honesty, respect and ability to operate at the highest ethical business standard is expected of all Associates.
Team Spirit. It is only through teamwork that a company can avoid unnecessary supervisory time and generate essential results demanded in the future. A&D Associates must always work together to ensure that customers will not pay the price of an inefficient and ineffective hierarchical structure.
Challenging Opportunities. A&D encourages people to set challenging goals and objectives for themselves and provides cross-functional teams to allow Associates to grow as project leaders. Growth in grade level as well as promotions to other opportunities within the company is always encouraged.
Winning/Accomplishment. The company is committed to a set of challenging strategic and operating goals and objectives. Achieving these is cause for celebration and brings a tremendous feeling of satisfaction to all those involved. A&D’s compensation plan and schedule of events are designed to foster comradery and make A&D a fun and rewarding place to work.
Powersharing. A&D has designed its business systems and philosophy of supervision around growth to empowerment through powersharing. The company wants people to grow through increased accountability and self-discipline with minimal supervision. Associates are expected to be flexible and innovative in their quest for developing and achieving their goals.
Support, Dignity and Respect. Each person in the company is encouraged to seek the opinions and expertise of their peers. Mentoring, counseling and coaching are key elements of the company’s core values. Everyone is an essential and respected part of the team and A&D strives to provide a clean, quiet and encouraging environment in which to work.
A&D Business System -Practices
ISO 9000 and Non ISO Policy and Procedure. A&D is committed to adhering to the ISO practice of “say what you do, do what you say.” This adherence to good practice by all Associates reduces bureaucracy and allows for prowersharing and considerable freedom. Built into ISO is the Associates ability to change what does not work, improve business processes and provide an environment for continuous quality improvement.
Sales $1M per Associate. A&D’s long-term goal is to produce $1,000,000 in sales per Associate. In order to achieve this goal, Associates must take advantage of the A&D culture, tools and processes to increase effectiveness (doing the right thing effectively) and achieve constant growth without adding more personnel. Measuring growth through increased effectiveness (doing the right thing efficiently) is an important element of this approach.
Open Book Company. A&D feels an Associate should have all the information needed to excel. Regular monthly communication meetings and Emails assure Associates are kept informed. It also includes, sharing financial forecasts and performance against budgets; advising Associates of important events before they happen; answering their questions; and listening to their comments. This includes all company confidential and financial information. If Associates need the information to do their job, participate in a team, or for their own education or edification; the information is available to them.
Open Door Policy. Associates are encouraged to talk to the person who has the information or the answer, independent of any organizational structure. The company encourages Associates to share feelings, gain a clear understanding, get answers to their questions, and discuss personal growth opportunities or anything else that can be done in a constructive manner. An Associate should never assume a person is too busy. It is a primary accountability for everyone to make time available for others.
Open Communication. We believe that with the right tools, information, and training, each Associate can contribute their best. Good communication encourages teamwork, enhances customer satisfaction, and gains a clearer understanding of options and opportunities for increased effectiveness (the right thing being done efficiently). Senior staff and managers have a basic responsibility to ensure this occurs.
Strategic and Operating Plans and Budgets. These are a key part of running the business and are developed and maintained as a part of the overall A&D Business System. The attached chart gives an overall view of the A&D Business System and the interaction between its various elements. All new Associates are given training in the bold items on the chart. Training in the development of the Strategic and Operating Plans and Budgets is given according to individual needs.
Goals and Objectives and Quarterly Reviews. This is A&D’s basic Management by Objective system and is the basis of Associates incentive plans. A&D individual plans are based on the work each Associate contributes to the strategic and operating plans of the company. These are based on inputs from the parent company and are bi-directional in their development. Individuals are empowered to identify opportunities to improve processes and innovate in a flexible environment. Their personal goals and objectives are integrated with their manager’s plan and become the basis of annual operating plans. Written quarterly reviews allow reporting and updates as the year progresses.
G&O’s are reflected throughout our plans and programs including:
- Strategic plans and initiatives. A written plan.
- Annual Operating Plans and Budget. The annual plan which draws heavily
on the Goals and Objectives of individual department personnel to develop
and implement the written plan.
- Business Process Improvement teams. These cross-functional teams are key to powersharing, the G&O program, and process improvements.
- Shared plans and objectives
- Personal goals and objective plans and quarterly implementation report.
BPI Improvement Team Council. This is A&D’s Total Quality Management (TQM) tool. The corporate staff, operating staff, operating as the BPI Council, provides mentoring and support to A&D Associates acting as team leaders or team participants. BPI is a tool for growth, leadership and goals and objectives accomplishment.
CFR Communicating for Results. This 2-day course is designed to increase sensitivity and effectiveness in communicating with others. It provides tools and guidelines to help the Associate become more effective in his/her interpersonal communications. It also stresses the importance of the know how to listen and how to talk so others will listen. CFR plus the other programs in the core training for Associates are designed to work together to enable a contemporary workplace environment designed to be constantly changing to accommodate the markets changing requirements.
P-3 (Plans, Progress and Problems). This is a primary tool for self-management and Associates are asked to produce it monthly. It is designed to be a simple way to plan and keep track of activities. It can serve as a valuable report to supervisory personnel and a review or discussion topic in 1x1’s. It is one of the keys to self-empowerment and minimum supervision.
1x1’s (One on One’s). This primary supervisory meeting is a coaching, counseling and mentoring session. It is done to the Associate’s agenda and must be done at least once a month (more frequently if the Associate or their supervisor feel it is necessary-particularly if the Associate is new to the job). It is a process-oriented meeting. While preparing for the 1x1, the participants try to avoid unnecessary interruptions of their supervisors during the workday as they plan questions and comments for the discussion in the one on one.
Appraisals. The company utilizes the 1x1 and the P3’s for monthly appraisals and utilizes an annual written formal performance appraisal to summarize the results of the G&O’s, P3’s and 1x1’s, which are part of the appraisal. There should be no surprises at the annual reviews, since feedback occurs on a monthly and quarterly basis.
All the tools and training are designed to create a flexible, ever changing framework, designed to enhance and stimulate teamwork, while minimizing beauracracy, and accommodating the need to constantly change and grow to meet the changing marketplace needs.