Our company's electronic musical instrument and video products generally do not consume much electric power and with our policy of continuous development, we aim to reduce their requirements as much as possible over time and as technologies progress. For example, our products include power-saving advancements such as dry battery-powered amplifiers that enable us to put on live performances in the open air, etc. Moreover, we intend to, while aiming at business growth through expansion of markets and customers, endeavor to prolong lives of products and to reduce waste, so that we will be able to realize a reduction of environmental burden per unit of product sales.
In addition, our manufacturing lines within factories are mainly for assembly, something that does not require much electric power, and the discharge of hazardous substances is minimized and properly managed. However, when we look at the entire supply chain, we consider that we still have some issues to address in the domains of material procurement and transportation. With regard to the issue of climate change in particular, we will steadily proceed with the reduction of CO2 emission and utilization of renewable energy, surpassing the range of our company's activities.
Actions against the Climate Change
We at Roland are aware that the phenomena accompanying global warming, such as the occurrence of abnormal climate and disaster, will not only lead to economic damage but may possibly have serious impact on humankind's cultural activity and lifestyle.
We are engaging in measures to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and to increase the efficiency of business activities, aiming at maintaining the social environment in which people can live with peace of mind and can develop musical and video culture and other art activities.
In addition, we will appropriately assess and respond to the risks and opportunities for our business that arise from climate change, and will disclose the status from four perspectives of Governance, Strategy, Risk management, and Metrics and Targets in line with the framework of TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures).
Increasing the Efficiency of Product Transportation
Improvement of load factor
In relation to product design, the packing size has substantial impact on the environment. When designing products, we take into consideration the balance of box size, strength and costs of those to be loaded into standard container sizes, so as to make the packing size optimal to the load factor. By improving the load factor, we promote the reduction of containers and trucks to be used for transportation in an attempt to reduce the fuel consumption and the CO2 emission.
We review this design element for not only new products, but also those already in distribution channels, so we are continuously striving for CO2 reduction.
Optimizing the hub warehouse for distribution
In 2015, we relocated our distribution hub warehouse in Malaysia, which is efficiently located at the center of main markets in North America, Europe and Asia. As a result, we succeeded in substantially reducing the transportation lead time as well as transportation distance for European markets, which is a main one for us and, at the same time, we have realized an increase in efficiency as a whole. In addition, we have studied various measures for reducing CO2, such as joint transportation with other companies, and are acting on our findings.
Changes in the transportation lead time by the hub warehouse
Contribution to Expansion of the Renewable Energy
Aiming to contribute to a decarbonized society, we purchase environmental value (non-fossil certificates) from the trading market equivalent to the amount of electricity used at all the business units in Hamamatsu City, and at our main production bases in Malaysia and China. As a result, CO2 emissions in the process of generating electricity we use can be considered virtually zero.
We will continue to consider and implement initiatives that can contribute to the expansion of renewable energy, including revitalizing the trading market through investment in these environmental values.
Development of Power-saving Products
As part of our activities for environmental protection, we are promoting the development of products that will reduce the environmental burden, in order to efficiently utilize the limited energy resources.
Energy-saving design that is environment-friendly
The design adopted for our products is considerate to energy saving, while retaining the high-performance features of electric musical instruments.
- By developing our own high-efficiency power circuits and high-efficiency speakers, we have realized powerful sound while curbing electric consumption.
- Our products are equipped with an “auto power off” function that automatically turns off the power when a certain time passes after finishing performance or operation, in order to curb the consumption of power when the products are not in use.
- Our products are equipped with the function of automatically turning on or off the power responding to the opening or closing the keyboard cover, so as the turning off of the power not to be forgotten.
* Electronic pianos of the “GP” series, “LX” series and the “HP” series.
Application of rechargeable batteries with less environmental burden
We have substantially reduced power consumption of some of our synthesizers and amplifiers through independently-developed, high-efficiency circuits, so as to enable them to operate them with rechargeable batteries that can be used repeatedly.
- Can produce powerful sound by either of the two power supply system, by the AC adapter or by batteries.
- Equipped with “ECO MODE” that curbs battery consumption to allow us to operate the products for a longer time.
* The “Cube Street” series products.
We will continue developing technologies for efficient use of energy, such as power-saving technology and battery-operation technology that have been mentioned above. We will continue to equip more products with these, and are targeting to become an electronic musical instrument manufacturer friendly to the global environment.
Saving Resources and Waste Reduction
Not many natural resources or hazardous matters are used in our electronic musical instruments and other products, including within their production process; and we are engaging in activities that lead to the reduction of environmental burden, such as reduction of use of paper resources and reduction of waste.
We will continue reviewing our processes from the design stages in various ways, and endeavoring to reduce resource consumption or disposal per unit of product sale, while trying to increase sales.
Prolongation of the Product Lives
At Roland we are endeavoring to extend the product lifecycle, so that each one of our products will be selected in the market for a long time and used by customers for a long time.. This will not only reduce the discarding of products by customers but also lead to the reduction of disposal of products or parts in the supply process - ranging from manufacture to sale, through improving forecast accuracy by stabilizing market demand.
Refer from here to “To ‘Customers’” — “Prolongation of the Product Lives.”
Reduction of the Number of Product Items and Inventory
We have been assessing the costs and profit for each product in the entire supply chain ranging from procurement of materials to sale. Based on the analysis of such data, we are makings decisions on whether to continue or discontinue the manufacture and sale of certain products. We have achieved this by comprehensively analyzing the efficiency required for manufacture, sale, inventory control, etc. relative to the total profit. By doing so, it will not only raise the business efficiency, but lead to keeping the inventory of products and parts at an appropriate level through discontinuing the handling of small-sale products demand for which is rather unstable. In this way, we focused on reducing the number of product items continually.
In addition, we have been endeavoring for many years to control slow-moving inventory and inventory reduction based on the turnover ratio. We are raising the quality of supply chain management year-after-year through early acquisition and increased accuracy of data on manufacture, sale and inventory on a global basis, as well as increased accuracy of demand estimation and flexible operations.
These activities are leading to an increase in business efficiency per unit of sale and contributes to a reduction in disposal, allowing us not only to reinforce our profit potential but to contribute to reduction of environmental burden. So we will continue steadily engaging in those while making improvement day by day.
Making User's Manuals into Electronic Documents
We have been moving towards making user's manuals into electronic documents as it increases our customers' convenience through providing the newest manuals in accordance with product updates, and allowing them to easily search for what they need to know. By making more electronic user's manuals rather than printed versions, we can also reduce paper consumption and shipping weights of products.
With regard to new products, we are also making the electronic manuals, which are usually in PDF format, into HTML (i.e., language for the Website pages). This has an advantage for those with visual impairment as it increases accessibility through better sentence recognition within text-to-speech software. Furthermore, it improves search results from Internet browsers, enabling customers to rapidly find and access the information they want. We are committed to electronic documents in the future aiming at continued reduction of paper resource consumption. In this way, coupled with our endeavor to prolong product lives, we will continue promoting our activities in an attempt to have our customers be regular users of our products for a long time.
Ex.) User's manuals of a synthesizer (One generation ago model including 338 pages was changed to the current model including 23 pages)
[A user's manual made into the HTML]
* Click here for the instruction manual.
Compatibility of Products with the Environment
In our products, legal regulations of respective countries concerning chemical substances and other regulations concerning power consumption or power source efficiency are observed.
Laws and regulations related to chemical substances
RoHS Directive, REACH regulation, German Chemical Prohibition Regulation (ChemVerbotsV), Netherlandic laws concerning regulation of chemical substances, the Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation, Chinese version RoHS, German law concerning measures against dioxins, Chemical Substance Control Law, Industrial Safety and Health Act, German regulation on daily necessities, Ozone Layer Protection Law, Montreal Protocol, Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law, regulation on DMF, Building Standards Law, regulation on PFOS, Toxic Substance Control Act.
Power consumption and power source efficiency
ErP Directive, DoE, CEC, NRCan.