In Jiumu Sanitary Ware located in , Nan'an City, Fujian Province, workers are assembling smart toilet lids (photo taken on May 10, 2016). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Song Weiwei
Xinhua News Agency, Fuzhou, February 25 Question: From "10 billion" to "a hundred years": Changes in the innovation and development of a traditional manufacturing enterprise
Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Jianfeng
"Annual sales exceeded 10 billion yuan" - Two years ago, Jiumu Group realized the "crazy words" promised in 2009. That year, at the Jiumu National Dealer Annual Meeting held in Xi'an, Chairman Lin Xiaofa shouted out the strategic goal of "10 billion Jiumu, 100-year Jiumu". At that time, the southern Fujian company had a turnover of less than 1 billion yuan and its market share was only 1%.
Now 10 years have passed, and relying on the inexhaustible momentum brought by "innovation", Jiumu has established a leading position in the domestic industry. While based in the kitchen and bathroom field, Jiumu has been constantly changing and adapting to the changes of the times. This enterprise, which is about to enter its "thirty years", is also continuing to move towards the goal of "a century-old enterprise".
product changes: From "the first showerhead in the mainland" to more than 3,000 patents
In the recently announced 2019 German iF design award list, Jiu Mu's products stood out from nearly 6,400 entries in 54 countries and regions, winning 5 iF international design awards.
This is a microcosm of Jiumu product innovation in recent years. From innovative silky glaze technology that is three times smoother than ordinary ceramics to electrolytic sterilization and washing technology, "innovation" has become a mark on Jiumu's products.
Chairman Lin Xiaofa is deeply touched by this. In the 1990s, Jiumu, which started out as a dust spray system for mining coal mining machines, saw the gap in the domestic bathroom market - faucet showers almost occupied the entire market, which was neither wasted water nor convenient. In response, Lin Xiaofa proposed to use the spray system in the field of private bathrooms. In 1995, he led his team to successfully develop the first showerhead in the mainland market.
According to Lin Xiaowei, general manager of the European and American Center, Jiumu now has 16 laboratories, 8 research institutes, and more than 2,000 R&D and design teams around the world. "The annual cost of investing in technology research and development and product innovation is no less than 5% of the total sales" has become an iron rule within the company. At present, Jiumu has obtained more than 3,000 advanced product patents, and applied for one patent every 3 days on average.
technological innovation has released huge dividends. In Jiumu Ceramic Intelligent Research Institute, the research base for fully automatic ceramic production process, the ceramic production efficiency has increased by 25 times compared with the previous period, and the product pass rate has increased from 68% to 98%. Through the intelligent transformation of smart toilets and bathroom hardware factories, some processes have been shortened from the original 15 days to only 2 hours, and productivity has been greatly improved.
In Jiumu Sanitary Ware located in Nan'an City, Fujian Province, workers assemble smart toilet lids on the production line (photo taken on November 10, 2016). Xinhua News Agency reporter Song Weiwei photographed
Changes in the concept: From "kitchen and bathroom experts" to "life experts"
. How can enterprises step out of a bigger stage around a few square meters of kitchen and bathroom space?
adheres to the concept of "making intelligence understand life better", and Jiu Mu continues to seek on the road to becoming a "life home". The mirror cabinet can detect health data such as body fat and heart rate, and can also tailor-made skin care solutions; through voice control, you can listen to news and music in real time while going to the toilet; smart cabinets can automatically lift and lower under command operation...
"We hope to use the new generation of information technology to incorporate new elements such as environmental protection and health into traditional products." Lin Xiaofa said that through the application of technologies such as the Internet of Things, Jiumu has been constantly exploring the intelligence of the home system, and users can control the bathroom through voice and gestures. Kitchen and bathroom are no longer cold daily necessities, but are more intelligent and humane "life companions".
The overall smart sanitary ware space concept with "health management" as the core is becoming Jiu Mu's focus. Through cross-border cooperation with technology companies, Jiu Mu has explored a path of transformation and upgrading of intelligent manufacturing of "traditional industry-artificial intelligence-smart home-big health industry".
, based on intelligent transformation, in order to cater to consumers' new needs for personalization and customization, in 2016, Jiumu also proposed the concept of "pan-home" to provide consumers with a one-stop overall solution.Today, Jiumu's "pan-home" integrates the cross-border industrial resources of internationally renowned brands such as bathrooms, furniture, ceramic tiles, stones, etc. The former "kitchen and bathroom experts" are exploring the role of "living home" to create a unique family space for consumers.
Changes in vision: Follow the east wind of the "Belt and Road"
Quanzhou was once the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Now, taking advantage of the new opportunities of the "Belt and Road", Jiu Mu is turning his vision from domestic to international.
Lin Xiaofa said that Jiu Mu had entered the UAE market as early as 2008 and entered the Saudi market in 2010. Along the "Belt and Road" map, Jiu Mu has established in-depth cooperative relations with 11 countries along the "Belt and Road" including Vietnam, the UAE, Qatar , Mongolia , etc.
Currently, Jiumu has more than 4,000 five-star custom stores around the world, and its products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions around the world.
While bringing away products, the company also actively integrates into local charity undertakings. In 2017, during the ribbon cutting ceremony of the completion of an orphanage in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Jiumu provided all bathroom supporting equipment for the orphanage for free, and sent clothes and toys.
Lin Xiaofa said: "While going out, we hope to bring healthier, smarter and more quality kitchen and bathroom products and brand new life concepts to the local area, and show the image of making in China."
