Close to Muji from Hrm Side

                      Close to MUJI

——From HRM side

CONTENT

1. Introduction                   3    
2. Standardization               3
3. System                       4
4. Execution                    5
5. reality and culture             5
6. Problem solving               6

                           Close to MUJI

——From HRM side

1. Introduction

Almost every sub branch of MUJI looks the same: soft lamplight, bright room, a lot of production made by wood, ceramic and flax with harmonious colors, the vitreous and acrylic bottles and cups are clean and placed neatly. Everything in the store are peaceful and simple. That’s MUJI.

Lifestyle brand MUJI might not put its name or logo on any of its products, but it is happy to shout about their quality. 

Today, MUJI counts 300 stores in Japan and 208 stores in Asia, Europe and the United States. Besides a flagship store in New York, its products are also sold at the Museum of Modern Art store.

Although the MUJI stores leave us an impression that is soft, bright and comfortable. Actually the management of MUJI is very strict. That’s what we will introduce to you all. The secret of the management of MUJI.

1. Standardization:

The first secret is Standardization.

Standardization is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization can help to maximize compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality. It can also facilitate commoditization of formerly custom processes. In social sciences, including economics, the idea of standardization is close to the solution for a coordination problem, a situation in which all parties can realize mutual gains, but only by making mutually consistent decisions. This view includes the case of "spontaneous standardization processes", to produce de facto standards.

Standardization in MUJI shows every aspect in the course of work. They put all the work in to a unit standard. Try to avoid working by experience and feeling. They make a workbook which contain all details of the work aim to make employees do their work more orderly and lucidly.

In other company, we can see that everyone has his own perspective and value or judge system for the work they are doing. But their perspectives are almost based on their intuition, it’s maybe not correct and exact. There are many firm that all the decisions are made by the managers their own. But even the most successful management can not guarantee that his every decision is absolutely right. Therefore, MUJI try to lower the impact of self feeling and self experience.

The method that MUJI use to lower the impact of self experience is that they make a workbook called MUJIGRAM to guide all the aspects of management and operation, to unite all the standards of work. The book has already reach 2 thousand pages. Not only the operation, exploitation of production, the display of goods, but how to welcome and treat customer are including. For an example, the dress of the model in the showcase, MUJIGRAM stipulate that the contour must be display into triangle, the color must be control in 3. So that even the freshman can display the products in MUJI’s style to make sure the customer all over the world enjoy the same product and service.

In MUJI, it’s also called SOP, which are Standard Operating Procedure. With the standard procedure, whatever the problem the employees meet, even the manager are not here, they can solve the problem successfully by the guide of workbook, which can improve the efficiency.

There are also many strengths of standardization. First, it’s conductive to share experience and knowledge. Second, when we have a standard to value the completeness, it ‘s easier to improve the performance of staff. Third, it contributes to avoid the culture that manager decide all the things. What’s more, it can make employees make effort together forward one direction.

1. System:

MUJI succeeded in differentiation by proposing attractive value, developing products embodying its value and establishing its brand image through its stores. However, its rapid growth seriously damaged and diluted its brand image; and MUJI did not build a rational management system to respond to its expansion; consequently, MUJI’s business performance deteriorated.

But Under the leadership of Tadamitsu Matsui, appointed as President in 2001, the company revived its domestic business by redefining its brand concept, revamping its human resource management, and improving its operational efficiency

Tadamitsu Matsui, the man behind MUJI’s turnaround; Employees can raise any problems they encounter, come up with solutions and tweak their copy of Mujigram. These updates are synced across all stores.

MUJIGRAM. It may look like a standard store operating manual--describing as it does every single detail, from store displays to customer service to order placement.

What distinguishes it from other operating manuals, said a company official, is MUJIGRAM’s fluidity: the manual is in constant flux, frequently updated with employee inspirations and customer feedback. That is the source of MUJI’s strength.

MUJIGRAM. It may look like a standard store operating manual--describing as it does every single detail, from store displays to customer service to order placement.

What distinguishes it from other operating manuals, said a company official, is MUJIGRAM’s fluidity: the manual is in constant flux, frequently updated with employee inspirations and customer feedback. That is the source of MUJI’s strength.

 emplyee plans to communicate with the field. they picked the best 100 popular products by store and introduced system to introduce product that each store clerk wanted to sell at trial price and created atmosphere that field voluntarily worked without intervention of head office. The experience and feelings of the employees, their know-how, were reflected in the grammage once a month and shared by all the employees.