nucmednet Chapter 41: Production of "Washing Machines" and Development of "Walkmans"
Chapter 41: Production of "Washing Machines" and Development of "Walkmans"
Three days later!
October 1st, Monday.
The bright morning sun shone on the land of Hong Kong. Perhaps even the heavens knew that today was a joyous day for the Dragon Kingdom, and thus sent warmth upon it.
In the car.
Li Jiagang kept an eye on the situation on the streets of Hong Kong and noticed that he could still occasionally see some shops and buildings draped with the gleaming five-star red flag.
The most conspicuous of them all is Nanyang Bank.
A five-star red flag has always stood on its rooftop, and today the bank's entrance is covered with national flags, a bright red expanse that signifies a firm stance.
However, in Hong Kong in 78.
Due to the influence of British policies and the social environment.
Therefore, even though today is the birthday of the motherland, it is still difficult to feel the festive joy and warm congratulations from the people in Hong Kong.
Li Jiagang drew the carriage curtain and stopped looking.
He closed his eyes to conserve his energy.
A few minutes later, the car entered the factory area.
After several busy days, the washing machine officially began trial production today. Once the production line passes the trial production without any problems, it will be put into mass production.
Meanwhile, the development of the washing machine had come to an end, and nearly 79 years had passed. He also needed to allow the laboratory to move on to the development of the next product.
On July 1, 2010.
Sony Corporation of Japan launched the "TPS-L2" portable music player, but sales in the domestic market in the first month of its launch were lower than the company's expectations.
However, after the product entered the market, in August, the "Walkman" product became a hit in Japan, with sales exceeding 50,000 units that month.
By September, things had spiraled out of control.
According to statistics at the end of December, starting from its release in July, sales in the domestic market exceeded 500,000 units in five months. This figure does not include overseas sales.
This shows how popular the Walkman was back then.
Most importantly, it's not cheap.
When the "TPS-L2 Walkman" was first launched, it was priced at 33000 yen in Japan, which was equivalent to 150 US dollars at the time.
$150 x 50 units = 7500 million, and that's in US dollars.
In just six months, the Walkman sold $7500 million in Japan.
And that doesn't even include overseas sales figures.
Although overseas sales need to be broken down to agents, taxes, shipping costs, etc.
But the overseas sales price will definitely be much higher. Even if the profit is not as high as in the domestic market, it will still be no less than $100 per unit for Sony.
At that time, Sony had a very large sales network in Asia, covering the peninsula, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Southeast Asia.
How much would the sales volume be in all these places combined?
Li Jiagang didn't dare to imagine it either.
And this wasn't even the peak of the Walkman's popularity.
When the Walkman entered North America and Western Europe in 1980, that was the real money-making moment, with sales reaching tens of billions of dollars.
Moreover, the Walkman remained popular for twenty years.
From the mid-90s to the new millennium, China was just beginning its recovery, and portable music players were incredibly popular.
According to data from a 1999 survey, Sony sold a total of 2 million Walkmans worldwide across multiple versions.
The average price is around $210 per unit.
According to statistics again in 2009, sales of multiple versions reached 6 million units.
Anyway, the Walkman was all the rage in this era, and it swept through the market all the way to the top.
Therefore, Lijiagang must seize this highly profitable product, and take the lead over Sony by registering patents, establishing trademarks, and launching it into the market.
To reiterate, as a time traveler, he was forced to follow the paths of others who had failed, and to take the wrong turns.
Upon entering the factory, Li Jiagang saw several lion dance troupes waiting in the distance.
Meanwhile, the factory's assembly technicians, inspectors, factory manager, director, and team leaders were all busy.
He didn't go over to the production workshop, but went straight towards the laboratory.
"Chairman, you've arrived."
"Hmm, what have you guys been busy with lately?"
"Chairman, we are currently expanding our laboratory and have not been developing any new products. However, we are upgrading our radios, rice cookers, water heaters, electric kettles, and other products based on the data you provided, so that the company can achieve full-electricity production as soon as possible."
"Not bad, not bad."
Li Jiagang nodded in satisfaction.
How long will it take for the laboratory expansion to take?
"About two weeks."
"How's the recruitment of various electrical appliance professionals going? Expand the team as soon as possible!"
While laboratories are certainly important, Li Jiagang understands very well that talent is the most crucial element.
In his original timeline, he spent a lot of time in the laboratory and knew this kind of thing better than anyone else.
"Don't worry, Chairman. I've already contacted some of my fellow apprentices in Japan, and they've agreed to come to Hong Kong. They'll bring their own people with them."
Li Jiagang nodded again, "That's good." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "However, you understand the importance of the laboratory. I hope nothing unpleasant happens, you know what I mean?"
"Please rest assured, Chairman," He Jianmin quickly assured him, "I can assure you that my fellow apprentices are of impeccable character. I will also request increased security in the laboratory to ensure the safety of technical data."
"Okay, I'll arrange for security to come over."
"Here are some data and blueprints for a new product," Li Jiagang said, his tone turning serious. "I attach great importance to this product, and now I'm handing it over to you. Don't let me down."
"Please rest assured, Chairman."
"I have absolute trust in you."
"But this new product is very important. Only you can participate in the research and development of the core components. As for your fellow apprentices, they should start by improving and upgrading other electrical products."
After finishing his speech, Li Jiagang turned and walked out of the laboratory before He Jianmin could respond, preparing to inspect the trial production of the product.
He couldn't afford any mistakes with the Walkman product, and he certainly wouldn't entrust the core technology to the new technicians for research and development without knowing them thoroughly.
People can change all the time.
He Jianmin's trust in them does not mean he is safe.
In short, he would rather the research and development process be slower, or he would personally intervene in the research and development rather than involve newly joined technical personnel.
We arrived at the production workshop.
Li Jiagang saw that Gao Fuhai and the management of various departments of the electrical appliance company had already arrived.
Technicians are carefully testing the equipment.
"Chairman, you've arrived."
"Good morning, Chairman!"
"Hello, Chairman..."
"Hmm! How's the preparation going?"
"Almost done. We're doing final equipment checks. Once everything is confirmed to be in order, we can start trial production immediately."
Li Jiagang nodded immediately.
A few minutes later...
"How is each production chain doing? Please report." The production workshop director asked over the walkie-talkie.
"Director, the assembly and testing chain is working properly."
"I have no problem controlling the core chain."
"The core waterway supply chain is operating normally."
"Connecting and assembling the chain is also no problem."
Soon after, technicians at various positions on the production line reported back that everything was normal.
"OK, all technicians, leave the machinery immediately. Trial production will begin in five minutes."
"Repeat once, five minutes to start trial production, everyone leave the machine immediately, group leaders check to see if any workers are still lingering on the machine."
"Received... Received..."
Five minutes passed quickly.
"The auspicious time has arrived! Start the lion dance, light the firecrackers, and start the production line!" the factory manager shouted.
The several lion dance teams, which had been prepared in advance, suddenly shone brightly and began to dance.
At the same time, the sound of firecrackers echoed through the sky, and the production line started up simultaneously.
The machines roared, and the lions leaped with a loud bang.
Amidst applause and celebration from everyone...
A brand-new, fully automated washing machine production line is operating smoothly, with robotic arms precisely grabbing parts and conveyor belts moving slowly forward.
The workers focused on their work, putting in each part one by one. After a long twenty minutes of circulation and assembly, the scattered parts gradually came together to form a brand new washing machine.
As the first washing machine was assembled, the indicator light turned from red to green, and everyone applauded in celebration.
"It's a success! It's a success...!"
"Congratulations, Chairman! Everything is going smoothly on the production line. All production lines can now begin mass production." Gao Fuhai immediately congratulated Li Jiagang.
Li Jiagang nodded in satisfaction.
At that moment, the workshop foreman excitedly picked up the walkie-talkie and shouted, "Technician, immediately conduct a full-scale inspection of the washing machines to see if they pass the test!"
As soon as the director finished speaking, several technicians and inspectors immediately stepped forward to begin a comprehensive inspection of the first washing machine. They carefully checked even the smallest screw, as this was the factory's first machine-produced product, and no one dared to be careless in their work.
More than ten minutes later...
"Report! The first trial production washing machine has been completed. All parameters meet the standards, it is operating normally, and it is qualified."
*Smack! Smack! Smack!*
The crowd erupted in celebratory applause once again.
Looking at the washing machine that embodies the sweat of everyone, Li Jiagang thought to himself that the washing machine was just the first step; the "Walkman" was the "first shot" he was going to fire in this era.