Fujifilm Wins Five China Medical Equipment Awards, Reinforcing Hospital Trust Through Localization and Customer-Centric Innovation

From March 15 to 17, the 14th China Medical Equipment Industry Data Release Conference and China Medical Industry Development Forum 2024, hosted by China Medical Equipment Journal, was held in Beijing. The highly anticipated China Medical Equipment Industry Data Survey Report was released simultaneously.

Global health technology company Fujifilm, in the 2023 China Medical Equipment Industry Data Survey,“China Medical Device Golden Figure Award of the Year” “No. 1 Flexible Endoscope Product Line in China’s Medical Device Industry” “Excellent Imported Brand in China’s Medical Device Industry” “Most Socially Responsible Award in China’s Medical Device Industry” “China Medical Device Person of the Year”...bagging multiple prestigious awards and building on previous years’ strong performance, which speaks volumes about the company’s comprehensive brand service capabilities and market recognition.

Fujifilm Has Won Major Awards for Consecutive Years: What Did They Do Right? Entering 2024, What Localized Innovation Practices Will Fujifilm Implement in the Chinese Market? VCBeat Conducted an Exclusive Interview to Address These QuestionsFujifilm Technical Director ShibuyaSir, conduct an in-depth exploration of Fujifilm's core competitiveness in the medical equipment sector.

Fujifilm garnered significant attention at this conference. Winning five industry awards in a row is a strong testament to Fujifilm’s high level of professionalism in the medical equipment sector, and also reflects strong recognition from the Chinese market of the comprehensive service capabilities of the Fujifilm team. In response, Shibuya stated:“Customer-centricity is the key factor behind Fujifilm’s numerous accolades.”

In 1936, Fujifilm began selling medical X-ray films, officially entering the healthcare sector. Since then, Fujifilm has consistently prioritized the healthcare industry as a key strategic focus, making continuous investments and striving for development to deliver high-quality products and services to patients and healthcare customers worldwide.

Fujifilm places strong emphasis on its corporate philosophy of product and service development:Rapidly respond from the customer’s perspective, swiftly achieve quality improvements, and implement digital management“In actual business operations, we often need to quickly assess customer needs and respond accordingly, with maximizing customer benefits serving as our criterion for judgment,” said Shibuya.

It is understood that, in order to provide solutions to customers quickly and accurately, Fujifilm adheres to three major policies:On-Site, Physical Evidence, and Facts. Behind the six-character policy lies Fujifilm’s robust service mechanism, which comprehensively covers talent development, needs assessment, equipment maintenance, and information feedback.

Specifically, leveraging its internal talent development mechanism, Fujifilm has established a high-caliber team of maintenance engineers capable of directly observing, understanding, and mastering the real-world usage of medical equipment on-site. The company is also equipped with comprehensive maintenance tools and management systems to support engineers in their equipment upkeep tasks. Furthermore, the product maintenance department promptly feeds back equipment failure data to the Tokyo headquarters, enabling the product design and quality control departments to implement precise improvements, thereby fostering a virtuous cycle in business operations.

The unique nature of the healthcare industry imposes exceptionally high requirements on the product quality and service standards of medical device manufacturers.

Based on this, Fujifilm strictly controls the R&D, production, and sales of medical devices, establishing a standardized quality control system that covers the entire lifecycle of medical equipment—from product design and manufacturing to after-sales service.

In terms of product design, Fujifilm develops “powerful tools” for clinical diagnosis and treatment by starting from clinical needs and integrating innovative technologies, covering the entire cycle of medical testing, diagnosis, and therapy. Its SU-9000 endoscopic ultrasound system, LASEREO laser endoscopy system, ELUXEO 7000 endoscopy system, as well as electronic gastroscope/colonoscope, bronchoscope, double-balloon enteroscope, and other gastrointestinal and respiratory endoscopy product series and technical solutions have also been validated by the market and are highly acclaimed by industry customers.

In the production phase, Fujifilm has applied the methodologies developed over decades of photographic film production to the medical equipment sector, integrating the principles of Q (Quality), C (Cost), and D (Delivery) into its actual medical device manufacturing processes. It is reported that Fujifilm Imaging Systems (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., located in the Suzhou New District, has become one of Fujifilm’s largest global production bases, supplying high-quality products to markets worldwide.

Meanwhile, Fujifilm is also actively exploring the application of advanced technologies such as AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the field of medical devices to produce higher-quality medical device products.

For example, with the development of information technology, there is strong demand for digitalization and intelligence in the healthcare industry. In response, Fujifilm has launched multi-dimensional smart healthcare solutions, such as its comprehensive endoscopy center solution. This solution effectively integrates advanced informatics systems for endoscopy centers, design and planning services for endoscopy facilities, and operational management training for hospital departments, providing hospitals with a one-stop service for building smart endoscopy centers.

It is worth mentioning that since its establishment, Fujifilm has been providing users both domestically and internationally withDiverse and Comprehensive Fujifilm Professional Original After-Sales Services, and established a standardized process encompassing “equipment usage guidelines – equipment testing procedures – customer communication protocols,” refining after-sales service capabilities in every project to enhance customer satisfaction.

To ensure service quality and maintain the high standards of its engineering team in terms of product knowledge and technical expertise, Fujifilm implements an annual training and examination mechanism. This initiative aims to minimize competency gaps among personnel and enhance overall service levels.

Shibuya stated that in 2024, Fujifilm will further enhance its after-sales services by conducting failure trend analyses tailored to individual customers based on equipment monitoring data, thereby enabling more personalized after-sales support for hospitals through predictions of potential failure locations and timing.

Meanwhile, Fujifilm also explores the latent needs of different customers in various regions. For instance, given China’s large population and high volume of clinical cases, there is a greater demand for the durability of medical equipment. In response, Fujifilm undertakes product personalization, upgrades, or development to meet these specific requirements and fulfill customer expectations.

“The Competitiveness of Multinational Corporations Lies in Localization.” Since entering the Chinese market in the 1980s, Fujifilm has always been customer-centric, providing advanced technologies, high-quality products, and comprehensive solutions tailored to the actual needs of the Chinese market, earning consistent acclaim from the industry.

In 2023, Fujifilm began launching its China-made ELUXEO Lite 6000 series endoscopy systems in the Chinese market. Shibuya stated that Fujifilm will continue to expand its portfolio of China-made products to meet the diverse needs of the Chinese market and consistently contribute to the development of China’s healthcare industry.

In 2024, Fujifilm celebrates its 90th anniversary and the 23rd year since establishing its regional headquarters in the Chinese market. As a leading multinational corporation, Fujifilm’s Healthcare Business is comprehensively advancing its localization strategy in China, deeply engaging in the development of "Healthy China," and contributing to its corporate mission of "bringing more smiles to the world."