Picture This: Lean, Automation, and Innovation at FujiFilm Greenwood

By Mike Demos, OpExChange Coordinator for the SCMEP

On February 18, 2024, FujiFilm’s Greenwood, SC facility opened its doors for the first time to the OpExChange, welcoming 21 companies from eleven counties in South Carolina and one from North Carolina. The visit provided an in-depth look at FujiFilm’s transformation from a traditional film photography company to a diversified technology leader. With a sharp focus on lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0 integration, FujiFilm highlighted how continuous improvement has kept them at the forefront of their industry.

A Legacy of Adaptation

FujiFilm’s ability to evolve in the face of disruptive technological changes sets it apart. Once a household name in traditional film photography, the company has expanded its focus to a broad range of imaging solutions. The Greenwood facility is one of only two FujiFilm manufacturing locations in North America, alongside a smaller plant in Portland, Oregon.

While they still produce QuickSnap one-time-use cameras and traditional photo prints, their operations now include a diverse portfolio of customized photo products, including drinkware, home and office décor, greeting cards, and framed prints. This diversification requires agility, particularly given the extreme seasonality of their business – nearly half of their annual production volume ships within just five weeks. Despite this surge, the company maintains an impressive two-day service level agreement with its customers.

Smart Order Flow & Operational Innovations

During the visit, Jim Driscoll, Senior Manager for Systems Engineering, shared insights into FujiFilm’s proprietary order management system, PULSE. Originally an analog system, PULSE has evolved into a fully digital workflow capable of processing over 300 million images daily. This modular and scalable system ensures seamless order tracking, custom bill-of-material generation, and efficient customer delivery.

Chad Demonbren, Director of Operations Support, detailed the company’s approach to material forecasting. Handling fulfillment for major customers like Amazon, Walmart, Google, and Shutterfly, FujiFilm manages over 1,075 raw material components. A key improvement has been the implementation of “supermarkets” – a fixed-bin replenishment system integrated with their ERP software. This pull-based system improves inventory accuracy, prevents material shortages, and optimizes financial performance.

The volatility of customer demand was another fascinating aspect of their operations. A single post by a social media influencer can trigger a tenfold increase in demand for a specific product line, such as puzzles. This requires FujiFilm to maintain exceptional supply chain agility.

Dynamic Production & Labor Planning

FujiFilm’s Greenwood facility operates with a dynamic labor strategy. Operations Manager Tonya Harrison, who rose through the ranks from an executive assistant to her current role, described the seasonal fluctuations in workforce requirements. The team grows from 166 employees in non-peak periods to 700 during peak season, leveraging a contingent workforce of college students and seasonal workers. The OpExChange visitors were astonished by FujiFilm’s ability to rapidly scale its workforce while maintaining efficiency and meeting high service-level expectations. The seamless integration of temporary workers into the operation, along with robust training and cross-training programs, ensures that productivity remains high despite the massive seasonal influx.

The key metric for productivity—units per hour (UPH) – varies by department, but real-time tracking allows for daily labor adjustments. Cross training ensures workforce flexibility, and nearly all departments run two shifts during peak times.

Dwain Parrish, Vice President of Operations, highlighted the complexity within production, where each order is a unique “one-off.” For example, photo books vary by size, cover type, and binding, making each unit distinctly different from the next.

Shop Floor Innovations & Advanced Automation

The plant tour, led by FujiFilm’s operations team, provided firsthand insights into their lean-driven, high-tech environment. The facility, commonly referred to as “the lab” due to its large-scale photo processing, features diverse departments handling unique product types.

In the drinkware department, the group observed FujiFilm’s supermarket system in action. As operators removed boxes of mugs, barcode scans automatically triggered replenishment orders from the distribution center. Meanwhile, massive rolls of printed images were precisely cut to size before sublimation onto products.

Each department employs custom manufacturing aids that enhance efficiency and mistake-proofing (poka-yoke). The level of variety was striking – one department printed T-shirt photos for stuffed teddy bears, while another converted images into puzzle pieces.

A particularly impressive area was the shipping department’s consolidation process. Hundreds of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) navigated a two-tier conveyance system, ensuring that multi-item orders – such as a photo book, mug, and puzzle – were efficiently collected and packed. A “robot hospital” stationed alongside the conveyors provided recharging and maintenance for the AMRs.

Preserving the Art of Film Development

Despite the dominance of digital photography, demand for 35mm film persists. The Greenwood facility remains one of the few that still develops traditional film. Their process involves splicing received film into large rolls, which are then chemically developed in a darkroom. The images are scanned and uploaded to the cloud for customer retrieval, while physical negatives are temporarily stored for reprocessing if needed.

Employee Engagement & Culture

FujiFilm prioritizes employee engagement and cultivating a positive workplace culture. Cross training is a key focus, enabling employees to expand their skill sets and take on various roles as needed. During the visit, it was clear that employees take pride in their work, with a keen sense of ownership and teamwork driving overall efficiency. To further support engagement, the company hosts regular appreciation events and open forums for feedback and continuous improvement. Tracy Crews-Hammond, the site’s human resources manager, highlighted their monthly “Stay Celebrations.” These lunch gatherings encourage employees to share ideas and suggestions, which the company actively pursues to implement. This proactive approach has helped maintain a stable core workforce, even as they significantly scale up during peak season.

Takeaways from the OpExChange Visit

FujiFilm’s ability to manage extreme seasonality, leverage lean methodologies, and integrate cutting-edge automation left a strong impression on the OpExChange participants. The team’s openness in sharing their continuous improvement journey reinforced the value of peer-to-peer learning.

In the collaboration session that followed the tour, there were many takeaways identified by participants in the visit. There were also many suggestions by manufacturers on how FujiFilm could enhance their operations.

With a robust blend of technological innovation and lean best practices, FujiFilm Greenwood’s operation exemplifies the adaptability required to thrive in today’s manufacturing landscape. The company’s first OpExChange tour was a resounding success, setting the stage for future collaborations within the manufacturing community.

About FujiFilm Manufacturing

FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., located in Greenwood, South Carolina established in 1988.  The company’s complex encompasses over 500 acres, represents a $1.8 billion investment and employs about 500 associates.   With over 2.5 million square feet of manufacturing space under roof, Fujifilm – South Carolina is one of the company’s global manufacturing hubs, playing a key role in the company’s strategic vision, serving customers throughout the United States and over 40 other countries worldwide.  The complex boasts five state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to produce QuickSnap recyclable cameras, inkjet photographic paper, color photographic paper, and digital printing plates.  The Greenwood complex has obtained the prestigious ISO-9001:2015 and the ISO-14001:2015 registrations demonstrating the company’s commitment to excellence in quality and environmental protection and preservation.

About OpExChange

The OpExChange, an SCMEP program, is a peer-to-peer network of manufacturers and distributors in South Carolina known for generating success for members through benchmarking and best practice sharing. Member companies host events and share practical examples of industrial automation, lean manufacturing improvements, and leadership development. It is an invaluable resource to South Carolina companies that provides access to others who are on similar improvement journeys. If your company is interested in participating in this collaborative effort to improve both the competitiveness of your operation and South Carolina, contact Mike Demos (mdemos@scmep.org). More information and upcoming plant visits are available on the OpExChange website www.OpExChange.com