Launch of Mendix, Low-Code Development Platform for the Manufacturing Industry

ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Tatsushi Shingu, President and CEO; hereinafter CTC) has started offering Mendix™, a low-code development platform from Siemens Digital Industries Software (Kunihiko Horita, Japan Country Manager and Vice President; Siemens K.K.; headquartered in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter Siemens), to support the digital transformation (DX) of the manufacturing industry in Japan. Mendix is equipped with a wide range of functions and templates specifically designed for manufacturing, and by integrating with related systems such as CAD*1 and IoT, it enables the rapid and flexible development of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions. For companies that have already implemented Siemens solutions, smooth adoption is possible by leveraging common data models and authentication platforms. We will support efficient development of applications tailored to the needs of manufacturing functions and business divisions, aiming to achieve sales of ¥1 billion over the next three years.

The manufacturing industry has seen shortening product life cycles and increasing supply chain complexity, requiring them to accelerate go-to-market speed from product development and to seamlessly share information in order to stay competitive. In this environment, PLM, which enables integrated management of information across planning, design, manufacturing, and maintenance, is essential. However, existing legacy systems often lack the flexibility and scalability required, making it difficult to integrate with PLM and to respond swiftly to changing requirements.

Mendix is a low-code application development platform that enables users to build applications through intuitive, visual interfaces without requiring specialized programming expertise. It offers templates and modules optimized for the manufacturing industry, allowing applications tailored to business workflows and user requirements to be developed in a short timeframe. Mendix integrates easily with existing PLM, CAD, and IoT systems, and can also connect with tools commonly used at manufacturing functions, such as barcode scanners and label printers. By integrating operational data into applications in real time, it enables application development that immediately reflects on-site conditions and needs. As a result, Mendix allows its users to respond quickly to requirement changes and specification revisions that were difficult to address with traditional legacy systems, thereby optimizing PLM operations.

CTC has been providing Siemens’ engineering solutions for design and manufacturing operations for many years. With the addition of Mendix to our portfolio, CTC is further expanding our support in the business application domain and accelerating customers’ DX initiatives.

Going forward, CTC will continue to leverage the expertise and deep operational understanding we have cultivated in the manufacturing engineering domain, centered on PLM solutions, to address evolving customer needs and support their further business growth.