A Story About a Small Factory That Sometimes Beats Amazon

It is not that small factories are beating Amazon. They are simply competing in a domain where Amazon cannot enter.

Mirai Kensaku, do you think there are any companies that can beat Amazon?

Kensaku In terms of product selection, price, and logistics, there is almost no company that can beat Amazon head-on. It has become a life infrastructure.

Mirai That's true. I can't live without Amazon either (laughs).

Kensaku But on the front lines, there are moments when they do beat Amazon.

Mirai Huh, who?

Kensaku Small factories.

Mirai ...A small factory, beating Amazon?

The moment it breaks, the rules of the game change

Kensaku Imagine this. One day, factory equipment stops. The cause is a fracture in a welded part. The line is down. The delivery deadline is approaching.

Mirai That is a seriously dire situation!

Kensaku At this point, what will Amazon do for you? If you order the part, it will arrive as early as the next day. That is certainly 'fast'.

Mirai Isn't arriving the next day good enough?

Kensaku But what the front line needs is not 'the next day'.

Mirai ...'Now'?

Kensaku Exactly. 'Whether it can be fixed now.' Here, the rules of the game change completely.

Repairing is not 'buying things'

Kensaku There is a decisive difference here.

Amazon delivers 'things.' Small factories restore 'function.'

Mirai What is the difference between things and function?

Kensaku The way it broke is unexpected. There is distortion due to the heat. It doesn't go according to the blueprint. In such an uncertain situation, I have to decide, 'Let's go with this method,' and get to work.

Amazon's warehouse has parts. But it doesn't have judgment. Coming to the site, looking at the condition, choosing the optimal method, and taking responsibility to fix it. This is not 'purchasing goods' but a 'problem-solving service'.

Mirai It's a world that can't be settled by just adding to the cart and clicking.

Kensaku That is a very interesting way to put it. Exactly.

Value lies in 'loss avoidance,' not 'price'

Kensaku Now, let's dig a little deeper into the structure.

What is the customer comparing at this moment? Is it the repair cost?

Mirai Huh, isn't it?

Kensaku No. What they are comparing is the 'loss of downtime'.

The repair cost is 50,000 yen. But if the line stops for one day, it results in a 500,000 yen loss.

Mirai 10 times!?

Kensaku The moment you enter this structure, price competition disappears. It's not about whether 50,000 yen is expensive or cheap, but whether you can avoid a 500,000 yen loss. The small factory is chosen not as a 'cheap repair shop,' but as an 'entity that stops losses'.

Mirai That's why they can't be compared by price. The parts might be cheaper if you buy them on Amazon, but they arrive tomorrow. The cost of that 'until tomorrow' is 500,000 yen.

Kensaku That summary is quite accurate.

Why do they only win 'sometimes'?

Mirai But, you wrote 'sometimes' in the title. Does that mean you can't always win?

Kensaku Sharp observation. That's right. This victory is not stable. Sometimes they are chosen, and sometimes they are not.

Mirai Why?

Kensaku The reason is simple. Because a 'winning structure' has not been designed.

They aren't remembered when there is trouble. It isn't communicated how far they can handle things. Fees are opaque. Response speed is unknown.

Mirai Oh... that's the 'if it's not known, it's the same as not existing' concept we talked about in the corporate article before!

Kensaku Exactly. It has value, but it isn't being communicated. So, only the people who 'happen to know about it' ask for help. They could win, but they only win by chance.

The territory where Amazon cannot enter

Kensaku Let's change our perspective here.

Actually, it's not that the local factory is 'beating' Amazon.

Mirai Huh? They aren't winning?

Kensaku To be precise, they are just fighting in a territory where Amazon cannot enter.

Immediate response is required. Conditions vary by site. Judgment and responsibility are demanded.

In this territory, 'people' are the value, not efficiency. It cannot be optimized by algorithms. It cannot be delivered from a warehouse.

Mirai So local factories are already in places where Amazon can't come.

Kensaku That's right. And this has the exact same structure as the regional travel story we talked about before. 'Don't go after the leading role, but become an overwhelming presence in a place where the leading role cannot come.'

Designing to turn 'sometimes' into 'always'

Mirai Then, what should we do to turn 'sometimes winning' into 'always winning'?

Kensaku You'll want to verify that immediately. There are three things you should do.

First, put it into words. When are you called? What was the deciding factor? Why you instead of others? Extract this from past projects and put it into words.

Mirai So, you properly articulate the 'reasons why we were chosen for some reason'.

Kensaku Second, prepare the entrance. Create a state where it is clearly visible 'where to call when it breaks,' 'how many minutes it will take to arrive,' and 'about how much it will cost.' It could be a website, social media, or a flyer.

Mirai A state where people can remember 'Oh, I should call that place' the moment they are in trouble!

Kensaku Third, present it as a service. Turn 'repairs' into a 'product.' Create a menu and visualize the scope of support and price range.

Mirai From the perspective of the person asking, not knowing how much a repair will cost is the scariest part, after all.

Kensaku The moment you align these three things, 'occasional miracles' turn into 'reproducible services'.

This isn't just about welding.

Mirai This isn't just about welding companies, is it?

Kensaku That's right. Every industry must have those 'moments when you are chosen for some reason'.

For a restaurant, it might be 'that was the only place that let us in without a reservation.' For an architectural firm, 'they handled a sudden change for us.' For a local retailer, 'they were faster than Amazon and even offered advice.'

Mirai It's all about being chosen for the 'person,' not the 'efficiency'.

Kensaku Exactly. And that isn't a weapon to fight Amazon with. It's a map for fighting in places where Amazon cannot go.

Question: What was the situation during your 'moment of victory'?

Kensaku I'll leave you with a question at the end.

In your workplace, what was the situation when you felt, 'We've won'? At that time, why did the other party choose you? Is that reason clearly articulated in words now?

Mirai If it's not put into words, it'll just end up being 'occasional' next time too, right?

Kensaku Exactly. Will you leave those winning moments to chance, or will you design them? This is the turning point.

Mirai Our own outreach is the same. We have to build a 'system to be read' rather than just 'happening to be read'.

Kensaku ...Truly interesting. That's a question that reflects back on us as well.

Mirai Kensaku, your face just got serious (laughs).

Kensaku ...I'm going to start designing the next article.

Mirai x Kensaku We will deliver the 'often overlooked interesting aspects' found in local companies, people, work, and daily life through two perspectives: a 'perspective of discovery' and a 'perspective of interpretation'.

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