Canon reviewed its production management and streamlined systems developed at each production site across the entire company to establish sophisticated SCM. This resulted in efficient parts-ordering, production, and shipping processes that enable factories across the world to immediately respond to new product designs and order information.

Canon is currently building automated production lines that run nonstop every day of the year. Design, production technology, and manufacturing expertise combine through the sharing of know-how and knowledge to advance development while research is underway targeting total automation.

Canon promotes the in-house development and production of its proprietary key components and key devices. Promoting the in-house production of functional parts and circuit boards, as well as production equipment and molds for lenses and other parts, Canon aims to produce original products as well as reduce costs.

Green Procurement prioritizes the purchase of products with minimal environmental burden. As a parts buyer, Canon issued its Green Procurement Standards in 1997 and began evaluating the chemical substance management of its parts suppliers. Results of chemical evaluations are utilized in the development of new products.

All Canon factories across the world use the cell production system, which eliminates conveyor belt assembly lines in favor of small teams of workers in charge of several procedures, or "cells," to complete a product. The system allows workers to change the number of procedures they do according to skill level and freely adjust production output.

At Canon, "intelli-tech" refers to the tools and equipment created by production workers to make their work more efficient. Today, these innovative, space-saving tools and equipment are appearing at Canon factories around the world-and at a fraction of the previous cost.

Canon's Expert System certifies employees with exceptional work skills. Workers are evaluated according to the number of operations they can perform, specialized knowledge, work speed and other skills. The system contributes to the improvement of cell production quality and productivity.

Canon formally recognizes employees with exceptional skill who have received awards from public institutes as master craftsmen, of which there are currently 24. They apply their outstanding skills to lens polishing, precision machining and other processes, and pass them onto the next generation.