Digital Marketing, Operations
How Kobayashi Streamlined Product Development with Workzone’s Project Management Software for Manufacturing
About Kobayashi
Kobayashi is a 100-year-old Japanese consumer products company with U.S. offices near Chicago and Atlanta. Known for its portfolio of niche healthcare and outdoor recreation brands, the company manages complex product development, regulatory approvals, and international manufacturing across teams in the U.S., Japan, and China.
Primary Use Case
Faced with cross-functional projects spanning marketing, manufacturing, legal, regulatory, and supply chain teams, Kobayashi turned to Workzone to centralize artwork, packaging, and labeling approvals, while streamlining full product development workflows across global sites. Over twelve years later, it remains their central hub for managing launches, approvals, and stakeholder visibility.
Previous Solutions
Before Workzone, teams relied on email, spreadsheets, weekly status meetings, and disconnected productivity tools. This fragmented approach slowed coordination, made it difficult to share files across locations, and left stakeholders without clear visibility into project timelines.
Chose Workzone Over
Kobayashi evaluated several tools, including Basecamp, but ultimately selected Workzone because it provided robust project management capabilities layered with markup and approval tools. Unlike simpler platforms, Workzone supported the complexity of cross-functional manufacturing workflows and offered flexibility to evolve with the business.
Overview: A Century-Old Brand, a Growing U.S. Operation
Kobayashi, a 100-year-old Japanese consumer products company, with U.S. offices in Chicago, and north of Atlanta. With a diverse portfolio of niche brands spanning outdoor recreation and healthcare—everything from pain relief products to therapeutic heat patches—Kobayashi manages a complex web of product development, regulatory approvals, and international manufacturing. At the helm of e-commerce and business development is Ted Conley, who leads teams that connect marketing, sales, and manufacturing across multiple global sites.
As the business scaled and project complexity intensified, Ted and his team needed more than email threads and weekly status meetings. They needed a centralized solution. That’s when they turned to Workzone’s project management software for manufacturing—and twelve years later, they’re still relying on it to keep the business moving.
Before Workzone: Fragmented Tools and Sluggish Coordination
Prior to Workzone, Kobayashi’s teams juggled disconnected tools—email, spreadsheets, and makeshift collaboration workarounds. For a company with distributed teams in the U.S., Japan, and China, this setup made it hard to track project status, share files, or align on critical deadlines.
“We had people on multiple sites who needed to see materials and timelines, but we didn’t have a single place to collaborate,” Ted explained. “We were outgrowing our old toolset as we scaled and needed something to help us move faster and stay in sync.”
What ultimately triggered the shift? Growth. “We’ve always been a rapidly growing company, and the pace just demanded a better way to work,” he said.
Implementing Workzone: Connecting Teams, Improving Visibility
After evaluating several tools—including Basecamp—Kobayashi chose Workzone for its combination of robust project management software capabilities and design workflow support. What stood out was the balance between structure and flexibility.
“Workzone offered strong project management layered on top of markup and approval tools. It was more than just a design workflow system—it helped manage actual projects,” Ted said.
Kobayashi now uses Workzone to manage everything from artwork and labeling approvals to full product launches. Departments as varied as marketing, e-commerce, manufacturing, legal, supply chain, and regulatory all interact within the platform. “It’s a central hub,” Ted emphasized. “Everyone—from stakeholders to printers—can find what they need and understand where a project stands.”
The Results: Faster Execution, Better Collaboration, Stronger Control
Since implementing Workzone, Kobayashi has seen significant operational improvements—especially in visibility and team alignment.
“It’s helped us move faster,” Ted shared. “Now, any stakeholder can go into Workzone and see the status of a project, know what the next step is, and when the final materials are due. That kind of clarity reduces back-and-forth and keeps us on schedule.”
For Ted, the reporting tools are key. “I can get a sense of where the scope of projects sits, spot potential delays early, and act before it becomes a problem.”
The platform’s flexibility has also been critical. “We’ve grown a lot and changed how we work. Workzone evolved right alongside us. They listen to feedback and roll out improvements that reflect what we actually need.”
And the support? “Very strong,” Ted noted. “We don’t need it often, but when we do, the team is responsive and knowledgeable.”
Built for Manufacturing Complexity
Kobayashi’s use of Workzone might look different from traditional workflows—and that’s by design. “We were one of the early ones pushing the limits of how the system could be used,” Ted said. “But Workzone adapted to us. That’s what makes it valuable.”
With the ability to customize workflows, track cross-functional collaboration, and maintain accountability across time zones, Workzone’s project management software for manufacturing has become essential to Kobayashi’s success.
“It’s flexible enough to grow with us, and we’ve tailored it to fit the way we do business. That’s hard to find.”
Ready to Streamline Your Manufacturing Projects?
Kobayashi’s story is proof that the right project management software can dramatically improve how manufacturing teams operate—especially when timelines are tight and coordination is complex. Workzone offers a full suite of features tailored for manufacturers: Gantt charts, real-time markups, automated workflows, resource tracking, and reporting—all supported by responsive U.S.-based experts.
Whether you’re managing multiple product lines, coordinating global teams, or preparing for a plant launch, Workzone’s project management software for manufacturing can help you stay ahead.
Get a complimentary demo of Workzone today—and see how it can transform the way your team works.
Book your personalized demo today.