What TPiCS Laboratory does

TPiCS Laboratory, Inc. is a privately-held Japanese software company founded in 1984 and headquartered in Tokyo (Sugamo), with a headcount of 11–50 employees. It develops and distributes TPiCS-X, a Windows-based client-server production management system that combines f-MRP (flexible Material Requirements Planning) for repetitive production with seiban (production number) management for made-to-order and one-piece production in a single integrated platform. The product supports multilingual deployment (Japanese, English, Chinese simplified/traditional, Vietnamese) and a GMP compliance option for pharmaceutical and medical-device manufacturers, with core differentiators including custom user-defined fields without programming, Excel-based report templates, lot traceability, multi-location and multi-currency planning, and bidirectional data integration via dedicated transaction tables and a WebAPI.

The company's revenue model rests on three streams: one-time TPiCS-X software licenses priced per active client (with multiple versions 5.2, 5.1, 5.0, 4.1 maintained in parallel), recurring annual maintenance subscriptions across four tiers (Standard 15%, Program 10%, Overseas Program, and Premium/Anshin 30% of base price), and professional services including classroom training seminars held at Sugamo and private on-site training. A material price revision effective June 2026 will raise active-client maintenance to 2/5 of list price from the previous 1/5, effectively doubling recurring revenue per installation. Optional modules (Order & Sales Management, Gantt Charts, Multi-location, Lot Trace, Signal Computer, WebAPI Transaction Interface, SCM, etc.) provide additional one-time license revenue.

TPiCS Laboratory distributes through a certified System Integrator (SI) partner network spanning 26 countries and regions, with the SI channel handling local sales, implementation, and support. As of June 30, 2026, the platform had been adopted by 2,132 companies running 17,119 active client deployments across automotive parts, industrial machinery, electronics, precision manufacturing, metal processing, food, and construction end-markets. The company maintains an expanding partner ecosystem of 10+ integrated technology providers covering shop-floor data capture (Totec Amenity PI-navi, Cosawell FabConnect, Nisicom handhelds, Next Generation China AndroMESForTX), APS scheduling (Asprova, FLEXSCHE), accounting (PCA, OBC, Blue-net), IoT (MicroLink IoT GO), and text-to-speech (AI inside AITalk), plus bundled utilities StiLL and i-Repoter.

Name

TPiCS Laboratory

Legal name

TPiCS Laboratory,Inc.

Website

https://tpics.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TPiCS Laboratory is a privately-held Japanese software company (founded 1984) that develops and distributes TPiCS-X, a Windows-based production management system combining f-MRP and seiban methods, serving 2,132 manufacturers across 26 countries through a certified System Integrator partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses (TPiCS-X): Primary revenue from selling TPiCS-X production management software licenses. Pricing is based on the number of active client licenses deployed. The company offers multiple versions (Ver 5.2, 5.1, 5.0, 4.1) with different pricing.
2. Annual Maintenance Services: Four tiers of maintenance services: Standard (15% of base price/year), Program (10%/year), Overseas Program (varies), and Premium/Anshin (30%/year). Services include free version updates, phone/email support, remote support, and hard key replacement.
3. Training Seminars: Revenue from classroom training courses (業務コース, 個別生産コース, システムコース) held at the Sugamo location. Courses include Basic Courses, Individual Production Courses, and System Courses with pricing at 50,000 JPY per course for non-subscribers.
4. User Manuals: Sales of TPiCS-X user manuals for different versions. Manual pricing varies by version (Ver 5.2 manuals at 7,000 JPY, Basic Course volumes at 2,000 JPY each).
5. Version Upgrades: Free version upgrades for active maintenance subscribers; paid upgrades for those without current maintenance coverage (with discount available after subscribing for required period).
6. Optional Features/Modules: Additional revenue from optional modules including: Order & Sales Management, Gantt Charts by Department, Multi-location, Process Management, Inventory Management, Pull Production, One-piece Production, BOM Conversion, Set Production, Auto-leveling, Production History, Internal Controls, Start Signal, Transaction Interface, SCM, Delivery Date Response, Substitution Production, Resource Management, and Quote Management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TPiCS Laboratory develops and sells TPiCS-X, a production management system for manufacturing companies that combines f-MRP (flexible Material Requirements Planning) for repeat production with seiban (production order) management for custom and make-to-order production. The system enables demand-responsive yet stable production through customizable user fields, Excel-based report templates, multi-location planning, lot traceability, and bidirectional integration with ERP and other business systems. It is sold via one-time software licenses with recurring annual maintenance subscriptions and supported by a System Integrator partner network.

Product overview

TPiCS Laboratory offers TPiCS-X, an attack-type production management system (攻撃型生産管理システム) designed for manufacturing companies to achieve fast, low-cost, demand-responsive yet stable production. The core product TPiCS-X supports three complementary production management approaches: f-MRP (flexible MRP) for repetitive/forecast-driven production, Production Number Management (製番管理) for made-to-order and custom production, and Single-Piece Production (一品生産) for project-based manufacturing. These operate as a unified system, switching per item, enabling hybrid manufacturing environments. TPiCS-X is sold as a single product with multiple standard optional modules (オプション) including Order & Sales Management, Gantt Chart by Department, Multi-Location, Process Management, Warehouse Management, Pull Production (Kanban), BOM Conversion, Set Production, Automatic Leveling, Production History/Lot Trace, Internal Controls, Signal Computer (着手信号機), Transaction Interface with WebAPI, SCM, Delivery Lead Time Response, Alternative Production, Resource Management, and Quote Management. Bundled utilities include StiLL, i-Repoter, and AlTalk. Three bundled companion products (StiLL, i-Repoter, AlTalk) extend functionality. Maintenance services (Standard, Program, Overseas Program, Anshin) and training courses (Regular, Private, Advanced SI) are sold separately. The system is available in Japanese, English, Chinese (simplified/traditional), and Vietnamese.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TPiCS-X: Core production management system - an aggressive production management system designed for manufacturing companies to achieve fast, low-cost, and responsive yet stable production through f-MRP functionality
• f-MRP製番管理システム
• S番号生産システム

Products and services

• TPiCS-X Production Management System Attack-type production management system that enables fast, low-cost, demand-responsive yet stable production for manufacturing companies. Supports f-MRP for repetitive production, Production Number Management (製番管理) for made-to-order, and Single-Piece Production for custom manufacturing within a single integrated platform.
• TPiCS-X Maintenance Services (保守サービス) Four-tier annual maintenance service (Standard, Program, Overseas Program, and Premium/Anshin) covering version upgrades, phone/email support, remote support, hardkey replacement, on-site visits, and discounted training.
• TPiCS-X Training Courses (研修会) Classroom training courses (Basic, Individual Production, and System tracks) for end users and System Integrator partners, delivered at the company's Tokyo Sugamo training center or as on-site private sessions at customer locations.
• TPiCS-X Optional Modules (オプション) Modular add-on capabilities including Order & Sales Management, Gantt Charts, Multi-Location, Process Management, Warehouse Management, Pull Production, BOM Conversion, Set Production, Automatic Leveling, Lot Trace, Internal Controls, Signal Computer, Transaction Interface (WebAPI), SCM, Delivery Lead Time Response, Alternative Production, Resource Management, and Quote Management.
• TPiCS-X User Manuals Printed user manuals and Basic Course volumes for TPiCS-X versions, sold as standalone documentation products in Japanese.

Named customers24 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability3 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and regional.

• トーテックアメニティ株式会社 (Totec Amenity Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides PI-navi production performance collection system that integrates with TPiCS-X. Enables real-time production performance data collection using tablets, supporting paperless operations and production instruction display at the shop floor level.
• 株式会社コサウェル (Cosawell Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides FabConnect process management system for TPiCS-X, designed for 'small start DX' in manufacturing. Works with KEYENCE DX series handheld terminals for real-time progress visibility, lot traceability, and quality management.
• ニシコム株式会社 (Nisicom Corporation)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationProvides handheld terminal-based production performance input system for TPiCS-X. Features include receiving inspection, production performance, inventory, and transfer management with low-cost implementation.
• Next Generation ChinaregionalTechnology or IntegrationProvides AndroMESForTX WMS and production performance input system for Chinese factories. Android-based handheld terminal system with bilingual support (Japanese/Chinese), leveraging 20 years of TPiCS implementation experience.
• 株式会社マイクロリンク (Microlink Corporation)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationProvides IoT GO cloud service that connects to TPiCS-X for manufacturing machine monitoring. Supports IoT from one machine with low monthly costs, with optional installation services.
• アスプローバ株式会社 (Asprova Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides Asprova APS production scheduler that integrates with TPiCS-X. Supports constraint-based optimal production planning with high-speed calculation and optional Solver for automated optimization.
• 株式会社フレクシェ (Flexsche Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides FLEXSCHE production scheduler integrating with TPiCS for visual scheduling and load balancing. Features flexible modeling and easy-to-use interface for diverse manufacturing needs.
• ピー・シー・エー株式会社 (PCA Corporation)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationProvides PCA Accounting series with cloud and on-premise options that integrates with TPiCS-X for accounts payable/receivable data export and financial management synchronization.
• 深圳網藍通用科技有限公司 / ブルーネット (Blue-net)regionalTechnology or IntegrationProvides accounting system interface for Chinese factories connecting TPiCS-X accounts payable/receivable data to Chinese accounting systems, enabling consolidated financial reporting.
• AI inside株式会社 (AI inside)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationProvides AITalk text-to-speech integration for TPiCS-X, enabling voice announcements for production start signals when materials are ready or status changes occur.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FLEXSCHE Corporation: Japanese developer of FLEXSCHE production scheduler that integrates with TPiCS-X. Both serve Japanese manufacturers needing flexible modeling and visual scheduling for diverse production environments, making FLEXSCHE a directly comparable scheduling-side peer.
• Asprova Corporation: Japanese developer of Asprova APS, an advanced production scheduling system that integrates bidirectionally with TPiCS-X. Both target Japanese manufacturers with mixed-mode production and are commonly deployed in the same factory stack, making Asprova the closest comparable product-line peer.

Broad incumbents

• Prodel Software (Proaxia): European vendor of production planning and detailed scheduling software with a long Japanese market presence. Comparable as a global MES/APS offering competing for the same Japanese mid-market production management wallet share that TPiCS addresses.
• AVEVA (AVEVA MES / PI System): Global industrial software vendor with manufacturing execution and operations management offerings that overlap with TPiCS's production management scope, especially for process and regulated manufacturers.
• Siemens Digital Industries (Opcenter / Opcenter Execution): Global MES incumbent offering Opcenter (formerly Camstar / SIMATIC IT) for production management. Competes with TPiCS for manufacturers seeking unified MES/MRP capabilities, particularly in subsidiaries of multinationals operating in Japan and East Asia.
• Mitsubishi Electric (e-F@ctory): Major Japanese factory automation and IT vendor offering the e-F@ctory suite, which includes MES, SCADA, and production management functionality. Competes with TPiCS in the broader Japanese manufacturing software market, especially for FA-integrated deployments.
• Hitachi Industrial (Lumada Manufacturing): Hitachi's manufacturing software portfolio (built around Lumada and JP1) competes with TPiCS in Japanese factory digital transformation programs, particularly for OEMs and tier-1 suppliers that TPiCS also targets.
• Dassault Systèmes (DELMIA): DELMIA offers MES, production planning, and shop floor execution solutions that compete with TPiCS-X for manufacturers seeking integrated PLM-MES-ERP capabilities, particularly in automotive and industrial machinery segments.
• Yokogawa Electric (MES / Operations Management): Japanese industrial automation and MES incumbent serving process and discrete manufacturers. Comparable as a much larger competitor offering overlapping production management capabilities, particularly to large Japanese manufacturers that TPiCS also serves.

Regional players

• Obic Business Consultants (OBC): Major Japanese accounting and ERP software vendor whose products integrate with TPiCS-X (勘定奉行). Comparable as a regional Japanese business software incumbent that overlaps with TPiCS in factory back-office and financial reporting workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TPiCS Laboratory