As tensions between economic superpowers China and the United States intensify, companies are ramping up efforts to secure stable supply networks. At an online Next-Generation Global Supply Chain Forum held on Friday, corporate representatives and a researcher exchanged views on challenges and countermeasures. Panasonic Connect Co. President Yasu Higuchi emphasized that effective management during normal times is fundamentally crucial.
Amid deepening tensions between China and the United States, and rising concerns over supply chain instability, companies are intensifying efforts to build resilient networks. The online Next-Generation Global Supply Chain Forum on Friday featured discussions among executives and experts on these issues and potential solutions.
Panasonic Connect Co. President Yasu Higuchi stressed that "fundamentally, supply chains being managed effectively even during normal times is far more crucial." He warned that poor management leads to operational inefficiencies with significant business impacts, urging executives to take proactive roles beyond delegating to departments.
Tadatsugu Konoike, director and senior managing executive officer for overseas business at Konoike Transport Co., shared insights from Germany, where he is currently stationed to study local practices. He highlighted how advanced German firms standardize product information, such as warehouse and factory inventory levels, and manage it efficiently with AI and other technologies. "Supply chain management must be implemented top-down," he stated.
Ayako Kawai, professor in the Faculty of Economics at Gakushuin University, critiqued Japanese companies' factory shifts from China to Southeast Asia as short-term responses lacking medium- to long-term vision. She argued, "It is time to consider the overall architecture [of supply chains]." Kawai also noted that data held by logistics firms could aid improvements and stressed their role in acting on it. Konoike replied that such data offers business opportunities for logistics providers.
The forum underscored the need for collaborative corporate strategies to enhance supply chain sustainability.
