At a webinar earlier this week, FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh offered to help Japanese companies overcome COVID19 challenges through a new method that he called “business critical collaboration”.

Addressing more than 360 Japanese business leaders, Binh noted areas of potential collaboration including cost optimization, rebadging, joint venture and so on.

“Recently, we have upgraded the relationships with many of our Fortune 500 customers. A major US automotive manufacturer has agreed to engage FPT in their major projects, from enhancing software for existing car models to working on new ideas together”, he said.  “This collaboration is not just about profit sharing. It also means sharing challenges so we could navigate the crisis and thrive together”.

 

FPT’s senior executives and guest speakers from Mitsubishi Vietnam, DENSO Manufacturing Vietnam, and JETRO at the webinar on June 24 2020

 

Binh noted four major challenges that Japanese companies are facing as a result of COVID-19, including supply chain disruption, revenue decline, business suspension, and lack of readiness for remote working.

“43 per cent of Japanese firms are struggling to adapt to remote working due to their inadequate IT infrastructure. The rest of the responders have reported that supply chain disruption, revenue decline, and business suspension are among their greatest difficulties during the COVID-19 time.”, he cited a recent survey of  300 business leaders conducted by FPT.

To overcome these challenges, companies in Japan should adopt digital transformation and diversify their supply chain, he suggested.

Holding the same viewpoint, DENSO Manufacturing Vietnam General Director Mr. Mitsuo Ota affirmed: “I believe that geo-diversification in the supply chain together with enhancing digital capabilities can help companies overcome this crisis”.

“Vietnam is a great destination for foreign investment, and Japanese firms could opt for remote offshore model”, said Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Hanoi Office Manager Takeo Nakajima. “I believe that FPT could help Japanese businesses reinvent their supply chain with their capabilities in digital transformation”