BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Chapter 3Expanding BusinessOverseasSection 1 Strengthening Network Management1 Network ManagementIn its 1993 21st-Century Vision, Toyota Tsusho announced its goal of changingfrom being a general trading company to being a value-generating corporation.Positioning the creation of powerful satellite companies as one of the measures toachieve this goal, Toyota Tsusho worked together with each department, domesticand overseas base, and affiliated company, and launched a network managementinitiative to demonstrate comprehensive power through global collaborationcentered on product strategy. This initiative was an attempt to respond to trendssuch as the shift of production overseas, computerization, deregulation, andtechnological innovations. Through this initiative, Toyota Tsusho would worktogether with satellite companies to determine strategies on which products andservices would be supplies to which regions and users, how, and by whom.This network management initiative was clearly demonstrated in businessesrelated to the collection and recycling of resources from end-of-life vehicles.Toyota Metal Co., Ltd., crushed and processed used automobile bodies andseparated and used the shredder dust, while Toyota Recycle Corp. promoted thecollection and recycling of used catalysts. Toyota Tsusho also aimed to deepenits environmental and recycling businesses through network management thatincluded TMC in addition to Toyota Metal Co., Ltd., and Toyotsu Recycle Corp.Network management was also utilized in the rationalization of logistics.Toyotsu Logistics Service Co., Ltd., which became a partner, moved away fromThird shredder machine installed at Toyota Metal(November 1990)Toyota Metal Co., Ltd., receives the First Minister ofInternational Trade and Industry Award for contributions torecycling (October 1992)108