Digital Transformation (DX)

Akihiko Fujita

Senior Executive Officer
Digital Transformation Committee Chair

Driving Supply Chain Transformation through Flexible and Actionable DX Promotion
In “integration 1.0,” our medium-term management plan launched in April 2024, DX (digital transformation) has been positioned as one of our key areas of focus. As a trading company with a global presence, the Company is driving DX throughout the organization by fully utilizing the diverse industry expertise it has cultivated, trusted relationships with partners, and the abundant resources and specialization of its Group companies. Through Groupwide collaboration, we provide optimal solutions to the complex and diverse challenges faced by our customer companies, aiming to transform the entire supply chain. To achieve this, we are strengthening our DX promotion framework by focusing on the three pillars of training, budget, and practice.
　In terms of training, in fiscal 2026, we will launch a new Groupwide DX training program that will focus on developing each employee’s ability to identify and solve on-site issues, so that they can become drivers of transformation. We will invite external experts to design and conduct the courses and provide a practical curriculum structure with a step-by-step educational program, which will cover everything from basic knowledge to extracting and proposing improvements to workplace issues—and will also regularly incorporate their feedback and opinions. By having DX training participants plan and formulate new DX projects within their respective operational departments, we will accelerate DX throughout the Company. Furthermore, members of Kanematsu Seed Port, Ltd., which was established in April 2025, will also support development through collaboration with the current business division in promoting the development of DX projects.
　In terms of budget, we have established a DX investment category and execution standards applicable across the Company, separate from the typical departmental and project budgets, creating an environment that encourages new initiatives without hindering the efforts of employees. By significantly reducing financial barriers, multiple field-originated proof-of-concept (PoC) projects and new business creations have been launched without placing excessive burdens on Group companies or sites. This is also fostering a corporate culture where employees are encouraged to take on challenges without fear of failure.
　In terms of practice, we are promoting a two-tiered approach consisting of the “DX Dojo,” where diverse operational challenges and ideas submitted from field sites and Group companies can be openly discussed and refined across roles and departments, and the DX Committee that evaluates whether to proceed with proof-of-concept initiatives matured in the DX Dojo. This structure enables us to quickly gather and refine frontline insights and challenges, while members of the IT Planning Department’s DX Promotion Section act as advisors to further shape ideas into practical applications and develop them into PoC projects for technical validation. We have also established the DX Committee Chair Award this fiscal year as a new initiative to encourage frontline employees to actively engage in DX activities on top of their regular duties. By awarding effective DX promotion measures, we provide opportunities to identify issues within our own departments and encourage those on the front lines to take on even greater challenges.
　Through mutual reinforcement of efforts in training, budgeting, and practice, we are advancing DX initiatives, enhancing employee and customer engagement, and reinforcing our position as a digital trading company. Going forward, we will continue to work toward further transformation in collaboration with our employees and customers through flexible and effective DX promotion.