Author Satoshi Nagashima and Kenji Nakamura

Enhanced product performance and added functions accompanying diversification in customer needs, the necessity to adapt to local conditions linked to expansion of sales territories to the emerging nations and other markets, divergence in variables surrounding products, growing uncertainty in the development sector. As these and other demands come to be increasingly placed on corporate limited development resources, efforts to raise business certainty will see greater importance connected to the ability to maintain effective balances between the “foresight” to discern diversifying future needs, the “draw” required to usher market needs into in-house strategies and the ”readiness” to address such diversified wants in minimum periods of time.

Among companies active on the global stage, there are many that excel in the effective mobilization of such “foresight,” “draw” and “readiness” to forge independent positions for themselves on the marketplace. In this report, examples of businesses that fit the aforementioned description are used to punctuate discussions of the essentials for Japanese companies in effectively managing such uncertainty, striving to ultimately make the transition to the status of true global players.