Panasonic Announces Preparations for Stock Exchange Listing of its Supply Chain Management Business

Panasonic Holdings Corp. said its board of directors has resolved to commence preparations for a potential stock exchange listing of the supply chain management business operated by Panasonic Connect Co.

With the introduction of the operating company system, Panasonic said it aims “to strengthen its competitiveness by enabling each operating company to act more independently and to thoroughly implement autonomous management. Following, it was decided that based on the business characteristics and market environment, a stock exchange listing of the SCM business would be the optimal way to accelerate growth globally by utilizing the capital markets.”

It continued: “In recent years, the external environment surrounding the supply chain has been changing significantly and is becoming more complex due to recent geopolitical uncertainty, the pandemic, and changes in consumer behavior. Moreover, as the expected needs of enterprises for supply chain management solutions are increasing, and its market is expected to expand rapidly, competition for strengthening of R&D and investing in M&A have become more fierce in this field. Against this backdrop, the company believes that nimbly executed investment will enable it to expand the areas where it can make a positive contribution to society by providing SaaS, cloud-based solutions that can be implemented flexibly and swiftly to meet a variety of challenges faced by enterprises.

“In the SCM business, while leveraging the strengths of the Panasonic Group, the Company will aim to achieve differentiation of Blue Yonder’s SaaS solutions in order to secure higher growth and profitability. As an initiative to that end, the Company will first aggressively strengthen R&D and invest in M&A, and further strengthen the talent and competitiveness of Blue Yonder by furthering its SaaS business and markets in the US and Europe.

“In addition, the Panasonic Group’s technological and workflow capabilities will be used to strengthen operational data linkage to increase the business value of its SaaS offerings. Specifically, the company has built a feedback loop that incorporates on-site data obtained from its sensing technology, industrial engineering capabilities cultivated in the manufacturing industry, and onsite optimization solutions into Blue Yonder’s AI-driven software platform to enable operational execution in real time.

“Furthermore, by accumulating firsthand experience through the introduction of Blue Yonder solutions within the Panasonic Group and expansion to customers in the Japan market, the company aims to enhance Blue Yonder’s solutions, expand horizontally from Japan to other markets, and scale the business. In the Japanese market, the company will leverage the Panasonic Group’s customer base and brand to further expand sales of its SaaS solutions.

“In order to further strengthen competitiveness and elevate the business to the next level, the company has determined that a stock exchange listing of the SCM business is an optimal way to accelerate growth globally by utilizing the capital markets, and will begin preparations for a stock exchange listing centered around Blue Yonder. By listing the SCM business, the listed company aims to expand on its leadership position by creating solutions that will revolutionize the digital supply chain through R&D, M&A and talent investments to achieve growth plans. Furthermore, the listed company aims to contribute to a more sustainable society through the elimination of wastefulness and stagnation in the entire supply chain, thus reducing the global environmental footprint by helping customers reduce energy consumption.”