Pandemic Forces Digital Change on Japan’s Analog Businesses
- Japanese businesses are being yanked into the 21st century
- Manual entry, fax machines and approval stamps are going away
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The coronavirus pandemic may be a drag on economies across the globe, but in Japan it’s bringing long-overdue change in work habits and tools.
About 90% of Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co.’s non-manufacturing employees have worked from home. Department-store chain Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. is using video chats to offer shopping suggestions online, while smaller enterprises are embracing digital tools. Digital signatures are finally taking hold, replacing official stamps and seals.