GK had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Atsushi Honda, president of Honda Logicom Co., Ltd., about the company’s logistics expertise, people-first approach to recruitment and training, smart use of AI and automation, and its growing international footprint driven by quality, kaizen and regional partnerships.
What has shaped your strong reputation and competitive edge?
Our work with Toyota has strengthened our ability to meet diverse client needs with confidence. We place strong emphasis on employee growth through training, leadership, and recognition. Recruitment is also a major focus, with a hands-on, personal approach to finding and nurturing future talent.
How are you improving efficiency and traceability amid recent logistical challenges?
Although we haven’t been hit hard by labor shortages, we’re adjusting operations to accelerate deliveries and reduce costs. We’re adopting AI to optimize shift planning and gradually integrating automation while balancing it with manual expertise due to budget limits.
What are your expectations for IoL and the future of logistics?
True industry-wide standardization is still difficult in Japan. Yet, our success in Vietnam shows that standardized operations and kaizen-driven processes can transform logistics. We continuously train overseas teams in Japan to instill our quality-first mindset globally.
With your shift toward 3PL and e-commerce, where do you see the most demand?
Demand is growing among SMEs, who struggle with costly full automation. We help them by blending digital tools with analog processes—an approach that ensures sustainability and competitiveness in a changing logistics landscape.
What’s your vision for international expansion?
We’re focusing on Asia, where cultural proximity and regional talent, like our Taiwanese and Korean hires, support growth. We’ve already been asked by major firms in Vietnam to take over logistics, and we’re ready to offer our know-how wherever it’s needed.
