TOKYO -- Toyota Motor scored a major profit jump for the January-March quarter even as the global semiconductor shortage squeezes its rivals by applying its flagship philosophy of kaizen -- the pursuit of continuous efficiency improvement -- to its supply chains.
But with chips only expected to increase in importance in an industry shifting toward electric and self-driving cars, the automaker is now considering taking a step further by departing from its "just-in-time" approach to plan orders years in advance to ensure access to the crucial component.
