This book proposes the theory of dual (analogdigital) transformation (ADX) as a new framework for business transformation in the digital era, highlighting leading Japanese manufacturing firms. At its foundation, the book presents two core perspectives, the three-core competence strategy and the architecture strategy, which explain how firms build and reconfigure organizational capabilities in response to technological change. By tracing the evolution of manufacturing architecture and competence development, the book shows how analog and digital systems can coexist and reinforce each other.
While digital transformation (DX) has gained global attention, the enduring strength of Japanese manufacturing lies in its continued evolution through analog transformationthe refinement of craftsmanship, process integration, and tacit knowledge. The book examines how current IT technologies, including data analytics, IoT, and AI, are reshaping the traditional foundations of monozukuri (Japanese manufacturing), and how firms can align IT architecture and organizational competences to sustain innovation in the AI era.
Beyond the conventional framework of digitization, digitalization, and DX, this book proposes ADX as the next step for firms rooted in collaborative monozukuria model integrating analog excellence with digital innovation. Sustainable competitiveness emerges not from replacing analog systems, but from combining the two.
Through multiple cases of Japanese firms, the book demonstrates how Japanese manufacturers are restructuring capabilities, bridging management and production, and achieving deep analogdigital integration. Ultimately, it offers a roadmap for traditional manufacturing firms to evolve their IT strategies and thrive in the age of AI and organizational reinvention.
AnalogDigital Transformation (ADX): Reframing Manufacturing
Transformation in the Digital Era.- A Systematic Review of Advanced
Manufacturing Technologies (AMT).- AnalogDigital Transformation (ADX):
Concept and Framework.- The Three Core Competence Strategies.- Architecture
Strategy for Organizational Renewal.- IT Infrastructure I: CAD and PLM as the
Foundation of Product Design Integration.- IT Infrastructure II: MRP and
Production Planning Systems.- IT Infrastructure III: ERP as Enterprise
Integration Architecture.- IT Infrastructure IV: SCM Systems and Value Chain
Coordination.- IT Infrastructure V: CRM Systems and Customer Integration.- IT
Infrastructure VI: IoT, AI, Cloud, and the Intelligent Enterprise.- Genba
Scientist: The Yamaha Case.- Citizen Development and Digital Platforms: The
WingArc1st Case.- Platform-Based Semiconductor Transformation: The Firm-R
Case.- AI as an Integrative Interface: The Airion Case.- Digital Skill
Architecture: The Skillnote Case.- DX Human Capital and Hybrid Capability
Formation.- Conclusion: The Future of ADX and Intelligent Manufacturing.
Dr. Young Won Park is a Professor of the Faculty of Economics, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Saitama University and an Endowed Chair Professor of the Management Education and Research Center at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He holds a Ph.D. degree in the Department of Advanced Social and International Studies from the University of Tokyo, Japan. His articles have been published in journals including Management Decision, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Technology Management, International Journal of Information Management, Business Horizons, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Benchmarking: An International Journal, International Journal of Services and Operations Management, International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, International Journal of Business Excellence, International Journal of Procurement Management, Akamon Management Review, Japan Academy of International Business Studies, Japanese Society for Science and Technology Studies, and the Japan Society of Information and Communication Research. He has received research awards including a Certificate for Highly Cited Research in Business Horizons, Dissertation Paper Awards from the Japan Association for Social Informatics (JASI), Best Paper Awards from The Japan Society of Information and Communication Research (JSICR), Research Awards of the Social Science Field from The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation (TAF) and Research Students Awards of the Social Science Field from The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation (TAF). His research interests are in technology management, Global Strategy and IT strategy, and global supply chain management.
Dr. Hiroki Kikuchi is an Associate Professor of the Faculty of Economics, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Saitama University, Japan. He previously served as a Lecturer (20202025) and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2025 at the Faculty of International Politics and Economics, Nishogakusha University. He received his Ph.D. in Management from the University of Tokyo, Japan, in 2023. His doctoral research, The Evolution of Technological Systems and Society/Organization, examines the interaction between technological development and organizational and social structures. His research has been published in academic journals including Annals of Business Administrative Science, Akamon Management Review, Management Review: An International Journal, and other scholarly outlets. His work covers a range of topics such as technological trajectories and the social shaping of technology, with empirical studies including the evolution of the Shinkansen and industrial technological systems. His recent publications include research on technological frames and literature reviews integrating organizational theory with digital transformation. His research interests lie in technology management, organizational theory, innovation and technological evolution, and IT utilization in organizations, with a particular focus on the interaction between technological systems and organizational structures.
