Toyota Motors has temporarily ceased operations in all fourteen Japanese factories following an alleged cyberattack on its key-parts supplier. New York Post claims that the closure has cost the company 13,000 units worth of production loss in a single day.
A spokesperson for Kojima Industries — the main parts vendor for Toyota — claimed that the company had been subjected to “some kind of cyber attack” without going into detail.
Industry experts have pointed out that amid the alleged attack, Toyota’s “just-in-time” production system — whereby parts go straight to the production line rather than being stockpiled — was ineffective.
They believe that such disturbances will continue and that automakers with stockpiled parts will rely on their reserves in these uncertain times.
Impact on Global Market
Toyota is yet to comment on resuming vehicle production in Japan, which contributes to one-third of its global production. With the ongoing supply-chain paralysis in its home country, Toyota’s market share may take a huge hit.
Even though Toyota has production hubs across the globe, but, with a major parts supplier out of commission, production will likely remain stalled in all parts of the world.
