Kodansha, Shogakukan, & Shueisha Teams Up With Marubeni To Deploy A.I. Driven Distribution

Buying and selling firm Marubeni in collaboration with Kodansha, Shogakukan, and SHUEISHA introduced on Thursday, March 24, 2022, that it had launched a three way partnership firm, “PubteX Co., Ltd.” (hereinafter, “PubteX”) on March 11, 2022, to develop a brand new, extra environment friendly distribution technique utilizing AI know-how.

PubteX will serve two functions – Optimizing the quantity of publications via AI and Using RFID (radio frequency identifier) aiming to reform the availability chain of the Japanese publishing business to turn into extra sustainable by accelerating Digital Transformation.

Within the earlier distribution setup, the three corporations would promote their books to a distributor, who would then resell them to shops all through Japan, performing as a form of intermediary in the whole course of.

With the brand new subsidiary, publishing corporations will promote on to shops and, utilizing the A.I. system, will be capable of management the place the books are from binding to supply by way of IC tags within the packaging. This method is meant to help publishing corporations in coping with the growing variety of returns, in addition to to stabilize income.

PubteX will use the software program “o9 Digital Mind Platform” from o9 Options Inc because the system infrastructure for this service. PubteX intends to launch this service in April of 2023.

Extra importantly, PubteX will set up and function a system that enables contributors to enhance the effectivity of stock administration, individually handle stock, and diversify the gross sales situations of books and magazines by using RFID and the information collected from RFID.

The system additionally features a operate to forestall shoplifting in bookstores. The RFID answer service is scheduled to go stay in July 2023.

Moreover, so as to popularise RFID, PubteX will open a showroom at its workplace by the summer time of 2022 as a website to analysis and introduce the capabilities of RFID and associated providers, and it’s anticipated to steer contributors to a greater understanding of the options that RFID can present.

Supply: Marubeni Press Launch