日本語 
AI CROSS Co., Ltd. has partnered with PERSOL CROSS TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd. to support digital transformation (DX) across Japan’s manufacturing and wholesale sectors through AI-powered demand forecasting. The companies signed the partnership agreement in February 2026 and will work together to provide support covering demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and ordering operations using AI CROSS’s Deep Predictor solution.
The partnership combines AI CROSS’s demand forecasting technology with PERSOL CROSS TECHNOLOGY’s experience in system development and digital transformation projects. Instead of introducing AI as a separate tool, the two companies plan to integrate forecasting capabilities into customers’ existing business systems and workflows. Their goal is to improve operational efficiency without disrupting day-to-day operations.
The collaboration comes as manufacturers continue to face labor shortages and growing concerns around knowledge transfer. According to the 2026 White Paper on Manufacturing released by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, only 33.3% of manufacturers said knowledge transfer within their organizations was progressing successfully. At the same time, 85.5% said they were concerned about passing technical expertise on to future generations, highlighting the industry’s ongoing workforce and succession challenges.
Many companies now see AI as a practical way to make demand forecasting, inventory management, and procurement planning more consistent. Even so, AI CROSS said many manufacturers are still hesitant to introduce AI-driven forecasting because they are unsure how difficult it will be to implement and manage.
To better understand those concerns, AI CROSS conducted a survey in July 2026 involving 412 manufacturing professionals. The results showed that 60.7% believed AI demand forecasting required specialist knowledge to implement and operate. Another 58.7% questioned whether the technology could deliver the level of forecasting accuracy they expected, while 56.8% believed it would take more than six months before an AI solution could be fully operational.
The survey also found that 58.7% of respondents spend more than 10 hours every month preparing demand forecasts and managing inventory through spreadsheets. Despite the amount of time involved, many organizations continue to delay AI adoption. High implementation and operating costs, uncertainty about how AI would fit into existing business processes, and a lack of employees with AI expertise were identified as the main reasons.
According to both companies, these issues have slowed not only the adoption of AI but also the transfer of operational knowledge within organizations. They believe AI will only become practical if it is built into existing business processes rather than being treated as a separate technology that requires dedicated specialists to operate.
As part of the partnership, AI CROSS will provide Deep Predictor, its AI-powered demand forecasting platform. The system generates demand forecasts and converts those results into formats that can be used for everyday business tasks, including order quantity calculations. The company said its focus is on fitting AI into customers’ existing operational environments instead of requiring businesses to change the way they work.
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PERSOL CROSS TECHNOLOGY will contribute its experience in business system development and digital transformation projects across the manufacturing and wholesale industries. The company has worked with a wide range of organizations on DX initiatives and has seen increasing demand for solutions that improve demand forecasting and inventory optimization.
Its responsibilities will include integrating AI forecasting into enterprise systems while supporting business process improvements before and after implementation. By combining system development with workflow optimization, PERSOL CROSS TECHNOLOGY aims to help customers use AI-generated forecasts directly within their daily operations instead of relying on separate processes.
Through this collaboration, AI CROSS expects to expand the adoption of Deep Predictor across the manufacturing and wholesale sectors. PERSOL CROSS TECHNOLOGY also plans to strengthen its offerings for existing customers by providing AI-powered demand forecasting together with implementation and operational support
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