As Japan gears up for its busiest beer-drinking season, the country’s largest brewer is struggling to stay on tap — with its systems still crippled more than a month after a cyberattack disrupted its supply chain.
The ransomware attack on Asahi disabled its internal system that handled all orders and shipments online. As an emergency measure, the company reverted to processing them manually — in person, over the phone, and even by fax, a technology largely considered obsolete in modern business.
The shift has severely slowed operations, with shipments currently at just 10% of normal levels, according to an Asahi spokesperson. The timing couldn’t be worse: December is typically its strongest month with Super Dry alone accounting for 12% of its annual sales volume.
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