Toyota Tracking 13,000 Suppliers in Japan

Toyota Motor Corp. is monitoring parts production at 13,000 suppliers in Japan in an effort to help it respond quickly to natural disasters, The Nikkei reports.

Toyota is closely monitoring 4,000 "essential" components, according to the newspaper. It says the carmaker's tracking system encompasses some 30,000 manufacturing facilities and extends as far as 10th-tier suppliers.

Nissan Motor Co. has developed a similar early warning system. Its database immediately indicates how a disaster would impact car production on a model-by-model basis. The company says its system can restore a disrupted supply chain within a few weeks.

Both monitoring systems were developed in the wake of Japan's earthquakes and tsunami four years ago. The disruptions of those disasters were felt throughout Japan's auto industry for six months.