Initiatives for improving quality (TQM)

November has been designated Quality Month. With a focus on the concepts of “Customer First” and “Quality First,” we are working to raise awareness of quality among our employees by holding site inspections by the president, and quality exhibitions displaying quality mottos and posters, and implementing other initiatives.

We have also worked to improve awareness of quality among our employees, regardless of the pandemic, by holding improvement case study meetings online so that employees could participate from the office or home, and by holding a groupwide TQM conference with Shinichi Sasaki, as an authority on “Jikotei Kanketsu”, as special guest.

Site inspection by the president (Forging Plant)

Guest lecture by Shinichi Sasaki, Former Executive Vice President at Toyota Motor Corp.

Every year, we collect customer evaluations of Aichi Steel through a survey rating quality, delivery and service on a five-level scale. If any areas drop below standard, we implement initiatives the following year to improve those areas and improve customer satisfaction.

Although lecture-style group training has been halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are continuing with off-the-job training for new staff members in small groups.

Additionally, to raise the level of knowledge and skills among our new and younger staff members, we are encouraging them to attend external online trainings. To achieve the goal of strengthening each person’s skills and improving our sales management process, the entire Marketing & Sales Headquarters is participating.