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Quality Management
Quality Management Policy
Thorough implementation of a policy that places top priority on customers' satisfaction and quality of products
The Konica Minolta Quality Management Policy has been established as the basic approach for gaining customer satisfaction and confidence. By sharing this policy with Group companies worldwide, Konica Minolta is ensuring that customers' satisfaction and quality of products are always considered first.
In order to realize this policy, important measures and targets for entire Group have been prepared in the form of a medium-term quality management plan. Each company is working to achieve its targets.
Konica Minolta Quality Policy (excerpts)
The Konica Minolta Group ensures maximum satisfaction and trust by our customers, paying the utmost attention to our customers and giving our top priority to the quality of products and services.
Our concept is to make steady progress in quality based on quantitative measurement and analysis of accurate data. This basic concept is demonstrated in the following affirmation:
- Achieving the industry's top level Customer Satisfaction
- Providing advanced products that satisfy customers' potential needs
- Establishment and development of a global Quality System.
- Quality Management in the total life cycle of products and services
- Continued enhancement of Quality Assurance Process
- Minimization of product quality risks
- Disclosure of product safety information
Quality Management System
Promoting Quality management through the Quality Committee
Konica Minolta Holdings has appointed an executive officer in charge of CSR with the authority and responsibility for Group-wide quality assurance. Directors in charge of quality have also been appointed at each business company and common function company, with the authority and responsibility for quality at their individual operations.
As a body for the control and promotion of Group-wide quality management, Konica Minolta has set up the Quality Committee, which is chaired by the executive officer in charge of CSR and composed of the presidents or the directors in charge of quality from individual companies. The Quality Committee shares quality issues and initiatives from Group companies, and decides on Group-wide policies and measures for quality enhancement. The presidents or the directors in charge of quality take the decisions back to their respective companies, and use them to implement specific initiatives.
Group Quality Management System
Process Improvement Activities
Developing Konica Minolta's own initiatives for quality assurance
Process Improvement Conference
For quality assurance with the goal of improving human resources development and invigorating the organization, Konica Minolta is promoting Process Improvement Activities on a worldwide basis.
These activities represent Konica Minolta's own initiatives comprising small-group activities, QC circle efforts, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM*) activities. They aim to improve productivity not only in the manufacturing area, but also in the areas of development, sales, and management. In recent years, these activities have spread from Konica Minolta production sites in Japan to those in China, and also to partner companies outside the Group. Taken together, these efforts are producing significant results.
Every year, Konica Minolta holds the Group Process Improvement Conference, and QC circles from all over Japan and China are selected to participate. At the conference, success stories are shared and prizes are awarded. The event reminds participants of the importance of quality and the need to further improve quality awareness among all employees. It also helps boost motivation and enables participants to learn from each other.
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- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): Activities carried out by all departments in a company for the purpose of improving the efficiency of production systems. Proposed by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance in 1971.
Taguchi Method for Quality Engineering
Improving efficiency of development, manufacturing and support departments
With the goal of quality reform starting from the development stage, Konica Minolta is promoting the Taguchi method for quality engineering*, which is a technique for realizing efficient technology and new product development. Konica Minolta has achieved numerous successful development cases where efficiency was vastly improved. Quality engineering activities are not limited to development departments, and have also been applied to improve work efficiency in manufacturing and support departments.
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- Taguchi method for quality engineering: A practical technology-based methodology proposed by Dr. Genichi Taguchi for simultaneously realizing high quality and high productivity.
Quality Problem Response
Maintaining a system for prompt and responsive action
In accordance with its primary policy of "customers and quality first," the Konica Minolta Group takes prompt, appropriate, and thorough action when quality problems are discovered, and implements measures to prevent recurrence.
The Group requires its sales and marketing offices around the world to record any cases of quality-related accidents within 24 hours in Konica Minolta's Market Quality Quick Report Database which is operated worldwide. The information is then immediately shared with business companies and Konica Minolta Holding, and, as necessary, promptly reported to the President and CEO from the executive officer in charge of CSR.
In the unlikely event of an emergency accident involving product safety, Konica Minolta will hold its Quality Problem Response Meeting in accordance with its Market Quality Management Rules, and is prepared to take prompt and responsive action.
