Sustainability
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Product Safety/Quality Improvement

As the best partner for our customers, we will endeavor to deliver trustworthiness and satisfaction to the whole world, being sure to embody various requests for quality, safety, and productivity.

Quality Management

We have in place an ISO 9001-based quality control system that includes the promotion of measures to improve product quality and safety.

Quality policy details

We strive to improve quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction (CS) through continuous improvement of our quality management system (QMS).

  1. Provision of products and services that satisfy our customers

    • Improving technology and providing safe and highly productive products

    • Confirmation of contract details and sharing of information in documents

    • Establishment of system for handling complaints and thorough prevention of any recurrence

    • CS improvements

  2. High-quality manufacturing

    • Reliability-ensuring designs based on theories and principles (reliability engineering)

    • Reduction of quality risk through design reviews, verification, and validation

    • Reflection of product safety and Hirata Standard (Hirata internal standards) in products

    • Product perfection improvements by inspection standard clarification

    • Thorough supplier and design change management

    • Improvements in management/enhancement activities and problem-solving capabilities using statistical management methods

  3. Establishment of standardization and commonality in high-mix. low-volume production

    • Promotion of standardization

    • Promotion of commonality of parts

    • Promotion of unitization

    • Proactive development and management of products (mass produced products)

Quality Management Promotion Framework

Quality Management System (QMS)

Specific QMS Efforts

Utilization of PDCA Quality Management System

Having obtained ISO 9001 certification, we promote standardization by establishing procedures for each process from order acceptance, design and development, procurement, manufacturing, and assembly to shipping and packing to stabilize quality and prevent defects. In addition, we carry out activities with an awareness of a PDCA cycle, including monitoring of quality conditions such as complaints and continuous improvement based on the results of activities such as customer satisfaction (CS) surveys and management reviews.

Implementation of ISO Internal Audits and Quality Management System Audits of Our Suppliers

Evaluating effectiveness and suitability through annual ISO internal audits, the Company utilizes its QMS in its efforts to prevent quality defects, in addition to taking reliable corrective actions, by providing corrective guidance as appropriate. By conducting audits of the quality management systems of suppliers that we do business with and building a system that can guarantee the quality of each part incorporated in our products, we are working to provide safer and more reliable products.

Knowledge Acquisition That Leads to Improvements in Quality Awareness and Product Reliability

We deliver trustworthiness and satisfaction to our customers. With this in mind, we plan and implement a range of educational programs that lead to improved quality awareness and product reliability. Basic product safety education is conducted annually by qualified qualified safety assessors (Company employees) by means of case studies. In fiscal 2023, with the aim of strengthening risk assessment in product safety, a seminar was held featuring an external lecturer who spoke about how to estimate the PL (Performance Level) for the safety-related equipment section of a control system.

Program name Purpose/Content Number of participants
Basic Education for Quality Management (Introduction to ISO 9001, ISO Auditor) In addition to acquiring basic knowledge about ISO 9001, this program deepens understanding of ISO, such as the effects of unifying business processes and the importance of a PDCA cycle. 57
QC Methodology Education (Reason Analysis, 7 QC Tools) For acquiring skills in analyzing collected data, analyzing factors, and identifying root causes of problems, leading to early resolution of problems and improvement of the effectiveness of recurrence-prevention measures. 101
Inspector Training In addition to acquiring the basic knowledge of inspection work, cultivating the mindset as an inspector will lead to the prevention of outflow of quality defects by improving the reliability of the inspection process. 41
Human Error Prevention Education By incorporating the idea of preventing human errors, we will revitalize the creation of a mechanism that prevents mistakes from occurring. 78
Basic Product Safety Education (Machinery Safety, Electrical Safety, and Product Risk Assessment) Raises the level of basic knowledge about product safety and raises safety awareness. 470
Approach to PL Estimation for the Safety-related Section of a Control System (taught by external lecturer) Students learn the concept of PL based on ISO 13849-1, how to estimate PL using SISTEMA (software), providing them with an opportunity to acquire the knowledge necessary for conducting future product risk assessments. 36

Building an Improvement System That Reflects Customer Feedback
The Company listens to opinions and suggestions through all departments that have opportunities to interact with customers.
In line with the goals of our Sustainability Activity Plan to be realized by 2030, we aim to achieve an average score of 4.5 or higher in customer satisfaction surveys and are taking measures based on the feedback and requests received from our customers.
Furthermore, in order to clarify the issues, we asked more customers to cooperate in the survey in fiscal 2023 and received 64 responses, with an average score of 3.74 points for all evaluation items.