Quality Improvement
Epson conducts activities to improve the quality of its products, services, manufacturing and sales in order to provide quality that exceeds customer expectations and earns their trust.
- Supplier Quality Assurance
- Quality Control Improvement in Manufacturing Processes
- Global Sharing of Service & Support Information
- Improvement of Employee Quality Control Skills
Supplier Quality Assurance
Epson internally manufactures key components such as printheads for inkjet printers. At the same time, our suppliers also provide us with many of the parts needed for manufacturing. Therefore, our quality assurance programs go beyond the Epson Group. We share our approach to quality with our suppliers and work with them to improve quality.
For example, we stipulate our basic quality assurance policies and requirements in quality assurance standards, verify the quality of parts by visiting suppliers, and give them advice about ways to improve.
Quality Control Improvement in Manufacturing Processes
The role of manufacturing processes is to create products that accurately reflect the voice of the customer captured in product plans and designs. In manufacturing processes, we build products that meet specified quality requirements. We specify a lot of quality controls for product components and processes. Quality control engineers are sent to manufacturing sites worldwide to introduce quality improvement activities so that we can strictly manage required controls at the sites and assure quality.
We collaborate with local engineers to solve problems logically, develop the talents of manufacturing professionals, and improve quality at plants around the world.
Global Sharing of Service & Support Information
Epson has built service and support organizations around the world so that our customers can use our products and services with confidence. We hold an annual Epson Group Services and Support Conference that is attended by people in charge of these functions at our overseas regional sales headquarters and some sales companies. The purpose of the meeting is to improve the quality of our service and support. At the meeting, we share technical information about service and support, as well as about the use of our products and services by customers. We also review actions and discuss issues to formulate long-term strategies. The results of the meeting are used in our Group companies around the world.
Improvement of Employee Quality Control Skills
Education and Training
Epson provides quality control training to all employees so that they can help improve quality. Manufacturing personnel, engineers, and office workers separately receive training for the basics of QC first. After that, they receive systematic training to learn the skills required to fulfill their duties and participate in E-kaizen programs (see below).
In addition, we train and certify QC trainers at overseas production sites and certify trainers so that our overseas employees can receive the same level of training as our employees in Japan.
Epson aims to develop people who are able to identify and address the root causes of problems so that we can produce and sell products and services that exceed customer expectations.
Standard QC Courses for All Employees (FY2023, Japan)
| Training | People newly trained | % trained |
|---|---|---|
| QC Introduction | 365 | 87％ |
| QC-ABC | 315 | 74％ |
| Region | Number of Production Sites with Licensed Trainers | Licensed Trainers1 |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Asia | 7 companies | 76 |
| China | 4 companies | 40 |
1Number of licensed trainers as of March 31, 2024.
Kaizen Activities
The entire Epson Group participates in continuous improvement activities. Called "E-Kaizen" at Epson, these activities are used by both teams and individuals to solve problems.
Epson holds an annual Worldwide Team Presentations conference at which the best teams from each of four blocs (Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe/ America) present the results of their kaizen activities. Their accomplishments are judged, and the teams that report the most outstanding accomplishments are recognized with awards. In addition to sharing kaizen presentations within each bloc, Epson reports best activities in the company newsletter and on the company intranet to motivate others to learn and make their own improvements.
2023年度の「ワールドワイドチーム事例発表大会」は4年ぶりに一堂に会しての開催となりました。日本から3社4チーム、東南アジアから3社4チーム、中国から2社4チーム、欧米より1チームの計13チームが参加しました。審査の結果、中国の生産拠点であるEpson Engineering (Shenzhen) Limitedの「北斗ナビゲーション」チームの活動テーマ「環境負荷低減を実現する洗浄工程の改革」が最優秀テーマと決定し、社長賞が授与されました。
Activities to Raise Awareness
エプソンは、経営理念にある「お客様を大切に」することとはどのようなことかを考え、社員全員が自らの業務の質を振り返る機会として、毎年11月を「CS・品質月間」と定め、ワールドワイドに活動を展開しています。
2023年度は、「基本を守った確かな仕事 高めよう品質 増やそうエプソンファン －自分にとって「仕事の基本」とはなんですか－」をスローガンとして掲げ、活動を展開しました。
デジタル活用や生産自動化など、ものづくりプロセスが進化する中で、より確かな品質の製品・サービスを通じてお客様価値を提供していくためには、社員ひとり一人が自らの業務の質を高めることが大切と考えています。これに向け、2023年度のCS・品質月間では、品質保証部門長を中心としたワークショップや、社内ベストプラクティスの展開、また職場での対話会などを通じて、社員ひとり一人が業務の質を高めるために抑えるべき仕事の基本について、改めて考える取り組みを行いました。
私たちはこのような活動を通じ、「お客様を大切にする」ことにとどまらず、ステークホルダーの皆様から「いい会社だね」と言っていただき、ファンになってもらえることを目指して業務に努めています。
