Quality
Quality Improvement Initiatives
Quality Management System
Here at Mitsui Chemicals, we make every effort to increase customer satisfaction via a two-pronged approach to quality management, consisting of “built-in quality activities” and “winning customer trust activities.”
Our built-in quality activities are aimed at minimizing discrepancies at every stage of the process, including purchasing, design, logistics and sales as well as manufacturing, to enable every department to provide the same quality of product and service.
Our winning customer trust activities meanwhile are aimed at resolving issues from the customer's perspective, and are spearheaded by the Quality Assurance Department, independently of our sales and manufacturing sections.
Quality management system
Improving the level of quality management
We audit departments throughout the Mitsui Chemicals Group, including at overseas sites, and are committed to providing guidance to help continual improvements. Through the audit, we can quantitatively evaluate the level of quality management within each department, so that we can make improvements and keep things under control. We are also working to improve the level of quality management through general quality management education and training in specific quality control tools.
In fiscal 2011, we undertook a range of measures aimed at maintaining a high level of quality awareness on the frontline, holding seminars inviting customers at each of our works as part of an annual nationwide Quality Month campaign.
Responding to “Voice of customer”
Whenever we receive a complaint from one of our customers regarding our products or services, we respond as quickly as possible, identify the cause of the complaint, and take corrective action, through collaboration between the departments concerned. Details of the cause of the complaint and measures taken are then disseminated throughout the group, so as to prevent any similar issues from occurring in the future.
In fiscal 2011, we carried out preventive activities at worksites on a trial basis, using previous complaints as teaching materials. We are planning to improve teaching materials and build on our experiences in fiscal 2011 so that we can implement more in-depth worksite activities in the future.
We have also developed and are trialing a system that will enable us to respond quickly to customer inquiries regarding chemical substances in the products, using a database containing information on our raw materials and products.
Quality activities on worksites: Initiatives at the Osaka Works
Our Osaka Works is located in the Sakai Senboku Industrial Zone, one of the leading industrial zones in Japan, approximately 20 km south from Osaka. Located in the Kansai region, one of Japan's main commercial areas, and close to Kansai International Airport as well as Osaka and Kobe Ports, the works is ideally situated in terms of logistics too, with easy access overseas including Asia region.
Making the most of advantages such as these, we manufacture petrochemicals, basic chemicals, and high added value products, focusing particularly on propylene and its derivatives. The works is also equipped with a large dock that can accommodate 100,000-ton tankers, enabling us to transport around half of our products and incoming raw materials by sea.
To run the works safely and securely, we need to have systems in place to effectively manage day-to-day activities. We therefore operate a security control system, an environmental management system, an occupational health and safety management system, and a quality management system, and effectively practice PDCA procedures (plan-do-check-act).
We implement quality control and assurance activities aimed at reinforcing quality management capabilities on the worksite, with an emphasis on information sharing, speed and accuracy while taking steps to earn customer trust and providing a standardized level of quality throughout the supply chain. Among other initiatives, we hold quality seminars for our customers. This gives us direct access to the “voice of the customer” and enables us to improve levels of quality awareness amongst frontline workers, as well as helping to improve the overall quality of our products.
We are determined to get each and every one of our employees involved in our quality activities, aiming to transforming the works as a whole as we get to the bottom of any issues, taking a customer-oriented perspective.
