Persuit of Value
Reliable Quality
We have implemented an initiative we call Ippatsu-kando
to ensure that top priority is placed on quality during manufacturing
processes.
The aim of the Ippatsu-kando initiative is to manufacture
products of consistent quality first time. In the past, all areas
from development through to manufacturing departments followed a
process where a prototype was made to required specifications, tested,
inspected, and then modified where needed. However, we would sometimes
receive complaints from customers, even with products that had been
manufactured to the required specifications.
Under the Ippatsu-kando initiative, quality is assumed
to be the result of correct functionality rather than just from
meeting particular specifications. The criterion is market opinion
or customer feedback. Based on the Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
method, we carefully study what functions are valued by the market
and customers, and then propose potential new value that would be
unique to our product. This proposal is translated into a technical
theme at the development phase and used when designing the product,
as well as in quality control and product evaluation during manufacture.
All departments cooperate closely in product development, making
effective use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) and three-dimensional
computer-aided design (3D-CAD) during quality engineering (QE) as
a way to evaluate its quality. Following our Ippatsu-kando
initiative, all departments at Alps Electric now make concerted
efforts to design and manufacture products according to customer
usage. As a result, we were able to half the time needed for product
development and have vastly reduced the rate of product defects
in fiscal 2006.
(*) Ippatsu-kando is a term devised by Alps which refers to the ability to speedily implement processes that work perfectly first time; this leads to production that does not require extensive trials.
Ichiro Sasaki
Quality Assurance Department,
Mechatronic Devices Division, Japan
I have been involved in the company wide Ryuboku Project since
its establishment. “Ryuboku” refers to eliminating the release
of defective products into the market. The original mission
of the project was centered on Quality Assurance Departments
from all divisions formulating a method to prevent the outflow
of defective products.
We were confident that a method based on quality engineering
would work well. However, after further examination, we realized
the method would prove meaningless unless it was actually adopted
into manufacturing processes. We had to solve many problems,
including costs and man-hours, before the method was adopted.
However, as a result of collaboration with manufacturing and
manufacturing engineering departments, we were able to achieve
tangible results in terms of reducing the number of complaints
and the degree of quality loss.
It is very clear to me that the people involved in this project
now have a new heightened awareness regarding quality.
We can only develop a method of product improvement once all
outflows of defective products have been curbed. Our ongoing
challenge is the development and manufacture of products that
satisfy our customers.
