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Japanese Experience of Integrated Quality Management

The Japanese experience in product quality management allowed this country to produce goods of high quality and cheaper than similar American and Western European ones. The phenomenon of Japan can be explained by the following reasons [11; 12].

First, Japanese economic development is aimed at producing competitive products of higher quality than in other countries producing similar products. Such a target is due to the poverty of raw materials and energy resources, which necessitates the production of high-quality products for the efficient functioning and development of the economy. On the one hand, it is necessary to import raw materials and fuel, on the other - to export and profitably sell as much as possible of finished products, and this is possible only if its high quality.

Secondly, the quality management system, widely spread in the country's industry, covers all the activities of the company, is based on the theory of an integrated quality management system; It absorbed the achievements of other countries, including the United States.

Thirdly, the achievements of Japan are the merit of the leaders of industry and specialists who were able to practically implement the principles and methods of integrated quality management of products more successfully than in any other country.

A distinctive feature of Japanese quality improvement and system management programs is the focus on preventing defects, and not finding them through control. For Japan, the predominance of quality control of technological processes over the control of product quality is characteristic. The role of the responsibility of the immediate performer for quality is great. Everyone at his workplace is guided by the principle: the executor of the next operation is your consumer.

For strategic quality planning at a Japanese company, it is characteristic that the responsibility for developing a long-term product quality management plan rests with senior management, it also controls the timing of the plan and takes corrective measures if necessary. This work is carried out according to the Deming cycle (planning - execution - control - corrective action) and is called "hosin country" (policy deployment). Senior management prepares the draft plan and discusses it with the heads of the company's divisions. As a result of the discussion, draft plans for each unit are prepared. Heads of departments discuss them with line managers up to leaders of "quality circles". Thus, quality planning extends to all business units and management levels (such a method in Japan is called "throwing the ball").

Japanese experts believe that today it is clearly not enough to take into account only existing needs, it is necessary to identify hidden needs and take them as a basis for quality planning and product development. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the needs of not only groups of buyers, but also of firms, business circles of both Japan itself and other countries, potential buyers of future products.

In the quality management system at Japanese enterprises, the principle of interest and participation of each employee in the process of improving the quality of goods based on the "five not" program is implemented. Its meaning is that at every workplace there should not be created conditions for the appearance of defects; Defective products are not transferred to a subsequent operation and are not accepted from the previous one; It is impossible to violate (change) technological parameters; You can not repeat the mistakes made earlier.

For Japanese firms, internal control of the quality management system by top management of the company is characteristic. This procedure aims to discuss problems with stakeholders, to find ways and means to improve the current state of affairs. A check is organized in such a way that it is of an educational nature, would be training in the workplace, and in no case a pure inspection. Some firms, to emphasize such specificity of such checks, call them a diagnostic analysis of quality management or a meeting to discuss quality assurance activities with the company's management. Assessing the significance of these inspections, Japanese specialists note that in this way the company managers can systematically observe in practice the effect of negative or positive factors of the system, and those who are tested have an opportunity to analyze their work more deeply and eliminate negative factors. It is also important that such inspections contribute to the improvement of mutual understanding between the employees of the firm.

Kaoru Ishikawa in her book " Japanese methods of quality management " gives the most characteristic features of the Japanese experience in organizing work to improve the quality of products [11]:

1. Long-term, consistent and purposeful solution of quality problems on the basis of all advanced, modern, that accumulated theory and creates practice in this field. Since the late 40-ies of the XX century. The Japanese industry step by step climbed the steps to integrated quality management. The beginning of this was the widespread adoption of statistical methods of quality control, based on training and mastering the skills of their practical application.

2. Consistent and persistent work to establish a system for studying customer requests. Gradually brought up respectful attitude to the consumer and his requirements, since it is he who knows his needs and economic opportunities better than anyone. We can say that the cult of the consumer, the customer was created. A clear system of in-depth study of the nature and volume of needs was debugged, including taking into account psychological factors. The facts show that Japanese specialists have achieved quite a lot of success in studying not only the domestic consumer, but also the external (on the international market). The cult of the consumer penetrated so deeply that at many enterprises in Japan, the personnel of the lower ranks and workers call for the executor of each operation to regard the executor as its consumer and therefore perform its part of the production process especially carefully. As for the production of raw materials, materials, components and their supply, the quality requirements are also thoroughly studied here and are strictly observed. All this ensures the rhythm of work and high quality of the final products.

3. The desire for universal participation. Implementation of this provision is achieved by a very wide range of activities - from national legislation to in-depth evaluation of errors made by the manufacturers of products. The Japanese quality management emphasizes a position similar to the American one: as long as the president or the chairman of the board of directors, that is, people who have more opportunities to influence all aspects of production and commercial activities, will not give enough time and money to solve the quality problem, The firm can not count on success.

4. Understanding that even a well-functioning quality management system will lose its effectiveness over time. In the Japanese industry, regular checks of the functioning of systems are practiced.

5. Organization of works to ensure high quality directly by masters and foremen. Taking into account their leading role in the struggle for quality, special training measures are carried out for this category of employees. For example, from the mid-60s of the XX century. On the national television, special training courses for masters and team leaders are conducted on advanced methods of organizing work to improve quality and opportunities to influence the quality work of workers, and the activity of "quality circles" is promoted. Annually conferences are held for masters and foremen.

6. Modernization of the physical and intellectual potential of workers in the form of so-called "circles of quality", the purpose and content of which are group analysis of the state of affairs in a particular area of ​​production and the development of proposals for improving the quality and growth of labor productivity. Currently, there are more than a million "quality circles" in Japan, with approximately 10 million people participating.

7. Widely developed and constantly operating system of propaganda of the value of high quality products to ensure sustainable rates of economic growth. In Japan, there is an effective system of training all categories of workers in advanced methods of creating, manufacturing and effective use of high-quality products.

8. State influence on the cardinal directions of improving the quality of national products. Mandatory state certification of products intended for sale on the external market was introduced. If the product has not been certified and, nevertheless, an attempt is made to sell it abroad, such actions are considered as contraband with all the ensuing consequences.

Japanese approach to quality management is clearly visible on the example of the organization of quality assurance of color TVs, as well as other types of electronic home appliances. These industries are called mature in Japan. They are characterized by a complete update of models every 4-5 years.

Great importance in this industry is attached not only to the development of the project, but also to the assessment of the technical level and the quality of the product at the pre-production stage. For this purpose, the prototype is tested for reliability under conditions close to operational, and in an environment of increased activity.

Ensuring the reliability of products is the system of inspection by the manufacturer of finished products of the technological process for the production of electronic components of the supplier. To this end, teams of specialists are created (by types of electronic components) that are sent to plants where they carry out systematic (several times a year) supervision of all stages of the technological process, take measures to eliminate various types of violations and malfunctions, and according to the results of work, Maps, confirming the ability of the technological process to ensure a stable level of quality components.

Japanese experts believe that since quality is mainly created in the technological process, in the quality control system the testing center is a "hidden assistant" that analyzes the methods of quality assurance in the technological process and transfers the received information with clear conclusions to the production stage.

After the energy crisis of the early 70-ies of the XX century. In Japan, increased attention to ensuring the quality of products at the pre-education stage, together with an increase in spending on R & D. In a situation where the pace of economic growth has slowed, Japanese firms sent their strategic research to new products and new technologies. Significant investments in R & D were also stimulated by the fact that by this time it became clear that copying foreign technologies does not give an opportunity to compete in the international market.

Recently, the Japanese government is beginning to somewhat reduce the rigidity of quality control, which is supplied to the foreign market. Such a policy is explained by the fact that Japanese firms have gained a firm position in foreign markets, ensured sustainable leadership in quality, mastered the methods of managing it and therefore are able to independently compete.