KYOCERA Document Solutions
Sustainability
Approaches to Raising Quality and Customer Satisfaction Levels
At Kyocera Document Solutions Group, the customer comes first at every step of the product life cycle, from planning, development and manufacturing, to sales, use, support, and recycling.
Quality Policy
The Kyocera Group has established the Kyocera Quality Policy in order to ensure the customer is always satisfied. In order to be a company that is trusted around the world, it is imperative that all our departments adhere to this policy as they do the best job possible. Everyone at the Kyocera Group continues to strive in their capacity to do every job right the first time with the aim of making Kyocera a global leader in quality.
Kyocera Quality Policy
1. Kyocera places top priority on our environmental management and product safety systems.
2. Kyocera provides products and services to our customers that exceed their expectations by putting them first.
3. Kyocera aims to be a world leader in quality by doing every job right the first time.
Product Safety Policy
Safety is the top priority for all products made or sold by Kyocera. Regardless of form or function, they must not endanger a person's life or well-being, nor inflict damage on property. Working upon this foundation, Kyocera has established a product safety policy in addition to its quality policy. Kyocera has also developed Product Safety System Guidelines that provide a concrete code of action at all levels of corporate activity. Additionally, the Guidelines for Product Safety Labeling serve as supplementary guidelines for understanding international standards relating to safety labels.
Kyocera Product Safety Policy
1. Kyocera is fully acquainted with the latest information related to product liability and product safety.
2. Kyocera maintains an industry-leading standard of product safety.
3. Kyocera systematically practices product safety in accordance with manuals.
Efforts for Product Safety
Ensuring Product Safety
Based on our Quality Policy and Product Safety Policy, KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. has positioned the provision of safe and highly reliable products to customers as an important corporate mission. We give top priority to consideration for the global environment and product safety, and aim to continuously create value that exceeds customer expectations.
As part of this effort, we regularly conduct training and e-learning on product standards and safety standards for not only design departments but also sales and manufacturing departments. We also provide information and training courses on product safety, including safety precautions for repair work and parts replacement, to internal divisions and dealers involved in product sales, repair and service.
In addition, we have established a system that ensures strict compliance with laws and notices enacted in each country. In the event of an accident or malfunction related to a product, our internal safety team receives information and can promptly and appropriately respond in cooperation with relevant departments.
Establishment of Unique Safety Standards
At KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., all our products not only meet the safety standards provided by laws and regulations, but also pursue higher levels of safety by valuing the customer's perspective. As part of these efforts, we have established our own Safety Design Guidelines as guidelines for product development.
For example, we have established specific standards to minimize risks in daily use, such as the use of plastic materials with greater flame retardance than required by laws and the elimination of sharp edges.
These safety standards are periodically reviewed and updated in light of technological progress, customer usage, and changes in social expectations for safety. In addition, these standards are strictly checked when changes are made to the productization process or parts and production processes to ensure product safety.
Through these efforts, we will deliver products that can be used with confidence to all customers and contribute to the safety and reliability of society as a whole.
Strengthening Management of Important Safety-related Parts
KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. regards parts related to the safety of its products as "Critical Safety Parts" and has established a rigorous selection process for these parts. We also conduct audits to confirm the quality control systems of our parts suppliers and evaluate their ability to produce parts with stable quality. In addition, in the event of an abnormality in the production process, we conduct thorough traceability management on a part-by-part basis so that information on the parts used in the product can be quickly identified. This enables us to identify the cause early and take appropriate measures to ensure product safety and quality.
Quality Management Systems
The Kyocera Group (Japan) regularly holds meetings of the Kyocera CS* Improvement Committee, where the president serves as chair, to improve customer satisfaction indicators and share quality information with the aim of preventing quality problems from occurring or recurring. The group has established quality management systems based on ISO 9001. Each business unit sets its own quality targets and makes quality improvements to achieve those targets. Furthermore, these improvement activities are continuously being upgraded via different types of quality-related training. The training is designed to give employees hands-on training on Kyocera-style tree diagrams and help them enhance their practical skills to effectively respond to quality related problems.
* Customer Satisfaction
Quality Assurance
Our quality assurance department performs premarket assessments and various types of reliability tests as well as verification tests under real-use conditions to ensure that our products will always operate stably during use by the customer. We value the feedback we get from customers via after-sale support and incorporate it into the designing of future products and ensure that the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle of quality management continues running throughout the entire manufacturing process. In order to provide our customers with even better products, we are enhancing our quality assurance system with a focus on the following.
1. Improving reliability verification by incorporating new evaluation methods and verification techniques aimed at preventing quality problems
2. Changing manufacturing quality control by ensuring quality throughout all manufacturing processes
3. Enhancing the quality of service support in the market to ensure products can be used with greater confidence
4. Maintaining and managing quality systems on an ongoing basis to better ensure quality
5. Establishing a Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) to underpin product security quality, and enhance both vulnerability management and rapid information disclosure processes
<PSIRT>
Innovations in Evaluation
The quality assurance department is responsible for evaluating products to determine whether they are marketable, taking corrective measures when any problem is found after sale, and preventing recurrences. While the department at one time evaluated the quality of our products using criteria that were based on past data and experience, this wasn't the best method to meet consumers' changing needs or the needs of customers in countries around the world who may use our products under different conditions. That's why, before evaluating a new product to be marketed, our evaluation staff look at the evaluation criteria in light of the situations where the product will be used and the conditions under which it will be used after gaining an understanding of the new technology behind the product, design changes, operating requirements, and factors that affect the way it works. Then all quality assurance department personnel discuss the evaluation criteria, including potential problems that could arise, and add more parameters by incorporating a perspective that encompass the full scope of their collective insights and foresight. This enables them to conduct product evaluations that address issues that may have been overlooked with the previous criteria. This evaluation method allows us to look more closely into the quality of products to be sold and prevent potential problems at the development stage, making them more reliable and more satisfying to the customer.
Innovations in Verification
We are working on innovations in verification techniques. In accordance with our past evaluation standard, we used to make pass/fail decisions based on whether or not a product satisfied the functions and performance described in the product specifications. Today, we conduct verification testing that looks at not only performance deviations during mass production and measures to prevent the causes of such deviations, but also the behavior of parts and components under the conditions where the product will be marketed. We are also focusing on identifying the limits of a product with an understanding of the technology behind it and conducting verification tests to detect failure modes when the limits are exceeded.
Cassette insertion and removal endurance test
Endurance test using robot arm
Low-temperature environment test
After-Sales Service
To ensure that customers can use our products and services with peace of mind, we have established an after-sales service system that promptly resolves inquiries after purchase and any problems that may occur, and builds an ongoing relationship of trust. We consistently provide prompt initial response, appropriate repair and replacement, and recurrence prevention through cause analysis.
Response and Flow for Occurrence of Critical Quality Issue
In the unlikely event of a serious incident involving one of our products, we have established a system to swiftly and appropriately share information, investigate the cause, and take appropriate measures.
As soon as the first report is received from the sales companies in each country, the Quality Assurance Department at Head Office reports to the Risk Management Department and the President within 24 hours.
After that, we will confirm the history of the incident and investigate the cause, and take necessary emergency measures to prevent the damage from spreading and to promptly implement measures to prevent recurrence.
Analysis and Feedback of Field Data
Kyocera Document Solutions is working to further improve product quality by reflecting customer feedback and product operation information in development and design.
For example, records of call center reception, records of service performed by customer engineers, and information on the shipment of maintenance parts are collected from around the world, and a system for integrated analysis of quality problems and causes is being built. By utilizing this system, we aim to improve quality by quickly identifying quality problems and promptly implementing countermeasures. We are also working to develop new products based on potential customer needs.
