Quality　-Enhancing Product Quality and Customer Satisfaction

Framework for Promotion

To leverage its agility and comprehensive capabilities, the DIC Group in Japan employs a matrix-like quality management configuration with product divisions on the vertical axis and the Technical Management Unit and Production Management Unit on the horizontal axis. The Quality Assurance Department is part of the Production Management Unit.

Guided by DIC’s Quality Policy, the president and CEO speaks to employees annually regarding the importance of quality assurance. In addition, the Group offers awareness enhancement and training programs while reiterating the belief articulated by the director in charge of production departments that safe operations and quality assurance are the foundation of everything the DIC Group does. The Group also strives to promote the improvement of quality by ensuring the appropriate administration of its quality management system (QMS).

Having created the position of deputy general manager in charge of quality control in each of the management units, in fiscal year 2024 DIC will revamp its quality management configuration. This will include having quality assurance groups at individual sites report directly to the general manager of that site, while the corporate headquarters’ Quality Assurance Department and Quality Control Department focus on identifying issues facing sites and product divisions, devising the most effective measures in response and reinforcing governance.

In terms of practical measures, the president and CEO convenes meetings of DIC’s Quality Committee on a quarterly basis, thus maintaining direct involvement in quality management for the DIC Group in Japan with a view to playing a role in quality management for the global DIC Group. The Quality Committee formulates Group quality policies and deliberates important quality measures. At committee meetings, product division general managers and unit heads report on the implementation status of these measures and summarize related activities. Meeting results are reported to the Board of Directors, which provides appropriate supervision.

Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Initiatives

The Quality Assurance Department and the Quality Control Department implement measures deliberated by the Quality Committee and in their respective roles work to improve the overall level of quality management. In the event an issue of nonconformance or inappropriate conduct arises,* the departments take corrective measures to prevent recurrence and improve customer satisfaction.

01Initiatives Aimed at Increasing Customer Satisfaction

The Quality Assurance Department’s principal responsibilities are as follows:

To provide high-quality products that customers feel secure using, the DIC Group promotes a variety of quality improvement initiatives during product planning, design and development, the procurement of raw materials, production, product storage and sales, giving consideration to the need for effective product stewardship.

In addition to regular quality audits and internal audits, the DIC Group in Japan monitors and inspects sites as appropriate to ensure operations confirm with the QMS and makes improvements to systems and procedures to further earn the trust of customers. This ensures that an awareness of the need to place customers first remains firmly rooted across the DIC Group. Beginning in fiscal year 2023, quality audits focus on realizing design quality, troubleshooting in production processes and process control methods, among others, with the aim of ensuring even more stable production.

02Initiatives Aimed at Enhancing Product Quality

The Quality Control Department’s principal responsibilities are as follows:

By recognizing and sharing best practices from sites, the DIC Group is promoting the improvement of operating efficiency and procedures, as well as preventing human error, thereby promoting the evolution of quality control and quality inspection processes. The Quality Assurance Department, Quality Control Department and site quality assurance groups conduct themselves daily with confidence and pride in their role as “gatekeepers of quality,” ensuring the stable delivery of safety and peace of mind to its customers.

03Compliance-Focused Initiatives

Recognizing compliance as the top priority for the Group, DIC believes that a corporate climate in which each employee works to ensure its quality is essential to its ability to provide products that satisfy its customers, as well as to contribute to society. In fiscal year 2020, the DIC Group launched ISO 9001 Top Management Training for technical and sales department leaders who have many opportunities to interact with customers, beginning with production facility general managers. Rather than being conceptual in nature, this program employs case studies as study materials and emphasizes the importance of each individual thinking and acting as if quality is their responsibility even if they are not directly involved in production.

Also in fiscal year 2020, a quality compliance e-learning program was launched for DIC Group employees in Japan to prevent the recurrence of quality improprieties. This program, which uses actual Group incidents as case studies, consistently enjoys a participation rate of 100% of eligible employees. In a new initiative, in fiscal year 2022 the Group inaugurated a regular online lecture called “All About Quality,” which introduces qualityrelated topics and external case studies. Going forward, the Group will continue to expand training designed to give employees a greater sense of ownership over their own work.

04Mechanisms for Dealing Appropriately with Issues

In addition to the Quality Committee meetings, led by the president, DIC Group quality conferences, which are conducted by the deputy general manager in charge of quality control in Japan, concentrate on transforming key policies and measures for the Group in Japan into specific strategies, as well as on communicating these strategies and monitoring their implementation. The conferences also play a role in improving quality management across the Group by advancing the horizontal deployment of best practices across sites and product divisions.

Product division quality conferences, which are led by product division general managers and focus on raising customer satisfaction, are also held. As well as proposing solutions that deliver value to customers, the product divisions quality conferences are in charge of BCM initiatives and the management of changes, both matters of importance to customers. Site quality conferences, which are conducted by site general managers, are tasked with ensuring the appropriate functioning of the DIC Group’s QMS and promote improvements. In response to issues of nonconformance, site quality conferences investigate causes, formulate plans for corrective actions, recurrence prevention and pre-emptive measures, and monitor implementation. The Quality Assurance Department and the Quality Control Department participate in these conferences and respond swiftly and appropriately to issues as required.

05Collaboration with DIC Group Companies in Other Countries and Territories

At present, all subsidiaries in other countries and territories have earned certification under ISO 9001, the International Organization for Standardization’s benchmark for quality management, in line with which they conduct a variety of product quality–related initiatives. In fiscal year 2024, DIC will consider a new framework that strengthens cooperation with the DIC Group in the PRC and the Asia–Pacific region, and will gather information with a view to collaboration with Sun Chemical in the future.