Improving Quality and Strengthening Recall Response Through the Establishment of a CQO Position
First written in FY2017. 9 of 12 entries say "Advanced", first in FY2018. Latest entry: FY2025.
The whole theme swung hardest in 2026: 5 of 46 companies on the "Worse" side.
30 other companies' latest entry also says "Advanced".
- FY2025AdvancedAnnual report
「We will continue to accelerate these reforms and ensure quality that customers can value at every point of contact, from the earliest stages of development, including responses to new technologies such as electrification, through production, logistics and after-sales service.」
The scope of quality reform was expanded from measures centered on final inspections and production processes to integrated quality assurance spanning the earliest stages of development, including new technologies such as electrification, through logistics and after-sales service. - FY2024AdvancedAnnual report
「We will continue to accelerate these reforms and, in line with the “New Organization Policy,” strengthen reform of “quality by design,” including responses to new technologies such as electrification. From the earliest stages of development through production and logistics, we will consistently ensure quality that customers can value.」
Quality reform was expanded from a focus on quality-first principles and the final-inspection system to integrated quality assurance spanning the earliest stages of development through production and logistics, including new technologies such as electrification. - FY2023AdvancedAnnual report
「In August 2022, the New Final Inspection Building began operations to conduct more rigorous final inspections. It is scheduled to begin operations sequentially on each production line going forward.」
Regarding quality reform, the planned New Final Inspection Building began operations in August 2022, and the company also outlined its future rollout across individual production lines. It additionally stated that the number of market actions, affected vehicles and total quality-related costs had declined steadily. - FY2022AdvancedAnnual report
「In addition to establishing the FAST quality-improvement team in North America, a key market, to strengthen the quality-assurance framework, we plan to bring the New Final Inspection Building into operation from fiscal 2022 onward. We will improve the speed of quality-improvement responses by establishing a Quality Assurance Lab to enhance investigative capabilities for defects and strengthening component traceability.」
Quality reform progressed into specific organizational and facility measures, including the FAST quality-improvement team in North America, the New Final Inspection Building, the Quality Assurance Lab and stronger component traceability. The company explained, however, that the results were still a work in progress. - FY2021Quality reform has progressed, but targets for demonstrating results have not been metAnnual report
「Quality reform in these 3 areas is making steady progress, but challenges remain, and we have not yet been able to sufficiently demonstrate the results to customers and dealers. High quality is the foundation of the brand and also the source of our value-added strategy. We will further advance these initiatives, including efforts to address new technologies, and will ensure that the results are demonstrated in practice.」
While progress was shown in 3 areas—quality-first awareness and systems, “quality in manufacturing” and “quality by design”—the company also identified the challenge of not yet being able to sufficiently demonstrate the results to customers and dealers. - FY2020AdvancedAnnual report
「In addition, in April 2020 we established the Quality Assurance Coordination Office as an organization reporting directly to the CQO to oversee quality assurance across the group, accelerating quality reform at the global level.」
The quality reform led by the CQO progressed to the establishment of the Quality Assurance Coordination Office, quality-awareness training programs, quality caravans, and process improvements from product planning through production. - FY2020-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Domestic production in the automotive segment exceeded the level in the same period of the previous year, as the increase in the fully redesigned Forester outweighed the continued effect of revised operating conditions implemented from the previous autumn to prioritize quality in production and inspections.」
The company reiterated that revised operating conditions aimed at prioritizing quality in production and inspections had continued since the previous autumn. Domestic production exceeded the level in the same period of the previous year while quality measures were maintained. - FY2019AdvancedAnnual report
「We established an investment budget of ¥150 billion over 5 years to improve quality across all areas. In addition, on 1 April 2019 we revised our Quality Policy and will put specific actions into practice under the shared slogan “Quality First,” as a guiding principle for all employees.」
The quality reform initiative was given concrete form through a ¥150 billion, 5-year investment budget for improving quality across all areas, revision of the Quality Policy and the “Quality First” action principle. - FY2019-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「We work to ensure quality through multilayered quality checks at each stage, including development and design, component manufacturing by suppliers, manufacturing and final assembly at our facilities, and the final-inspection process, and will apply the lessons learned from this incident going forward.」
As part of the response to the quality issues, the company specified multilayered quality checks at each stage of development, component manufacturing, manufacturing and final inspection, and progressed to preparing remedial parts for defective electric power steering components and resuming production and shipments. - FY2019-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「We once again keenly recognize that our management's understanding of and involvement in final-inspection operations were insufficient. Without attributing the series of problems solely to structural issues in the corporate culture or to employees' compliance awareness, we will ensure that top management leads from the front in instilling a quality-first mindset」
The response to the quality issues was expanded beyond employee training to include top management involvement and the thorough implementation of a quality-first policy. - FY2018AdvancedAnnual report
「The foundation of customer trust in our company is quality. We have positioned quality as our highest company-wide priority and will pursue fundamental improvements led by the CQO (Chief Quality Officer). We will also work to improve the quality of customer support by ensuring the smooth supply of remedial parts and improving work efficiency at authorized dealerships.」
The company clarified its policy of placing quality at the highest level of company-wide priorities and specified quality improvements led by the CQO, the supply of remedial parts and improved work efficiency at authorized dealerships. - FY2017First statedAnnual report
「We newly appointed a CQO (Chief Quality Officer) and will actively allocate resources to further improve quality. We will also expand the call center, ensure the smooth supply of remedial parts and improve work efficiency at authorized dealerships, thereby working to improve the quality of customer support.」
Against a backdrop of an increase in the number of recall cases, the company identified the appointment of a head of quality and enhancements to customer contact channels, parts supply and work at authorized dealerships as specific measures.