Sustainability

Quality Assurance Activities Throughout the Group

We have obtained ISO9001 certification, the international standard for quality management systems, at our headquarters and all of our manufacturing sites. By implementing a unified quality assurance system in accordance with ISO9001, we are developing quality assurance activities that involve the entire company as one.

Maintenance and Impovement of Quality Assurance System

As an additional internal audit, plant quality audits and QC patrols are implemented at each domestic plant to maintain and improve the quality assurance system.
Acting as auditors, QA department members implement plant audits together with plant departments to seek opportunities to make improvements. On QC patrols, QA department members inspect workplaces on-site with a focus on the 3Ss (Sort, Set in order, and Shine) and visual management (displays and signs) aiming to thoroughly implement the 5S principles, which are fundamental to quality management.

• 5S principles: 整理 (Seiri): Sort, 整頓 (Seiton): Set in order, 清掃 (Seiso): Shine, 清潔 (Seiketsu): Standardize, しつけ (Shitsuke): Sustain

Prevention of Quality Issues

From the perspective of proactively identifying risks, we take measures against potential risks identified by the workers themselves through quality risk assessments, FMEA, and “Why-Why” analysis. This approach aims to prevent quality issues (complaints, claims, internal non-conformities) related to our products before they occur.

Sharing of Quality Issues and Enhancement of Assurance Activities

In the event of a “quality accident,” which can impact business management, or a “quality trouble,” which typically precedes such an accident, a report is promptly sent to superiors or higher-ranking personnel to validate the initial response.
Corrective and preventive actions are reviewed by the department in question, relevant departments, and the quality assurance department to ensure their validity. The case is reported to and shared with the management team, department heads, and each overseas site to prevent similar issues from recurring.

Ensuring Product Safety

We strive to ensure product safety by obtaining and accurately responding to chemical substance regulations information both domestically and internationally. Additionally, we conduct risk assessments and implement risk mitigation measures at each stage of research, development, and industrialization to ensure that our customers can use our products with confidence.

Human Resource Development and Enhancement of Expertise

To continuously provide products and services that satisfy and reassure our customers, we are committed to human resource development through systematic quality education. For employees engaged in advanced quality assurance tasks related to pharmaceuticals and other areas, we aim to enhance their expertise through specialized education.

Quality Assurance Activities in Response to Globalization

We conduct on-site audits of overseas raw material suppliers and production contractors to strengthen our quality management system. For our overseas locations, we implement quality audits and quality education to enhance our quality assurance system and foster a culture of quality. Additionally, we regularly hold "Global Quality Meetings" with our overseas locations to exchange information on quality activities and product safety.