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Annual Report 2005
18
MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION
Quality
Regaining Trust
Regaining Trust. For the revitalization of Mitsubishi
Motors, no issue is more critical.
By delivering appealing products and services that our
customers can enjoy with confidence, the entire company
is firmly committed to gaining trust in Mitsubishi Motors.
We deeply regret that MMC’s involvement in the recall
cover-up of 2000 caused considerable hardship for our
customers and other stakeholders. Acknowledging the
inadequacy of the investigation carried out at the time, MMC
reopened the investigation of past recall issues in 2004. We
completed the process of identifying all quality problems
and notifying the authorities of these issues where neces-
sary. In the process, we recognized that two factors were
to blame—the lack of an organizational structure to ensure
quality production at every level, and a corporate culture
in which a compliance mindset had yet to fully penetrate.
Following an exhaustive investigation of the facts, root
causes and background of the series of recall issues over the
past 25 years, in March 2005, MMC submitted to Japan’s
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) its final
report in response to a written warning issued by MLIT. The
final report details the findings of the investigation and
outlines measures to prevent any future recurrence.
In parallel, MMC sought to clarify management
accountability by bringing legal claims against certain
former members of management in charge when these
incidents took place. With this step, we made a clean
break with the old corporate structure that was at the root
of the problem and reaffirmed our determination to mold a
new Mitsubishi Motors trusted by our customers and
society at large.
First Step—Organizational Reforms
In June 2004, quality-related tasks previously performed
separately at the planning and development, purchasing,
production, sales and other stages were concentrated in the
newly established Quality Affairs Office. This step unified
all decision-making on quality issues. The office’s mission
is to assume ultimate responsibility for the quality and
safety of all Mitsubishi-brand vehicles worldwide. To this
end, it has devised systems to enhance product
development and manufacturing quality, and expedite
quality improvements in the marketplace, all from the
customer’s perspective.
While the Quality Affairs Office is involved in all
processes of quality assurance, the CSR Promotion Office’s
Quality Audit Department conducts audits to determine the
appropriateness of the Quality Affairs Office’s activities.
Quality Assurance Initiatives
Quality assurance consists of two types of initiatives:
producing vehicles free of problems, and preventing the
recurrence of problems that have occurred. At MMC,
quality assurance is illustrated by the following actions:
■Quality Management System: ISO 9001:2000
In 2003, Mitsubishi Motors obtained ISO 9001:2000
edition certification company-wide. In the following year,
MMC was granted approval by certification agencies in
Japan (JAB) and the U.K. (UKAS) to maintain its certifica-
tion after passing a follow-up inspection conducted by a
third-party examiner. ISO 9001 is an international standard
that enables third parties to objectively evaluate manufac-
turers’ initiatives to improve customer satisfaction by
implementing continuous improvements in their quality
management systems. MMC has obtained ISO 9001
certification in the fields of design, development, purchas-
ing, manufacturing and service.
■Development and Production Quality Enhancements
Beginning with the
eK WAGON
launched in 2001, MMC
introduced MMDS (Mitsubishi Motors Development
System), a management system for assuring and
improving the quality of all manufacturing processes.
This system, which employs the “Quality Gate” concept,
defines standards that must be met by all products and
processes at every stage leading up to market launch.
Using this system, MMC conducts comprehensive
Mitsuo Hashimoto
Senior Executive
Officer
Corporate General
Manager of Quality
Affairs Office