The famous “Japanese quality” may well become a myth that few people will believe in in the future. Another Japanese corporation, Mitsubishi Materials Corp., admitted to falsifying data on its products - materials with falsified characteristics were supplied to more than 250 customers, including aircraft manufacturers.

Shares of Mitsubishi Materials (a division of the Mitsubishi Group) fell 11% after the corporation reported systematic fraudulent reporting in three of its subsidiaries. Mitsubishi Cable Industries Ltd. falsified data on the quality of rubber seals, and Mitsubishi Shindoh Co. - data on brass strips.

Substandard products could be supplied to 229 Mitsubishi Cable Industries customers and 29 Mitsubishi Shindoh customers. Another division, Mitsubishi Aluminum Co. Ltd., also supplied products with incorrect documentation, but the company claims it has already settled relationships with customers who confirmed that the supplied materials were supposedly “safe”.

Recently, we have already written about the falsification of product data at the enterprises of the Japanese metallurgical company Kobe Steel. It turned out that factory workers had falsified product data for years. As a result, the reputation of the Japanese auto industry is also at stake. After Kobe Steel admitted they were not sure about the quality of their steel products, produced over a number of years at several plants, the largest automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. immediately began to find out where they could use the materials that fell under suspicion.

A few days later, new details emerged. It turns out that data were falsified, including for iron ore concentrate (powder), which is used in the production of many critical components, including the engine, transmission, brakes and steering.

Amid this news, Kobe Steel Ltd. fell another 20%, after yesterday's fall of 22%. Friday to Wednesday general market price the company, Japan's third-largest steelmaker, fell from 498 billion yen to 313 billion yen (that is, about 1.6 billion dollars). Investors are in a panic.

This is not the first and probably not the last case when Japanese corporations were engaged in postscripts, falsification of statistics or direct violations of standards. Suffice it to recall Fukushima (TEPCO) and Toshiba.

A wave of revelations swept through the auto sector. Nissan Motor Co. reported that she had been inspecting new cars with violations for almost 40 years established order, while Subaru Corp. admitted that she allowed uncertified workers to inspect the goods before shipment. Auto parts manufacturer Takata Corp. filed for bankruptcy this year following a scandal with faulty airbags.

At this rate, the very concept of "Japanese quality" will soon be completely discredited.

Perhaps the problem is that Japan is gradually moving away from the traditions of the old Japanese capitalism, which was characterized by a high level of corporate and personal responsibility, and is moving towards the American style of doing business.

PS. “American way of doing business” means that you are constantly being lied to. For example, during last year Tesla, the automaker, is losing $480,000 EVERY HOUR — but that doesn’t stop Ololon Musk from puffing out his cheeks and stock quotes, which makes Tesla more capitalized on the stock exchange than General Motors and Ford Motors.

The contribution of the Japanese to the new quality management system is not limited to the increased motivation of the employees of the enterprise to improve the quality of work. The Japanese themselves believe that there are more than a dozen specific differences between their system and the American and European quality management experience. Let's name and consider some of them:

1. Quality management has become a national idea. Perhaps this difference has become one of the most important factors in the high efficiency of the total quality control system. Two directions of this difference can be noted.

The first direction is a high level state regulation product and service quality. The state has issued more than 30 laws protecting the rights of consumers, including those on labor safety, quality, certification system, etc. The second direction is broad public support for TQC ideas. In Japan, there are various institutions and societies that promote the dissemination and development of quality management principles. For example, the Japanese Association for Standardization, the Japanese Union of Scientific and Technical Workers. These organizations award Deming Prizes, hold an annual quality month, organize numerous quality conferences, and promote the development of quality circles. 20-30 books on quality management are published annually in Japan, three monthly magazine like our "Standards and Quality". Japan confidently ranks first in the world in promoting quality.

2. Large-scale introduction of TQC, and later TQM in all sectors of the economy.

By the beginning of the 90s, this system was introduced at enterprises in 23 industries. Implementation goes both horizontally (between industries) and vertically (parent company - branches),

• 3. The whole variety of methods and techniques of quality management is used.
• 4. Widespread use of standardization. Standardization has become an indisputable law for Japanese product manufacturers. The current ideologist of the Japanese quality management system, H. Kume, defines the following three reasons for the appearance of defects in production: standards are not set, standards are not observed, and standards are not suitable. Japan is characterized by the widespread use of intra-company standardization (in the Russian interpretation - enterprise standards). It applies to all elements of the production and entrepreneurial activity. The importance of comprehensive standardization covering all stages of the production process is emphasized. For example, let's give the level of intra-company standardization at the well-known Japanese company Toshiba: standards at the company level - 900 pieces, standards at the level of the functional divisions of the company - 3600 pieces, standards at the level of the company's factories - 15000 pieces. The standards are reviewed every 3-4 years. What enterprise in Russia can boast of such a level of standardization?
• 5. The quality management system in firms permeates all areas of its activity.
• 6. Quality management involves all the staff of the company under the guidance of its head.
• 7. The company's management determines the quality policy and exercises control over its implementation.
• 8. Quality management is carried out at all stages life cycle products - from design to after-sales service.
• 9. Held internal audit quality.
• 10. Continuous training of the company's personnel is carried out in the techniques and methods of quality management, the effective use of the acquired knowledge. In 1994, more than 17,000 people were trained off-duty in Japan in quality courses, including international standards ISO 9000 series. Other elements of the Japanese approach to quality management should be added to this: focus on continuous improvement of the process and work results in all departments, focus on quality control of processes, and not on product quality, focus on preventing the possibility of a defect. It should also be noted that the methods statistical control quality reached an unprecedented flowering in Japan.

The main concept of the "Japanese phenomenon" is perfect technologies both in management and in production. Firms are widely introducing computer and microprocessor technology, the latest materials, automated systems design, flexible production systems, robotic complexes.

The leading American scientist A. Feigenbaum, who put into practice the term "integrated quality management", implying the use of a group of quality improvement methods, did a lot to promote Japan to the leading powers in terms of product quality. From the point of view of the Japanese approach to integrated quality management, the following is important:

• - continuous improvement of the quality of products from project to project (with the simultaneous rejection of the concept of “acceptable” level of quality common in the West);
• - responsibility of each worker for product quality;
• - quality control during each production process as opposed to random control of individual lots;
• - the use of simple, clear and understandable indicators of quality assessment;
• - application automatic means measurement of product quality indicators.

"Ensure quality in every workplace" is the Japanese concept of total quality management. For an employee of the enterprise, this means that the mistakes made by him should be detected and corrected right there, at the workplace.

The system of integrated quality management in many enterprises is used in combination with the production system "just in time". The Japanese, more than Europeans or Americans, pay attention to the philosophy of quality as a means of ideologically influencing quality workers. If the USA tries to protect the consumer in its standards, then the Japanese quality management system is designed mainly for the manufacturer, believing that his conscious attitude to the quality of the work performed will protect the consumer more reliably than standards. Japan, more than any other country in the world, refers to the figurative expression of A. Feigenbaum: “Quality is not evangelism, not a rationalization proposal and not a slogan; it's a way of life."

No country in the world pays as much attention to efficiency and quality as Japan. This increased attention is not some kind of "program", no one is "responsible" for it. It's part of the philosophy, part of the way of life. As the Japanese say, "quality is a state of mind, productivity is a way of virtuous behavior."

We have already given specific examples of how these philosophical views are embodied in the rules of work in Japanese firms. The extent to which these principles are reinforced in national ethics can also be shown by the example of two Japanese institutions created to solve problems of productivity and quality - the Japan Productivity Center (JPC) and the Deming Quality Prize.

Japan Productivity Center (JPC). In 1954, Japanese business leaders and the government realized the need to organize an all-Japanese movement to increase the productivity of Japanese industry. The government approved the idea of ​​founding a national productivity center. However, by decision of Parliament, it was founded not in the public sector, but in the private sector.

The Japan Productivity Center was established in March 1955 as a non-profit, non-governmental tripartite organization. [Involving government, employers and trade unions. (Note scientific ed.)]. The US government provided $6.4 million in technical assistance. The unions were initially skeptical of the idea, but after the center's three core principles were established, they agreed to participate. Here are the principles.

1. "We believe that productivity growth naturally leads to expansion of opportunities. To minimize the risk of unemployment, one should, whenever possible, go for a temporary redundancy of labor in the firm."

2. "We believe that concrete measures to improve productivity should be developed jointly by trade unions and company management."

3. "We believe that the benefits of increased productivity should be fairly shared among management, workers and consumers."

These three principles, embodied in the practice of lifetime employment, joint consultation in labor relations, and distribution of the effect among all participants, have made Japan the country with the most egalitarian income distribution system among developed countries.

The JCP began sending teams of Japanese overseas to study production. Since that time, more than 25,000 representatives of various strata of Japanese society have traveled abroad through his line, and hundreds of foreign specialists have lectured in Japan. Ironically, the first such group was made up of workers in the iron and steel industry, an industry that, a few years later, began to crowd out the American steel industry.

The YCP is the largest center of its kind in the world. In 1986, its budget exceeded 7 billion yen (approximately $45 million), and the number of employees - 325 people. Its main divisions are in Tokyo; in addition, however, there are nine regional centers in Japan, branches in Washington, London, Paris, Rome and Germany. The JPC also played a major role in the establishment of the Asian Productivity Organization, which was designed to help raise production efficiency in other Asian countries.

The JNC is a symbol of Japanese business' contribution to productivity. The explosive growth of production in Japan, which began in 1950, is unparalleled in history, the period of its economic growth continues for a much longer time. If we calculate the average growth rate of the economy over a very long time, then Japan will have this indicator higher than that of any country in the world. Tab. 23 shows the average rates of economic growth in various countries.

Japan has a 115-year average growth rate higher than any other country.

Table 23

Countries	Dynamics of GDP in %
Japan	3, 0
France	2, 6
Germany	2, 6
USA	2, 2
Netherlands	2, 1
England	1, 9

Deming Prize. In the early 1950s, Japanese leaders realized that "Made in Japan" meant low quality to buyers around the world. People associated "Made in Japan" with little toy umbrellas in cocktails and the failure of the Toyota, the first Toyota car to be sold unsuccessfully in the US. The car struggled up the hills of San Francisco. Like the Germans at the end of the 19th century, the Japanese realized that if they wanted to be full partners in the world market, they needed to improve the quality of their goods.

The Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers has launched a national quality improvement program. As one of his first steps, he invited an American, Dr. Edward Deming, to give a series of lectures in Japan on quality improvement. Deming tried for many years to convince American firms to pay more attention to quality, but his ideas were received without interest.

In July 1950, Deming gave an eight-day course to a group of 340 Japanese researchers, engineers, and plant managers. In addition, the senior management of Japan's top 50 manufacturing firms were invited to a special session. At this session, Deming stated that it would take at least two years for the ideas of quality, accuracy, unification to be accepted by the Japanese, another five years would be needed for these ideas to be implemented everywhere. Much more time is needed to destroy the pre-war bad reputation Japanese goods.

In a relatively short period, the Japanese brought about one of the most amazing changes in world history in the perception of their country's goods. Today Japan is a recognized world leader in quality.

Americans should not see the improvement in the quality of goods in Japan as stealing the American idea. The Germans for many years paid much more attention to quality than the Americans. The Japanese began working on improving the quality before Deming's arrival. They were able to identify their shortcomings, listen to the experience of others and perceive their ideas, combine with their own, and as a result create an original Japanese approach to quality assurance.

However, the Japanese never forgot the contribution of Dr. Deming. The Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers established the Deming Prize in 1950 to commemorate his contribution to quality improvement in Japan. Since then, this award has been awarded to a small number of corporations, factories, and sometimes individuals who have shown outstanding achievements in quality. For 34 years, the Deming Prize has been awarded only 119 times, i.e. an average of four times a year.

The Deming Prize is currently the most honored and prestigious quality award in Japan, it is a kind of Japanese quality super bowl. From time to time, the emperor also takes part in the award ceremony, which is broadcast on television.

None of the advantages that we talked about eliminates the weaknesses, the consequences of the mistakes made. They are, like all other countries and peoples.

In the next chapter, we look at seven areas where we think Japan's problems and weaknesses are most obvious.

Contents: American Management on the Threshold of the 21st Century

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Japan is one of the world leaders in the production various kinds products. You might get the impression that the Japanese make everything from personal hygiene items to large-sized equipment. In today's competitive environment, it is rather surprising that Japanese products are in great demand around the world. This is due to the fact that Japanese manufacturers are very professional in their tasks.

History of the Japanese economy

Manufacturers from Japan began to actively capture the world market after the end of World War II. While the entire Western world was busy eliminating the consequences of the war and distributing zones of influence, Japan, having secured financial support from outside, began to actively develop the domestic economy. It is worth noting that she did it perfectly. As a result of this development, such well-known brands as Sony, Panasonic, Toyota, Casio, Kenzo and others have entered the world stage.

Japanese quality

Despite the fact that Japanese corporations (as mentioned earlier) produce the most different types goods, there is one aspect that unites them all. Regardless of whether they are made by the Japanese Cell phones or lipstick, the ultimate goal is to create a quality product. It is quality that is the main reason for the incredible success of products made in Japan.

The market is arranged in such a way that the consumer is ready to pay more for a product if he is confident in its quality. This is exactly what happened with Japanese products. When people realized that goods from Japan can serve for quite a long time, the high price of products ceased to scare off potential consumers. Thus, you can safely put an equal sign between Japanese goods and high quality.

Cloth

Japanese are very popular with fashionistas from around the world. The thing is that the special life philosophy of the Japanese is expressed in their fashion trends. In general, Japanese clothing is distinguished by straight lines, clear silhouettes, the predominance of conservative colors and the absence of any vulgar elements.

For the first time on the world stage, the existence of Japanese fashion was announced by designers Miyake and Kenzo. A distinctive feature of their collections was that they actively used paper, iron and rubber in tailoring. Ray Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto became the followers of the above-mentioned designers in the early 90s of the last century. These designers immediately managed to captivate the Parisian audience with their collections of women's and men's clothing.

At present, the list of world-famous Japanese designers and fashion designers is not limited to four names, and the number of popular Japanese clothing brands can impress even the most sophisticated fashionistas. The most popular clothing manufacturers from Japan are the following firms:

• Remy Relief.
• KiNoe.
• Uniqlo.
• Toga.

Another brand that deserves the attention of the public is Anrealage. It was created by young designer Kunihiko Morinaga. His collection is considered bold enough for his country, as it is based on abstract prints and bright colors. However, it is in high demand in the global fashion market.

Cosmetics

As you know, girls and women in Japan pay quite a lot of attention to their appearance, and when it comes to hair and skin care, here Japanese women become as scrupulous and attentive as possible. To meet their requirements, Japanese cosmetics manufacturers are trying to combine modern scientific achievements with centuries-old traditions in their products. They actively use extracts of medicinal herbs, the strength of which has been tested for centuries.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Japanese cosmetics brands are in demand among the modern consumer. Women in many countries are willing to pay big money to be beautiful and healthy. Japanese cosmetics allow them to achieve these goals. The top 5 Japanese cosmetics brands will look like this:

1. Shiseido.
2. Kanebo.
3. Naris Cosmetics.
4. MoltoBene.
5. Pola.

As for Shiseido, this brand is considered the most popular in Japan and in the world. A distinctive feature of this brand is that the product formula and production technologies are kept in the strictest confidence. Brand manufacturers are trying to pursue a broad pricing policy, as a result of which you can find both luxury creams and more affordable products for the general consumer. It is important to note that Japanese cosmetics manufacturers try not to use chemical substances and any of their connections.

Perfumery

Japanese philosophy is reflected in the perfume industry. Since the Japanese are very attentive to a person's personal space, you will never find aggressive Japanese perfumes. As a rule, any Japanese perfume is characterized by a light structure and unobtrusive aroma.

When it comes to perfumery in Japan, one cannot fail to mention the famous art of Kodo, which consists in combining different fragrances into one whole. These traditions have been preserved in modern perfumery, where one of the main elements is the aroma of incense.

Nowadays, the most famous Japanese brands in perfumery are:

• Ella Mikao.
• Issey Miyake.
• Kusado.
• Kenji Tanake.

Wrist watch

Wristwatches are almost an indispensable accessory for everyone. successful person V modern world. In this regard, buyers pay special attention to the appearance, quality and durability of this product. All these characteristics combine the watches of Japanese brands. Note that the Made in Japan engraving is the same quality guarantee for connoisseurs wrist watch, as well as the famous Swiss Made from Swiss manufacturers. Many high-ranking Russian leaders wear Japanese-made watches.

The fact that the best Japanese watch brands entered the world market in the middle of the last century and are not losing their positions also testifies to the high quality of manufactured products and the reliability of watches. The most famous brands of Japanese watches are:

1. Seiko.
2. Citizen.
3. Casio.
4. Orient.

Separately, it is worth stopping at Casio. Her fate is the true story of the Japanese pursuit of success. The company was originally engaged in the production of calculators. After the retraining, Casio became a manufacturer of high-quality and at the same time budget wristwatches with a worldwide reputation. Now wearing watches of this brand is considered an indicator of success and high status.

Household appliances and electronics

Household appliances have long become an integral part of life modern man. We can no longer do without televisions, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, microwaves and other household appliances. As a result, their producers receive huge sales revenues. Many Japanese companies have managed to enter the world market, which has firmly consolidated their success.

Manufacturers of the finest Japanese products immediately realized the importance of producing quality products and bringing them to foreign markets. Each company had a different history, but now almost every one of them is a huge corporation that makes a huge contribution to the development of the Japanese economy. As a result, in almost every country in the world you can find a refrigerator, TV or digital camera Japanese production.

A list of popular Japanese electronics brands includes:

• Sony.
• Toshiba.
• Canon.
• Sega.
• Nintendo.

The last two brands are very popular among those who grew up at the end of the 20th century, since it was these brands of the first game consoles that entered the domestic market. The rest of the companies are engaged in the production of electronics and household appliances which is very popular with consumers all over the world.

Cars

Cars are no different from other Japanese products in terms of quality and reliability. That is why a large number of motorists from different countries prefer Japanese car brands. Apart from High Quality, vehicles from this country are distinguished by their chic design, comfortable interior and reasonable price. As a result, Japanese cars are a serious competitor to European and American.

The most famous Japanese car manufacturers are:

• Toyota.
• Lexus.
• Suzuki.
• Mazda.
• Honda.
• Nissan.
• Mitsubishi

Each of these brands has certain advantages that distinguish it from the rest and attract potential buyers. Toyota, for example, is renowned for its technology-innovative approach that would have seemed like science fiction just a few years ago. The Toyota company is betting on a massive marketing campaign for each model, with noticeable results. As a division of Toyota, Lexus is engaged in the production of luxury cars, characterized by excellent appearance and quite high cost. Other Japanese brands are also very popular with their target audience.

Ratings

Based on the foregoing, it could be seen that some brands from Japan are more popular than others. However, here it is impossible to compile a universal rating that would answer with maximum accuracy which Japanese brand is the most popular. Everything is very relative here.

However, a similar rating can be compiled for each individual industrial sector. Thus, the most popular Japanese brand in the field of cosmetics is Shiseido, in the field of clothing - Uniqlo, perfumery - Issey Miyake, watches - Seiko, cars - Toyota. As for household appliances, the Toshiba brand occupies a leading position, since the profit of this company alone is about 10% of the country's total GDP.

Japanese brands in Russia

As mentioned many times before, Japanese products are incredibly popular on Russian market. Various Japanese-made goods are in incredible demand among different groups of the population. To fully understand the full scope of popularity, it is recommended to take a look at the sales ratings of Japanese cars in the Russian market.

Experts have found that the most popular cars of the beginning of 2018 were vehicles of such brands as Toyota, Mazda and Nissan. Moreover, independent experts claim that sales growth will increase with each subsequent month.

Conclusion

We have seen that the Japanese economy is a fairly developed phenomenon in the modern world. Represented by a large number of developed sectors, Japan's economy has whole line huge corporations for the production of various types of goods, which have their offices in different countries peace. A distinctive feature of Japanese manufacturers is that in all countries they have earned the same image as distributors of quality and reliability.

As for Japanese brands in Russia, the most popular are manufacturers of cars and household appliances. The sales volumes of these products in the domestic market can impress anyone. And the most surprising thing is that Japanese companies are not going to stop there.

Ishikawa Kaoru.Japanese methods of quality management

BBK 65.9(5Ya) I85

M: "Economics", 1988, 199 p.

Quality in Japanese is both difficult and simple. 4

From the translator of the edition to English language. 10

Quality management has many benefits: 11

Chapter 1 How I got into quality management.. 13

The initial stage of my participation in quality management activities.. 13

Annual quality management conferences.. 14

Month of quality and quality mark. 14

Two journals - "Statistical Quality Control" and "Quality Management for Masters". 15

Activities of quality circles. 15

Deming Prizes. 15

Quality management in various industries. 16

Research groups on sampling.. 16

My involvement in the development of JIS and in ISO activities.. 17

Chapter 2 Features of quality management in Japan. 17

Implementation of statistical quality control. 18

JIS sign. 18

Quality Management Research Group.. 19

Seminar with the participation of Dr. Deming. 19

The period of enthusiasm for the statistical method of quality management .. 20

Dr. J. M. Juran in Japan. 20

Importance of quality assurance for new products. 21

The need for participation of all links in quality assurance. 21

The birth of quality circles. 22

Japanese experience in comparison with the Western.. 23

Taylor method. 23

Pay system. 24

Labor turnover and the system of lifetime employment. 25

Democratization of capital. 25

The role of government is stimulus. 26

Features of Japanese quality management.. 26

Personnel training and training in quality management methods.. 27

Training in quality management methods at all levels. 27

Chapter 3 The essence of quality management.. 28

What is quality management?. 28

About quality. 29

How to manage. 37

What hinders management and improvement.. 43

Chapter 4 Quality assurance. 44

Quality assurance principles. 45

Quality assurance based on the management of production processes. 47

Quality assurance based on the development of new products. 48

The procedure for satisfying claims for the supply of poor quality products. 49

Replacing defective products with quality ones. 50

Establishment warranty period. 50

Establishment of maintenance and current repair points. 50

Chapter 5 Integrated quality management.. 52

Quality management involving all departments. 53

What's happened administration?. 56

Methods and means of solving managerial problems. 58

Chapter 6 Integrated quality management - the restructuring of consciousness in the field of management. 59

Restructuring of consciousness. 59

Quality is first and foremost. 60

Orientation is not on the manufacturer, but on the consumer. 60

The next stage of the production process is the consumer of your product. 61

Information Support. Application statistical methods. 62

Man in the management system is the basis of integrated quality management.. 63

Chapter 7 Top and middle management. 66

Appeal to senior management. 66

Responsibilities of senior management. 68

Middle management and its role. 70

Chapter 8 Activities of quality circles. 74

Training of masters in quality management.. 74

Fundamentals of quality circles. 75

What is decisive for the initial stage of the functioning of quality circles. 77

Ensuring the activities of quality circles. 79

Reasons for the failure of the defect-free manufacturing movement in the USA.. 81

Activities of quality circles in other countries. 82

Chapter 9 Quality control of subcontract work.. 83

Customer and supplier control. 83

Ten principles of quality control that define the relationship between the customer and the supplier.. 84

Technical documentation for raw materials and components. 85

Supplier selection. 86

Ensuring the quality of the supplied products. 88

Inventory control. 89

Chapter 10 Quality management in the marketing system: wholesale distribution and service industries 90

Problems associated with integrated quality management in the marketing system. 91

Marketing and new product development. 92

Marketing and quality assurance. 93

System selection and improvement wholesale trade. 95

Managing the activities of the marketing department. 96

Quality in Japanese is both difficult and simple

For the first time, translated into Russian, the Soviet reader is offered a monograph by a Japanese author, which sets out the main information about Japan's experience in improving the quality of products.

The author of the book, Professor K. Ishikawa, is known in his country and abroad as one of those who were directly involved in the development and practical implementation of approaches and methods for improving product quality throughout the entire post-war period of the development of the Japanese economy. This gives the author the right to write in the first person. Thus, we receive information from a competent and qualified source, as they say, first-hand. When translating, the scientific editor and translators took into account the nature of the presentation, as well as the personality of the author.

We will not talk in detail about Japan's success in improving quality, they are well known. Let us only recall that by the end of the 1970s, Japan had become the world leader in the quality of such consumer goods as automobiles, televisions, copiers, photographic and film equipment, integrated circuits, and consumer electronics. And in quantitative terms, Japanese goods in the world market occupy impressive volumes. Thus, in the 1980s, Japan accounted for 40% of color television sets, three-quarters of transistor radios, 90 % video recorders. Japanese goods continue to push American goods and goods of Western European countries on world markets.

At the same time, it is extremely important to find answers to the questions: “How did you manage to achieve such results?”, “How was the work organized?”, “What principles were you guided by?”

The search for answers to these questions in the light of the large-scale work unfolding in our country to radically improve the quality of products has practical meaning for Soviet specialists.

The author of the book, K. Ishikawa, pays much attention to disclosing the content of various quality management activities, interpreting the terminology used, postulating and substantiating his views. This is, in our opinion, a great achievement, as it helps to understand the stated position and assimilate its content.

The dynamics of the development of forms and methods of organizing work to improve the quality of products, the evaluation of their effectiveness at different stages of solving the problem of quality in Japan are traced with great interest. There is also a certain criticism in relation to the methods used and developed for improving the quality. At the same time, it is easy to see that in Japan they are extremely careful about everything that even in the slightest degree helps to improve quality. Bit by bit experience is accumulated, preserved and widely disseminated. There is no tendency here when, with the advent of new quality improvement methods, previously accumulated experience, previously used methods are denied. There is a process of upward development of quality management. Many experts perceive quality management as something given in its finished form, a certain structure, strict content. Of course, for the practical organization of quality improvement work, it is the structure of the system, its purpose, the content of individual tasks and functions, and the methods of their distribution among production participants that are of paramount importance. However, the problem of improving the quality of products and services is so complex and diverse that its successful solution is possible only if all participants in the production process, from top-level managers to the worker, are imbued with

not only the pragmatic side of this matter, but also master the "philosophical" component, i.e. form a new, modern system views, will positively develop, improve the quality management system.

firms. It is interesting that the author connects his interpretation of integrated product quality management with this thesis. He sets out his position on this issue most clearly in Chapter 5. Here he compares the Japanese understanding of integrated product quality management with the ideas of the well-known American specialist, Dr. A. Feigenbaum. an administrative unit that specializes exclusively in product quality and performs only the functions of product quality management, i.e., carried out mainly by a special group

specialists.

The Japanese approach is to ensure that all departments and all employees of the company participate in the study, development and implementation of quality management methods. To distinguish the Japanese approach from the approach of A. Feigenbaum, Professor Ishikawa even introduced a special term - "quality management within the company." Indeed, the Japanese method provides for, one might say, universal participation in quality management. For this purpose, in particular, constant and purposeful training of all categories of workers is organized, the movement of quality circles is widely developed and encouraged.

At the same time, the reader should not get the impression that the Japanese method is devoid of a centralized beginning in quality management and is carried out by each member of the team and each division independently. The case is just the opposite. The goals and objectives of the company in the field of quality improvement are most carefully developed by top management based on a study of customer requests and their opinions about the quality of products. To achieve these goals, the development of new products is carried out promptly and comprehensively, careful preparation to its production. At the same time, all departments and all personnel are explained the goals facing the company as a whole and for each department in particular. Special staff training is also provided. Top management closely monitors how the intended program of product renewal or improvement is being carried out.

During the production process, all subdivisions in their specialization ensure the sustainable release of products of the planned quality and, relying on the suggestions of quality circles, constantly improve the quality of workmanship. In essence, not only quality improvement goals are centrally formed, but tasks to achieve these goals are carefully distributed between departments and professional groups personnel.

Thus, quality becomes the concern of all, and not of a separate specialized unit for product quality management.

The author does not separate product quality management from all activities in the management of the company. He emphasizes that when managing quality, one should not lose sight of the magnitude of production costs, the number of manufactured products and other areas of production and economic activity. He even introduces the term "comprehensive quality management" in this regard and seeks to emphasize that economic management is a comprehensive process, the core of which is product quality.

What is the domestic practice and what are the views of Soviet specialists on the problems considered?

Always, at all stages of the development of forms and methods of product quality management in our country - from the Saratov system of defect-free manufacturing of products to an integrated product quality management system (CS UKP) - the principle of democracy has been put forward, that is, the participation of all members of the team and all departments in the decision quality problems. In the Saratov system, in particular, it found its expression in the form of quality days at the site, in the workshop and at the enterprise as a whole. In the integrated quality management system, the principle of democracy was supplemented by the participation of workers, engineers, employees, everyone working in the development of enterprise standards for quality improvement. The principle of democracy has been and remains the key to organizing this work to this day. In the USSR, by the mid-1970s, it was possible to solve an extremely important task in theoretical, methodological, and organizational terms - to group all quality improvement tasks into 15-16 special functions of product quality management. During the period of widespread introduction of integrated

product quality management systems there has been a deepening of special functions into specific, practical actions to improve quality.

The modern development of the problem of quality has led to the idea of ​​complexity, systemic nature of its resolution. It is for this reason that attempts to solve the problem of quality by separate earlier major technical, organizational or economic events. character failed both in foreign and domestic practice. Comprehension of the current situation has led to the development of quality management systems, as well as to the development of integrated standardization methods. In domestic practice, integrated standardization programs (PCS) of various levels have been widely used since the mid-1970s. QMS are becoming an important element of product quality management systems.

This led to the purposeful activity of all areas of the production process to improve product quality. In this regard, a number of large enterprises there was an urgent need to coordinate work on special functions and tasks of various departments. In this regard, subdivisions began to be created that perform common tasks of improving quality and coordinating their implementation - quality management departments. At the head of such divisions are placed managers with broad powers - the deputy director for quality.

Thus, the domestic approach is based on a combination of participation of all members of the labor collective, all departments of the management apparatus in the implementation of special tasks of improving quality, such as planning to improve the technical level and quality, quality control, material and moral incentives for improving quality, etc. with the creation, if necessary, of a special unit with the function of coordinating all work to improve quality within the enterprise or association.

On the basis of such an organization of quality management, high results of the enterprise's self-supporting activities are ensured, i.e., maximum satisfaction of consumer requests at a minimum cost of production and optimal profitability of production and operation of products.

The system-integrated approach to quality improvement is being further developed in connection with the restructuring of the production management system and the deepening of self-supporting relations between the manufacturer and the consumer, the expansion of the rights and obligations of members labor collective for the results of the production and economic activities of an enterprise (association) on the basis of the Law on a socialist enterprise.

The task now is to deepen the democracy of domestic quality management systems, to make work within the system more consistent, more professional, to absorb and implement everything that can improve quality - no matter what source of this experience is domestic or foreign.

The changes in economic conditions taking place in our country, the deepening of cost accounting, the widespread transition to self-financing, especially acutely raise the question of changing thinking in the field of quality management. It is necessary for all economic personnel and specialists to understand the depth of the ongoing reorientation of production towards the full satisfaction of the needs and demands of the customer, whether it be a production or individual consumer.

The previous period of introduction of quality management systems can be called organizational and technical, when more attention was paid to the organization of work on their development, the establishment of work and the technical level of products. Now the period of the prevailing orientation of quality management systems to economic methods has come. At the same time, products must meet the highest world achievements and ensure sustainable high results of the production and economic activities of enterprises and associations, be associated with pricing and the formation of the lowest possible cost of production. Of course, such a transition cannot take place outside the framework of a restructuring of the economic mechanism and a change in the thinking of both managers and all members of production teams.

Thus, in the starting position for quality management, the domestic approach seems to combine, on the one hand, the approach set forth by K. Ishikawa in his book, and on the other hand, the approach set forth by A. Feigenbaum in the book "Product Quality Control".

Such a similarity of starting positions in the organization of work to improve the quality of products at the level of enterprises, associations and firms stimulates interest in learning about other aspects of the Japanese experience.

Without pretending to be an exhaustive description, we will try to formulate several characteristic features of the Japanese experience in product quality management.

For any private capitalist firm, including the Japanese, product quality is a means of making a profit. At the same time, it should be noted that Japanese entrepreneurs pay much more attention to quality as a means of making profits than in the United States and Western European countries.

Considering the experience of Japan, it should be borne in mind that the widespread quality management systems in this country, without introducing anything fundamentally new, are completely based on the theory of integrated quality management. Unlike other countries in Japan this approach, the main provisions of the theory of product quality management are practically implemented steadily and on a large scale.

Let us try briefly, although it is very difficult to do it in a limited volume, to formulate the most characteristic features of the Japanese experience in organizing work to improve the quality of products.

First is a long-term, consistent and purposeful solution of quality problems based on all the advanced, modern that the theory has accumulated and practice creates in this area. Since the end of the 1940s, step by step, the Japanese industry has been climbing the steps towards integrated quality management. The beginning of this was the wide universal development of statistical methods

quality control based on training and mastering the skills of their practical application.

Second is a consistent and persistent work to establish a system for studying consumer requests. Gradually, a respectful attitude towards the consumer and his requirements was brought up. This is natural, since it is the consumer who knows his needs and economic opportunities better than anyone else. In this direction, one might say, a cult of the consumer, a cult of the customer, was created. A clear system of in-depth study of the nature and scope of needs is being adjusted, including taking into account psychological factors. It seems that Japanese specialists have achieved great success here, not only in studying the domestic consumer, but also in the external, international market. This is one of the main reasons for the wide penetration of Japanese goods into the markets of many developed and developing countries.

The cult of the consumer is so deep-seated that in many Japanese factories low-level personnel and workers are urged that the performer of each operation consider the performer of the subsequent operation as his consumer and therefore carry out his part of the production process with particular care.

Organized production of raw materials, materials, components and their supply. Quality requirements are also deeply studied here and they are observed very strictly. Delivery times are also strictly adhered to. All this ensures the rhythm of work and high quality of the final product.

Third is the desire for universal participation. The implementation of this provision is achieved by a very wide range of actions - from national legislation to an in-depth assessment of the mistakes made by product manufacturers.

The author of the book persistently pursues the idea that the transition to integrated quality management is associated with revolutionary changes in the minds of managers. At the same time, it is emphasized that success is not associated with the formal recognition of integrated management, but with the practical restructuring of work methods to improve quality on a modern scientific basis.

As long as the president or chairman of the board of directors, that is, people who have great opportunities to influence all aspects of production and commercial activities, will not devote enough money and time to solving the quality problem, the company cannot count on success.

This thesis emphasizes the role of senior management in addressing quality issues.

Fourth is the understanding that even a perfectly functioning quality management system will lose its effectiveness over time. In Japanese industry, regular checks of the functioning of systems are practiced. Higher level checks

the management of the company were called "presidential".

Fifth- this is the organization of work to ensure high quality directly by craftsmen and foremen. Given their leading role in the struggle for quality, special training events are held for this category of workers. For example, since the mid-1960s, special courses have been held on national television to train foremen and foremen in advanced methods of organizing work to improve quality, opportunities to influence quality work workers, the activities of quality circles are promoted. Conferences for craftsmen and foremen are held annually.

sixth- it is necessary to pay special attention to the mobilization of the physical and intellectual potential of workers. A form that has become very widespread in Japan is the so-called quality circles. There is a lot of talk and writing about quality circles in other countries, including the USA and Western Europe. What is it? A group analysis of the state of affairs in a particular production area and the development of proposals for improving the quality and increasing labor productivity is the goal and content of the work of such circles. Currently, there are about 1 million quality circles in Japan, with about 10 million people participating in them. This is, so to speak, the external, target side of the matter. But there is another that should not be lost sight of when considering questions of quality management in a capitalist country. IN this case we are talking about the social, class essence of quality circles. Quality circles are a form of intellectual exploitation of Japanese workers. This form of exploitation is potentially veiled by the thesis of a common interest in improving product quality.

seventh- a widely developed and constantly operating system of promoting the importance of high quality products to ensure sustainable economic growth. Japan has an effective system for training all categories of workers in advanced methods for creating, manufacturing and effectively using high-quality products.

eighth- state influence on the cardinal directions of improving the quality of national

products. Here it should be noted the mandatory state certification of products intended for sale on the foreign market. If the product has not been certified and nevertheless an attempt is made to sell it abroad, then such actions are considered as smuggling with all the ensuing consequences.

IN Lately The Japanese government is beginning to somewhat reduce the rigidity of control over the quality of firms' products that they supply to the foreign market. This policy is explained by the fact that Japanese firms have gained a strong position in foreign markets, ensured sustainable leadership in quality, mastered quality management methods and are therefore able to independently compete.

The government pursues a foreign trade policy that ensures the promotion of Japanese goods to the markets of other countries.

Let us now consider some of the propositions expressed by the author in separate chapters of the book, which, from our point of view, are of great interest for the activities of Soviet specialists working on problems of improving the quality of products.

First of all, we should emphasize the great attention paid by K. Ishikawa to the use of statistical methods of control. In the domestic industry, statistical methods of quality control have been used for more than a decade. At the same time, it cannot be said that these methods have become an integral, organic part of quality improvement work, an everyday tool for identifying the causes of errors / in the manufacture of products. Some of the experts have the idea that statistical methods of quality control have become something long outdated.

A careful examination of Japanese practice suggests otherwise. Widespread introduction of automated production processes, robotics, flexible automated systems is in principle impossible without the use of statistical methods of quality control. The relevance of these methods of quality control has not only not been lost, but has become even more topical, even more necessary for modern production.

Particular attention is paid to quality design, and not just as a mode of action, but as a strategic position in quality management. This is logical, since good design development will lead to the fact that a new product, created at a high technical level, will fully meet the needs of the consumer, be economical and require a minimum of labor and time to deploy production.

"Among the problems of quality management, a key place is occupied by the issues of assessing and measuring product quality. K. Ishikawa does not bypass these issues. In a simple and intelligible form, he reveals a number of aspects of the nature of product quality, while considering quality both from the point of view of engineering, production, and From the point of view of the consumer, it is clear that among all types of quality assessment, the author prefers consumer assessment, the allocation of quality indicators that are of paramount importance for those who use the product.

It seems that this approach is absolutely correct, since quality is primarily associated with satisfaction. specific needs and the production of real use-values ​​for this. Attention to this side of quality management is important for domestic practice, since for a long time quality was evaluated from a technical point of view - for compliance terms of reference, specifications, standards. The nature of the needs, the assessment of the consumer was given a secondary role.

Today, however, the situation is beginning to change. The first role in quality assessment is assigned to the consumer, the customer. But the implementation of these provisions requires changes both in the thinking of a significant part of production managers and designers, developers of new products, and in methods for evaluating results. production activities. The experience of the State Acceptance Committee has shown that many business executives and engineers in this matter have not changed their attitude to assessing the quality of the products they create and manufacture. For these specialists, familiarity with the thoughts of K. Ishikawa will help to quickly reorient their thinking and actions in quality management to the position of the customer, consumer.

The author's arguments about the organization of quality management and the role of people in the implementation of this activity are very interesting. These considerations refer to the human factor. Here he emphasizes that the whole point is in people, in their characteristics, in their sometimes incorrect attitude to the problem of quality. At the same time, he gives interesting characteristics to the different attitudes of people to the problem. So, according to the author, for a successful solution to the problem of product quality, both those people who live in the past and those who believe that everything is fine, who are satisfied with the current state of affairs, are equally dangerous.

The content of chapter 8 is very valuable. Here the author gives a definition of quality circles and a list of their tasks. Until now, there are many different interpretations of these issues. Interesting information about the methods for evaluating the work of quality circles. At the same time, a quantitative method was introduced in Japan - two protected topics per member of the circle in three years.

A detailed analysis of the principles and all aspects of activity, a clear presentation and certainty of formulations make it possible to use the author's conclusions for the practical activities of organizing quality groups and enhancing their work at domestic enterprises.

Recently, in the domestic industry, especially under the influence of state acceptance, work has been actively carried out to improve the interaction between the customer and the supplier. This has become one of the important areas for improving product quality management systems. However, there is still a lot of difficult work to be done in this direction, both in terms of balancing quality and delivery time, and in debugging the mechanism of interaction. In this regard, 10 principles of quality control, which determine the relationship between the customer and the supplier, will be very useful for Soviet specialists.

Of undoubted interest is the verification of the product quality management system. Here we note one circumstance: when checking the quality management system, its organization, not only the distribution of rights and obligations is considered, but also the legitimacy of their distribution. In domestic practice, a combination of these two rules for organizing quality management systems is often found. Most often, the case is limited to the distribution of responsibilities, but how legitimate this is is checked very rarely. But this is extremely important from the point of view of activating the human factor and social justice and the democratization of governance.

For Soviet specialists, two types of checks will be of interest, which are not carried out in our practice, but the use of which may turn out to be very promising. These are inspections of quality management systems at the supplier's enterprise and inspections for certification purposes.

The proposed work gives an idea of ​​the author's views on the problem, reflects his deep conviction in the possibility of effective, successful use of certain methods to improve product quality. It must be taken into account that this conviction was born on the basis of many years of work in the field of improving the quality of products in the Japanese industry and his reflections on quality problems.

Presenting the book of K. Ishikawa to the Soviet reader, it was decided to keep the preface of the book's translator from Japanese into English, who was preparing its publication in the USA. This is done in order to be closer to the original, which served as the basis for this edition. From this preface, the Soviet reader will get to know the author's personality in more detail and learn about the assessment of the book by an American quality specialist.

Professor, Doctor economic sciences, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the RSFSR