Relationships with Customers
The UACJ Group contributes broadly to society by striving to provide customers with products and services that earn their satisfaction and trust.
Basic Policies and Systems for Quality Management
Basic Policies
Philosophy
The UACJ Group aims at contributing toward the realization of a sustainable and prosperous society by striving to provide products and services that satisfy customers and earn their trust through quality-oriented, faithful manufacturing.
Action Guidelines
- We will promote to improve our technical development, quality improvement, and enhance our manufacturing capability.
- We will meet all applicable requirements.
- We will continuously improve our quality management system.
- We will establish quality targets, review the results, and allocate management resources as needed.
- Group members shall understand the quality policies and act accordingly. All members shall participate in quality improvement activities.
Quality Management System
The UACJ Group has established its Quality Committee, chaired by the Executive in Charge of Quality, as the highest organ for advancing quality management. The Quality Committee discusses and reports on the status of quality, significant problems, and other quality-related matters.
Quality control groups have been established for each of the Group’s businesses - flat rolled products, extrusion, foil, casting and forging, and precision-machined components. These individual quality control groups work together with the Quality Management Department and the leaders of organizational units, as they pursue quality management activities.
Formulation of the UACJ Group’s Annual Quality Management Direction
The UACJ Group establishes annual quality control policies for the Group.
In fiscal 2021, we focused on raising quality be setting quality targets and clarifying key issues to address under a slogan of creating a stronger foundation of quality for the next generation as a manufacturing company.
In fiscal 2022, we implemented measures to achieve our quality targets under a slogan of fortifying our foundation of quality as the core of our business toward fulfilling Vision 2030.
Fiscal 2021 Results
The results of our efforts to achieve the quality targets for fiscal 2021 are as follows.
One of our targets was to cut the Group’s total number of incidents of serious quality defects by half from the previous fiscal year with the ultimate target of zero cases at each business site. To achieve this target, we established a single set of assessment criteria for the Group, shared information throughout the Group, and implemented specific defect prevention measures, such as to prevent similar incidents from occurring. Despite these efforts and the recent trend of declining incidents in recent years, the number of incidents of serious defects increased by one in fiscal 2020. The Group currently has no products subject to sales bans or litigation related to serious quality defects.
We also set a target of reducing the number of customer complaints by at least 10% from the previous fiscal year. Efforts by each segment to improve quality resulted in a 20% decline in complaints received by the Group.
Our quality improvement activities were recognized by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger, which awarded UACJ Foundry & Forging with its Supplier Award.
Following our fiscal 2022 slogan to fortify our foundation of quality as the core of our business toward fulfilling Vision 2030, we have set new targets for further improving our quality geared to current conditions and our vision for the future.
Fiscal 2021 Quality Objectives
- Serious quality defects: Reduce by 50% the Group’s total number of incidents compared to the previous fiscal year (targeting zero cases at each business site)
- Number of complaints: Reduce by at least 10% the number of customer complaints compared to the previous fiscal year
Key Objectives
- Improve customer satisfaction by meeting customer needs and expectations
- Prevent recurrence and human error by investigating root causes
- Prevent defects through rigorous design review, change control, and initial flow control
- Maintain and improve competence and compliance in quality control and assurance in orders, development, manufacturing, and inspections
- Steadily systematize and automate testing, inspections, and results sheets (Phase 2 of Plan)
Fiscal 2022 Quality Objectives
- Serious quality defects: Reduce by 20% the Group’s total number of incidents compared to the previous fiscal year (targeting zero cases at each business site)
- Number of complaints: Reduce by at least 10% the number of customer complaints compared to the previous fiscal year
Key Objectives
- Improve customer satisfaction by meeting customer needs and expectations
- Prevent defects through rigorous design review, change control, and initial flow control and prevent recurrence by investigating root causes
- Maintain and improve competence and compliance in quality control and assurance in orders, development, manufacturing, and inspections
- Check and ensure compliance with public standards and in customer transactions
- Increase reliability of testing, inspections, and results sheets
- Advance Phase 2 of systemization and automation
- Improve reliability of non-automated tests
Quality Management based on International Certifications
The UACJ Group practices quality control in accordance with international quality management system certifications that UACJ and our Group companies have obtained. The Quality Management Department supervises quality management in line with international certification requirements for group companies that have not acquired certification.
Strengthening the Quality Assurance System by Preparing Quality Assurance Guidelines (UACJ ver.)
The Japan Aluminum Association formulated the Guidelines for Quality Assurance in March 2018 in response to specific issues in the industry, including falsified quality data and inspections by unauthorized personnel at manufacturing companies.
Based on the associations guidelines, in August 2018 the UACJ Group created the UACJ Version of the Guidelines for Quality Assurance for direct application to the Group's unique quality control system.
The UACJ guidelines strengthen the quality assurance system by incorporating such points as providing a clear schedule guideline for systematizing and automating shipping and test inspection data.
Shipping and receiving business sites currently conduct mutual inspections in order to verify the status of implementation as well as to strengthen and improve the system.
As a further step, in fiscal 2021, we engaged third-party specialists to confirm the reliability of test and inspection data.
Product Safety Initiatives
Aluminum’s high strength and light weight along with its excellent workability, corrosion resistance, and recyclability have made it common in industrial products, packaging material, and in a wide variety of items in our daily lives. We place particular importance on consumer safety with our products because they are often used in situations involving human life, such as for food packaging and in the automobile and aircraft industries.
The UACJ Group conducts product safety checks in design reviews at the engineering stage and continues carrying out thorough checks of product safety-related items (such as chemical composition and strength) itemized in specification sheets provided to customers at the manufacturing stage. Additionally, we also use test reports (mill sheets) to verify that the product information labeling is correct.
Provision of Product Defect Information
The UACJ Group has established rules for responding to major incidents concerning product quality and safety. Under the Major Incident Response Rules when an incident, such as a product defect or regulatory violation, comes to light, a special incident investigation committee is established, details of the situation are clarified, and relevant information is provided to customers and consumers. To date, there have not been any incidents requiring that these steps be taken.
Proportion of Products for which Safety Evaluations Are Performed
Safety evaluations are performed for 100% of products that have been confirmed to be in compliance with specifications agreed upon with customers and for 100% of products for which shipping inspections are performed as a matter of legal or regulatory compliance.
Compliance with Product Safety Laws and Regulations
In fiscal 2021, there were no cases of noncompliance with laws, regulations, or voluntary controls related to product quality, safety, or product information labeling.
Measures to Improve Customer Satisfaction
UACJ Group companies directly receive customer the comments and requests in its daily sales activities. The information we receive is an important part of our ongoing efforts to improve our business and develop new products. We highly value dialogue with our customer and are constantly striving to increase customer satisfaction.
Responding to Customer Questions
On its website, the UACJ Group has created a page where customers can submit questions on matters such as orders for aluminum materials and technical issues concerning applications, and ask for prepared information. Regardless of the nature of the inquiry, we make a point of providing customers with swift, accurate responses.
Going forward, we intend to further deepen our interaction with customers and reflect what we learn in the development of new products and other activities, as well.
Dissemination of Information on New Products and Technologies
Publication of a Technology and Research Journal
UACJ publishes UACJ Technical Reports, a technical and research journal in which we share the Group’s research results, new products and technologies. We publish the journal on our website to provide technical information on aluminum and aluminum alloys available to as many people as possible. The UACJ Technical Reports will also continue to provide the latest information on the Group products and technologies.