Under its quality policy, Mazda implements a wide variety of quality improvement measures on a Group-wide basis.
To constantly satisfy customer needs and provide the industry's top-level quality in products, sales and services, Group-wide efforts are made to "develop innovative technologies to establish quality," to "implement innovative quality improvement activities to realize the customer-required quality level," and to "cultivate human resources capable of thinking and acting what to do for the happiness of customers."
Mazda North American Operations (MNAO)
I am working on quality assurance at an operation base in the United States. I share the customer voices from the market with Head Office promptly and accurately and take actions for improvement in cooperation with the relevant departments in product development, quality and service. When I conduct in-depth surveys, it is important whether I can set an appropriate questions to draw customers' "real voices" or not.
I will continue to promote improvement activities from the customer's perspective by carefully listening to the voices of each customer, so as to contribute to further improvement of customer satisfaction.
To satisfy diverse needs of customers and offer greater trust, joy and excitement, Mazda is engaged in establishing a consistent quality level to be assured in all stages from planning/ development to delivery of products to customers.
Not only to improve performance and reliability of products but also to improve the quality of new technologies including environment-friendly initiatives, all related divisions of Mazda's product development, manufacturing and quality, overseas regions, and suppliers closely cooperate in establishing a consistent quality level to be assured in all stages from planning/development to mass production of product.
Technologies to establish stable quality focus mainly on assurance of functional quality.
Their aim is to assure functional quality from the comprehensive development of every system and part constituting the basic functions of a vehicle to the design of manufacturing processes, taking into consideration the quality fluctuations that may arise in the processes. This approach is embodied in the CX-5, which is fully equipped with SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY, and will also be introduced in all products.
To ensure that the high quality at factory shipment is maintained until customer delivery, Mazda works to enhance quality assurance activities for products after shipment.
Operations and inspections at distribution centers, ports and dealerships are monitored comprehensively, enabling improvement of tools and operation conditions on a global basis.
For logistics from production plants to dealerships, the Mazda Logistics Global Guideline has been established as a common logistics quality assurance standard for Japan. And it is gradually implemented to overseas operations.
To satisfy customer needs, Mazda makes constant efforts to gather quality-related information both in Japan and overseas and to take speedy actions to improve the quality of current and future products.
Mazda gathers accurate quality-related information in real-time from dealerships in Japan and overseas, while dispatching staff to local operation sites to promote "on-site and reality-based" quality improvement efforts.
To expedite quality improvement, it is necessary to comprehensively identify quality-related problems as early as possible. Mazda collects and examines vehicles or parts in use with the aim of finding potential deteriorations and solving problems in the early stages.
It is important for quality improvement to respond not only to customers' complaints concerning problems and inconvenience in usage but also to their expectations of "What Mazda vehicles should be." Mazda listens to such customer voices of complaints and expectations by carefully examining the results of surveys conducted by third parties, market quality information, and answers obtained from questionnaire surveys Mazda has developed, and then makes use of these in its daily quality improvement activities.
To encourage every employee to think and act what to do to please customers, Group-wide efforts are made to promote sharing of guidelines, cultivate customer-oriented corporate culture/mind, and implement small-group activities.
Mazda launched its first QC (Quality Control) circle activities in 1962 as quality improvement measures, and in 1978 the Company broadened these initiatives as "Mazda Quality Activities" to encompass the quality of all products and services as well as business processes throughout the Company. At present, the following activities are continuously promoted mainly by the Mazda Motor Corporation.
Quality Education and Quality Awareness-Raising Activities (Mazda Motor Corporation)
A message from the president is transmitted company-wide during Quality Month (November), and quarterly quality meetings are held in each workplace. The FY March 2012 theme was "What can we do for the happiness of customers?"
All Mazda QC Circle Competition
Some selected excellent small-group activities are presented once a year. In FY March 2012, members of Mazda Auto Alliance (Thailand) were invited to the competition held at the Head Office (Hiroshima).
Global-scale competitions inviting overseas partners are planned to be held in the future.
Company-Wide Quality Control Education
To improve the necessary skills for quality assurance and abilities in finding/solving problems, company-wide quality control education courses are offered for various ability levels and employee's management layers.
Course |
Objective |
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quality program for freshmen | To understand the basic concepts (customer-oriented attitudes, continuous improvement efforts) necessary to do their assigned jobs |
| 2 | Problem-solving story course | To understand the concept, processes and basic techniques of problem-solving |
| 3 | Problem-solving leadership development course | To understand the concept, processes and basic techniques of problem-solving, and apply them to daily operations, so as to obtain practical quality improvement abilities |
| 4 | Problem-solving expert development course | To understand the concept, processes and specialized techniques of problem-solving, and apply them to daily operations, so as to obtain practical quality improvement abilities |
| 5 | Instructor training program for company-wide quality control education | To develop instructors for company-wide quality control education |
| 6 | Practical specialist guidance meeting (Applied quality engineering) | Here, trainees work on technology development using quality engineering approaches. Advice is provided by trainers in line with the progress of projects. |
| 7 | Quality improvement seminar for managers | To understand the concept necessary for managers to continuously improve the quality of team operations |
Mazda's quality improvement efforts have received high praise worldwide.
Model/Brand |
Country |
Name of Ecto-Index |
Category |
Ranking |
Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mazda |
Germany | Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS)*1 |
Nameplate | 3rd | J.D. Power and Associates |
| US | Automaker Report Cards | Brand | 2nd | Consumer Reports | |
MX-5 (Roadster) |
US | Initial Quality Study (IQS)*2 | Compact sporty car segment | Highest | J.D. Power and Associates |
Mazda2 (Demio) |
Indonesia | Initial Quality Study (IQS)*4 | Premium compact car segment |
Highest | J.D. Power and Associates |
| US | Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL)*3 Study |
Sub-compact car segment | 2nd | J.D. Power and Associates | |
| Germany | Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS)*1 |
Small car segment | Highest | J.D. Power and Associates | |
Mazda3 (Axela) |
Germany | Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS)*1 |
Lower medium car segment | Highest | J.D. Power and Associates |
Mazda6 (Atenza) |
China | Initial Quality Study (IQS)*5 | Upper premium mid-size segment |
Highest | J.D. Power and Associates |
- *1J.D Power and Associates 2011 Germany Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction StudySMSM (VOSS) is based on responses from more than 17,150 car owners after an average of two years of ownership. The study was fielded from January to March 2011.
- *2J.D Power and Associates 2011 U.S Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) is based on responses from more than 73,000 purchasers and lessees of new vehicles. The 2011 study was fielded February-May.
- *3J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM is based on responses from more than 73,000 purchasers and lessees of new vehicles. The 2011 study was fielded February-May.
- *4J. D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 Indonesia Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) is based on responses from 2,890 purchasers of new vehicles. The 2011 study was fielded May-October.
- *5J.S. Power Asia Pacific 2011 China Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) is based on responses from 17,675 purchasers of new vehicles. The 2011 study was fielded April-August.
As a means to improve the five categories of Mazda Quality, Mazda has established the Mazda Quality Management System based on ISO 9001*7, which has been adopted at Mazda's relevant divisions and departments.
In FY March 2012, one external and a total of 176 internal audits were conducted to check the appropriateness and effectiveness of the processes, with the aim of improving the M-QMS effectively and continuously.
- 1994: Acquired ISO 9002*6(first Japanese automaker)
Apply to : Vehicles produced at Hiroshima Plant and Hofu Plant - 1996: Acquired ISO9001*7
Apply to : Engineering, product development, manufacturing and after-sales service - 2001: Expanded the ISO 9001 application range
Apply to: Accessories, KD, product planning, design, AAI*8, AAT*9, specially equipped vehicles (TESMA), etc.
- *6International standard for product and service quality assurance
- *7International standard for quality maintenance and assurance
- *8Auto Alliance International, Inc.
- *9Auto Alliance (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Mazda prioritizes quality above all, and the quality of safety features is its highest priority. The Company promotes swift collection of quality information and on-site investigations/quality improvement activities in cooperation with dealerships both in Japan and overseas.
When a recall case (product returned or sent in for free repairs) arises, Mazda, placing the highest priority on customer safety, works together with local dealerships to determine the appropriateness of the recall and handling of the case in accordance with the laws and regulations of each subject country.
Information on recalls in Japan is immediately disclosed on the Mazda Official Website. A search engine, that enables customers to find whether their cars have been recalled, has been added to the website to make it user-friendly for customers.
- Registration with authorities in each jurisdiction, according to the laws and regulations of each country and region
- Disclosure to customers via direct mail, telephone, and other methods, and explanations at dealerships
- Disclosure of information on recalls on the website (in Japan)
