The first session of the newly formed Quality Matters Advisory Committee(QMAC) was held at Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today, 22 September from 2:30 PM to 4:15PM. After a briefing by the company president on the measures the company has taken and is planning to take with regards quality issues, the views and suggestions of QMAC members were expressed by its chairman, Mr. Akira Fujishima.

MMC established the Quality Issue Action Committee(QIAC) on 10 August to study ways of introducing remedial measures to rectify, from the customers viewpoint, quality-related issues throughout the company. The QIAC comprises four sub-committees responsible for the following: (A) Engineering & Production Quality; (B) Sales & Service Quality; (C) Quality Management; and (D) Quality Awareness Reform. The QIAC will implement detail quality improvement measures taking into consideration the views and suggestions given by the QMAC today.

Quality Matters Action Committee members

QMAC chairman Mr. Fujishima's comments

First, in regard to the criminal case in which Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is currently involved. A complaint lodged by the Ministry of Transport for contravention of the Road Transport and Vehicles Law is currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The complaint stems from the submission by MMC to the Ministry of Transport of falsified reports that failed to report the existence of information relating to customer claims, this being the result of "special processing" of a substantial number of customer claims. MMC is being criticized because the company has been doing such business act for a long time.

Prompted by this incident, the company is looking at ways to prevent any recurrence and has set up an internal Quality Issue Action Committee that is currently formulating drastic measures designed to regain the public's trust and confidence.

MMC made it known that it wished to hear views and suggestions from people outside the company regarding the specific measures drawn up by the QIAC, and for this purpose established the QMAC. The QMAC comprises seven members, five of whom are from outside the company.

The QMAC held its first session today and was briefed by the QIAC on the specific remedial measures it is formulating. The QMAC understands that MMC has laid down policy under which it will, in future, disclose all information regarding customer claims in the reports it submits to the Ministry of Transport. From the viewpoint of a company's obligation to abide by laws and regulations, we consider this to be only natural.

The QMAC was also informed that the company will strive to maintain and improve quality levels in order to minimize customer claims, and that it has drawn up numerous specific measures for the purpose of ensuring customers are provided with detailed and comprehensive after-sales service and attention.

The QMAC today presented the company with its views and suggestions regarding these specific measures. These are to be put together by the QMAC secretariat and will be reflected in the remedial measures that are due to be submitted by the company to the Ministry of Transport in a formal report.

Over the coming year, the QMAC is due to meet monthly to receive the QIAC's report on the progress being made in terms of the specific measures. On those occasions, I will be looking to express my own views as an outsider.

I took the opportunity today to say a few words of encouragement to Mr. Kawasoe, company president and chairman of the QIAC. I stressed that the implementation of such measures will require great determination, dedication and strong will on the part of all top management at MMC.

Following are some of the views and suggestions made by members of the QMAC today.

• The employee awareness level seems to have dropped since the occurrence of the current quality-related problems. Therefore it is necessary to implement a policy which will bring the employee awareness and enthusiasm to a high level. This will result in fruitful business operations as well as improvement in customer satisfaction.
• In this information age, it is vital that accurate information is conveyed to the customers and the general public. Therefore it is necessary to implement detail measures regarding the way the company communicates with the public.
• In rebuilding our development and production process, it is most important to first understand the customer's view of our current quality status and then implement detail improvement measures which deem necessary from such viewpoint.

QIAC chairman Mr. Kawasoe's comment

I am happy to report that the QMAC today approved the basic direction of the quality improvement measures proposed by the internal QIAC.

I would like to express my view that the series of quality-related problems that led to the current situation actually presents the MMC with an excellent opportunity for pushing through some substantive reforms. I am eager to send out positive messages to both the public and employees and at the same time, implement any reforms necessary to enable the company to offer products that earn the unqualified appraisal of its customers. I believe that we must reform the company so that everyone at Mitsubishi Motors group of companies can work confidently, enthusiastically and with pride.

I am determined to see MMC pick itself up and win back the trust of its customers. To that end, the QIAC will examine the views and suggestions of the QMAC and fully reflect the will of its members in amending and refining remedial measures. This completed, all company officers and employees will then unite as one to implement those measures and see MMC achieve the highest ranking in the industry for quality.

I humbly ask the members of the QMAC to lend a helping hand as we fight to restore MMC to the vitality that made it such an exciting and successful automaker.