Departments
Lesson 4
Quality Control
品質管理
Anyone who has spent any time in a Japanese manufacturing operation will attest to the fact that Japanese companies are nearly obsessive about quality control. This section introduces some language which is frequently encountered in discussions about quality control:
i.
改善(かいぜん) “Kaizen” translates to into English simply as “improvement”—but the Japanese word embodies a much broader set of concepts, including foreseeing change and orienting the company’s operations toward customer satisfaction.. The seminal book Kaizen 改善, by Imai Masaaki 今井正明（いまい まさあき）had the following to say:
成功した企業を見れば、事前に変化を予測し、手遅れにならないうちにその挑戦に対処することができることがわかる。
If one looks at companies that have succeeded, it becomes clear that these firms can anticipate change and respond to the challenge (of change) before it is too late.
カイゼン戦略の根底にあるのは、ビジネスが存続し利益を上げるためには、顧客を満足させ、顧客のニーズに奉仕すべく努力しなくてはならないという認識である。
At the foundation of a kaizen strategy is the awareness that in order for the business to survive and be profitable, [the company] must exert the effort necessary to satisfy the customer and serve the customer’s needs.
- 成功する（せいこう する）to succeed
- 事前に（じぜん に） beforehand; before something happens
- 予測する（よそく する） to predict; to forecast
- 手遅れになる（ておくれ に なる）to be late; to be delayed
- 存続する（そんぞく する）to continue to exist
- 利上げを上げる（りえき を あげる） to be profitable; to turn a profit
- 奉仕する（ほうし する）to serve; to attend to
- 根底（こんてい） roots; foundation
- 認識（にんしき） understanding; recognition; awareness
ii.
現地現物（げんち げんぶつ）A literal translation of現地現物 would be: "actual place, actual thing." A more colloquial translation is “Go and see.” The basic idea is that as a decision-maker, you can’t make a judgment about a situation before you have actually seen the conditions with your own eyes.
Japanese managers are therefore encouraged to spend time on the factory floor, observing processes and interacting with workers. A manager should not remain sequestered in an office, relying on the reports of subordinates. Rather, he or she should make decisions based on firsthand information.
a.
「現地現物」は、品質管理の担当者として一番大事な考え方です。
“Go and see” is the most important philosophy for someone who is responsible for quality control.
b.
現地現物で問題の原因を追求し、対策を工程に反映させ、最高品質の製品を作ります。
We manufacture products of the highest quality by pursuing the causes of problems through the “go and see” method, and reflecting countermeasures in processes.
「現地現物」主義は企業風土として根づいています。
The “go and see” philosophy is deeply rooted in the company’s culture.
- 企業風土（きぎょう ふうど） corporate culture
- 品質管理（ひんしつ かんり）quality control
- 担当者 （たんとう しゃ）a person in charge of something
- 対策 （たいさく） countermeasure
- 工程 （こうてい）process
- 最高品質 （さいこう ひんしつ）the highest quality
- 根づいている（ねづいて いる）is rooted