Toyota marks 20th year of Global Convention on Quality

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced that it held a ceremony today to mark the 20th anniversary of the Toyota Global QC* Circle Convention, an annual event that showcases voluntary quality-improvement initiatives of Toyota workplaces worldwide. TMC President Katsuaki Watanabe and other representatives attended the ceremony, held at the TMC head office in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.

During the ceremony, at which executives from TMC's overseas affiliates presented quality-improvement case studies, Watanabe stressed the importance of global QC Circle activities. "With the significant expansion in production that is taking place at our overseas bases, it is essential that the spirit of Toyota manufacturing be maintained at the global level. Thus, it is my hope that, in time, all people working for Toyota will become involved in QC Circle activities to ensure that our manufacturing is of the highest quality and is carried out in an 'honest, steadfast and earnest' manner", Watanabe said.

QC Circle activities are developed and undertaken mainly at technical workplaces by teams formed according to operational roles the activities are aimed at improving quality by solving work-related problems in one's immediate environment. Since 1964, these activities have played an important part in not only improving the quality of products but also in fostering personnel development by promoting teamwork and increasing awareness of the importance of quality.

Against the backdrop of the globalization of TMC's operations, TMC began introducing QC Circle activities at its overseas affiliates in the first half of the 1980s. And, in 1987, the first Toyota Global QC Circle Convention was held with the objective of broadening and improving these initiatives on a worldwide scale.

This year's convention—the 20th—is scheduled to run from November 5 to 9 and is the largest yet, with approximately 200 participants from 46 affiliates around the world. In addition to giving presentations on best practices, representatives from each participating affiliate are scheduled to engage in opinion exchange through workshops and meetings.

*quality control Contact: Paul Nolasco/Tomomi Imai 03-3817-9161/9150