Total Quality Management (TQM)
Changes and Innovations
(include the Creative Idea Suggestion System)
Based on the corporate philosophy of 'customer first' and 'quality first' since its founding, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. won the Deming Application Prize in 1965 and the Japan Quality Control Award in 1970, following the introduction of statistical quality control (SQC) in 1949, and has conducted Total Quality Management (TQM) based on the unchanging principles of 'customer first', kaizen (continuous improvement), and 'total participation'.
In addition, since the launch of the Creative Idea Suggestion System in 1951, the number of suggestions made has steadily increased, and the system has supported flexible responses to changes that involve monozukuri (conscientious manufacturing), making substantial contributions to the company's development.
As a result, the basic concepts of TQM and problem solving as well as kaizen (continuous improvement) through creative innovation spread throughout the company and took root, contributing to higher product quality and work quality at all levels and ranks and improving the vitality of individuals and organizations.
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Year
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Month
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Main Initiatives
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Month
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Creative Idea Suggestion System
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1949
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Introduction of SQC
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1951
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May
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Creative Idea Suggestion System Committee launched (chaired by Managing Officer Shoichi Saito);
- The Creative Idea Suggestion System was established by Managing Officer Eiji Toyoda (now Honorary Advisor) and Managing Officer Shoichi Saito (formerly Chairman) based on the suggestion system at Ford |
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June
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First Creative Idea Suggestions implemented
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1952
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December
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Individual Annual Awards to honor excellent suggestions system launched
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1953
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February
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Ideas for corporate slogan solicited; 'Good Thinking, Good Products' selected in March
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1955
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June
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First special solicitation of a unified theme conducted ('About Ashtrays' selected)
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July
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First Exhibition on Best Practices conducted
- Ideas of 1,000 yen or more reviewed from December 1954 to May 1955 exhibited |
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1956
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April
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'Creative Idea' name in Japanese changed
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1958
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July
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1st All-Toyota Creative Idea Panel Discussion held (renamed the All-Toyota Suggestion System Research Committee in June 1964)
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1960
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November
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1st Quality Month Event conducted
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April
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1st Science and Technology Agency Director-General's Award (awarded to three employees who made workplace creative idea suggestions)
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October
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1st Quality Month Special Solicitation conducted
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1961
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June
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TQC introduced
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June
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Event marking 10 years since the establishment of the Creative Idea Suggestion System conducted (poster campaign to facilitate creative idea suggestions held)
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1962
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November
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QC Meetings (predecessor of the QC Circles) launched
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1963
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January
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Corporate policy announced
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November
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SQC workshop conducted
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1964
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September
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Function-based structures focusing on quality assurance and cost management established
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June
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Creative Idea Suggestion System handbook distributed to all employees
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1965
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November
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The Deming Application Prize for Major Advances in Quality Improvement for major advances in quality improvement won
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1966
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January
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All-Toyota Quality Assurance adopted as group-wide slogan
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February
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TQC introduced at and expanded among suppliers (QC Committee established by eight group companies)
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November
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1st All-Toyota Quality Management Competition held
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1967
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May
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Proposals for Creative Idea logo collected and logo adopted
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1968
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November
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Zero Defect Campaign launched
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1969
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September
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Toyota Quality Management Award created
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1970
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November
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1st Japan Quality Medal won
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1971
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Event marking 20 years since the establishment of the Creative Idea Suggestion System conducted
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1972
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January
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Workplace Annual Awards established (one prize for division with the highest number of suggestions per person and one for division with the highest amount won per person)
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November
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Individual Annual Award system modified (gold, silver, and bronze medals created)
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1974
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May
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Total number of suggestions surpasses one million
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June
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Toyota Good Idea Club established as an annual award recipient social group created
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1975
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October
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Self-run QC Circle activities encouraged
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1977
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December
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QC Circle advisor commendations implemented
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1979
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Management skills program implemented
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1980
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November
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Executive Vice President Shoichiro Toyoda (now Honorary Chairman) wins Deming Prize for Individuals
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QC Circle Toyota Awards established
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1981
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TQC introduced and spread at dealers
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June
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Total number of suggestions surpasses 5 million;
- Commemorative events held in conjunction with 30th anniversary events |
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Drastic increases in operational efficient implemented
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1982
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December
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Targets for total number of suggestions company-wide eliminated
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1983
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February
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TQC Promotion Department established
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April
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Toyota Dealer QC Promotion Award created
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June
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QC training for officers conducted
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June
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Toyota Group Creative Idea Suggestion System Secretariats networking events restored (formerly All-Toyota Creative Idea Panel Discussion and the All-Toyota Suggestion System Research Committee)
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1984
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February
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1st Toyota Dealer QC National Conference held
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April
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Total number of suggestions surpasses 10 million
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1985
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Improvement circle activities conducted
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January
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Creative Idea screening standards reviewed (screening scoring standards unified, family commendation standards reviewed, and evaluation measures clarified)
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1986
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November
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Creative idea suggestion processing computerized with the introduction of OCR
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1987
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October
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1st Overseas Production Company QC Circle networking event held
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1988
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January
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SQC Renaissance Activities commenced
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July
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First 'Minna no QC Circle' (Everyone's QC Circle) issued
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August
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First edition of the 'TQC News' for issued
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Total number of suggestions surpasses 20 million;
- Events to commemorate 20 million suggestions held (telephone card drawing, Creative Idea promoter commendations, Creative Idea flag created) |
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1989
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July
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1st Creative Idea instructor training conducted
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1991
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June
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Events to commemorate 40 years since the establishment of the Creative Idea Suggestion System conducted (Creative Idea Handbook distributed, slogans and posters solicited, video produced)
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1993
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January
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New QC Circle activities with each individual playing a role implemented
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1994
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March
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Toyota Group Executive TQM Training Course conducted for new executives
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November
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Introduction of TQM announced in All-Toyota Total Quality Management Convention
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1995
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April
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Science SQC activities started
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August
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Total number of suggestions surpasses 30 million
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1996
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March
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Management skill enhancement program conducted company-wide for division and section managers
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1998
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June
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Yokoten Activities conducted
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1999
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September
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Workplace Management Support Series of booklets published for workplace management
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September
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Anticipatory improvements introduced
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2000
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March
|
Global expansion and entrenchment of QC Circles promoted (South Africa and India used as models)
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April
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Management-quality Advancement System (MAST) introduced to raise workplace management quality
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October
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Activities for renewed understanding of appropriate use of control charts conducted internally and for suppliers
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October
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Environmental improvement scoring standards adopted
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2001
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June
|
Events to commemorate 50 years since the establishment of the Creative Idea Suggestion System conducted;
- Commemorative conference and events conducted; 50th anniversary publication issued; Video entitled 'Creation is Limitless' produced |
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2002
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Share workplace mission deployed in each division through utilization of MAST
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2003
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February
|
TQM Committee, conducted with 12 Toyota group companies, renamed the Toyota Group TQM Committee with the addition of Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Toyota Central Research & Development Laboratories, Inc.
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April
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Commendation system revised (outstanding performance award, emerald award, and rookie award created)
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December
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Basic quality knowledge training program established internally and for suppliers
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Method for QC Circle Level Assessment developed and deployed throughout the Toyota Group
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2004
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February
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G-QC Circle activities conducted
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April
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MAST conducted as a means of establishing compliance activities
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2005
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July
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Three-year program promoting an award from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology started
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November
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All-Toyota TQM Convention renamed Global Toyota TQM Convention and invitations extended to senior executives of overseas affiliates
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2007
|
January
|
BR Jikotei Kanketsu (defect-free process completion) Department established
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November
|
2015 Vision announced at 20th Global QC Circle Convention commemorative event
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2008
|
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May
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Outstanding Clerical Suggestion Award created
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June
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Creative Idea Guidelines adopted
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August
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G-QC Circle Guidelines adopted
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November
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Creative Idea Suggestion Performance Statistics System put into operation
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December
|
Screening standards reviewed;
- Scope of external improvement and suggestion assessment expanded according to TMC investment ratio |
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Overseas implementation of Jikotei Kanketsu started
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Collaborative industrial activities with Japanese Society for Quality Control promoted, with 'Ensuring Quality' as the theme
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Toyota Group SQC Research Seminar booklet entitled 'SQC for Raising Problem Solving Skills' receives Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) Quality Management Award
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2009
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January
|
TQM Promotion Division reorganized; |
January
|
Creative Idea Administrative Offices shifted from Production Engineering Planning Division to TQM Promotion Division
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April
|
Implementation of TQM activities centered on Jikotei Kanketsu reinforced; Process completion training conducted
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April
|
First Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for most awards won
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July
|
Annual commendation system reviewed;
- Best Effort Award, Income Contribution Award, and others created |
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2010
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October
|
Jikotei Kanketsu efforts win Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers' Recognition of Quality System Innovation Award
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Training and promotion activities reinforced with the aim of developing human resources with high reliability and safety skills in technical fields
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2011
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April
|
Events to commemorate 60 years since the establishment of the Creative Idea Suggestion System conducted;
- Workshops and exhibitions on best practices and other events |
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August
|
Total number of suggestions surpasses 40 million
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