TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

In early 1986 Mitsubishi Aluminum's Fuji Plant faced severe competition from home and abroad. Over a two-year period a new production improvement system was implemented which improved quality, reduced lead times and cut work-in-process by 40%. M itsubishi Aluminum's Fuji Plant is a comprehensive aluminum production plant, manufacturing a variety of aluminum products totalling 130,000 tons/year. It produces 80,000 tons of aluminum sheet, 20,000 tons of aluminum foil and 30,000 tons of extruded product annually. The Fuji Plant has 850 employees and another 400 employees work for affiliated companies. Between July 1986 and June 1988 the company introduced the 'MAF Production Improvement System' (Mitsubishi Aluminum Fuji plant). The following is a chronological record of the Mitsubishi Aluminum Fuji Plant TQM implementation programme.