Quality and CS Management Systems

Panasonic is establishing a self-responsible management framework for business domain companies enabling them to conduct business activities in a self-contained manner.

We have prepared a publication called Guidelines for Establishing Quality Management Systems so that all group companies throughout Panasonic can build their own self-contained quality assurance programs. The Panasonic Quality Management System (P-QMS) backs up the quality of products and services on a global scale. Together, these guidelines and the P-QMS create a powerful platform for constant quality improvements, the prevention of quality problems and reducing variations in quality.

Speaking on the subject of service, our founder, Konosuke Matsushita said, "Service is an integral part of any business. A business that does not provide service is no business at all. Service, therefore, is the duty and obligation of any business person ... Service means satisfying customers, and when we satisfy our customers, we in turn find satisfaction in a job well done. Satisfied customers and satisfied employees. This is what constitutes true service." These words form our basic customer service philosophy at Panasonic.

Panasonic is working to realize this basic philosophy by providing service that will impress customers by exceeding their expectations, following our basic policy for customer service, below.

The Customer Care Center is responsible for providing customers with information to help decide on a purchase and information about how to use a product following a purchase. For assistance involving repairs, customers can call a store or the contact center of a Panasonic service company. Business domain companies and factories at Panasonic assist the Customer Care Center and service companies in responding to inquiries that demand specialized knowledge. Furthermore, these companies and factories utilize valuable customer feedback and information from repair activities to make Panasonic products even better.

The Customer Value Enhancement Committee, which was established in July 2003, meets four times each year and is made up of the company president and many other senior executives. Members of the committee share information on all types of issues associated with customer contact points and determine actions that can create more value for customers. At the 17th meeting of this committee in August 2007, the central theme was issues and initiatives concerning customer satisfaction outside Japan. This meeting underscored the need to strengthen our activities in this area at the corporate level. In April 2008, we established an Overseas CS Center and an Overseas CS Enhancement Committee under the leadership of Hitoshi Otsuki, who is now a senior managing director. This gives us a new framework for meeting the diverse expectations of our customers outside Japan. As the number of Panasonic customers worldwide continues to climb, we have a strong commitment to providing quality services at any time and any location. This is precisely the objective of our global CS enhancement activities, which encompass sales companies, business domain companies and every other part of our organization.

Panasonic has established Standard KPI for evaluating customer satisfaction in overseas markets. Achieving CS excellence outside Japan is the goal. Evaluations incorporate four numerical indicators: the percentage of 24-hour prompt parts supply; the percentage of repairs completed within 48 hours; and, at call centers, the percentage of abandon calls and calls answered within 30 seconds. Individual countries and regions use additional items to suit differences in their operations. We re-examine evaluation standards every fiscal year and establish new ones as needed. At sales companies outside Japan, executive committees and other management units monitor the progress of CS initiatives, create new measures and take other actions. These activities provide a powerful PDCA cycle for customer satisfaction.