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Efforts by Tsuyama Factory of Matsushita Electric Co.

*Tsuyama Factory of Matsushita Electric Co.*

1. Introduction
Tsuyama Factory of Matsushita Electric Co., with 720 employees, has been manufacturing volume controls and switches for digital parts and electric apparatus which meet the demands of the times.

2. 5S Campaign Involving All Employees
In 1988, we suffered from a series of complaints about quality, mainly mixing-up of products. We were also troubled with 16 occupational injuries during the year. The bitter experience pushed us to launch "5S" campaign participated and practiced by all employees in order to promote safety and comfortable working environment. Going back to the principle "it is people who is the basis of management," we reaffirmed that how much important working environment was. The campaign, although can be conducted by anyone only with a little consideration, is a crucial element which leads us to stable quality standards, better productivity and the prevention of industrial accidents.

3. Transition of 5S Campaign
(1) 1988 - 1990: Promotion of Employees' Morale & Motivation
For the first two years, we promoted the campaign on executive initiative, and therefore employees reacted passively with a sense of obligation. When we made it autonomous participating campaign of employees , they joined it enthusiastically.

(2) 1991 - 1993: Positive Participation
Our efforts during these three years encouraged employees to positively participate in the campaign. But the outcome was not good enough to improve our business index.

(3) 1994 - 1996: More Systematic & Standardized Campaign
We developed the total campaign, including environment, safety and health, and storage management. Consequently, this campaign reached to the point to affect our business.

 4. Relations Between Productivity and Safety and Health
After promoting "5S" campaign exhaustively and continuously, we have observed "seiri " and "seiton " at our workplace, which eventually reduced excessive, wasteful and irregular works and thereby cut the prime cost. The practice of "seiso " and "seiketsu " helped us to know where was dangerous, and thereby the number of accidents sharply declined. Moreover, we experienced fewer number of semi-products from which we had suffered before the campaign. The reduction made it possible for us to manufacture products with stable and better quality and strictly observe the appointed date of delivery, and thereby our customers have been more satisfied with.

Business Result in 1997 (Compared with 1988)
*productivity value added productivity about 16 times higher
*quality rate in poor process of manufacture reduced to about one fifth
*accidents the number of occupational injuries reduced to one sixteenth
*suggestion per person a year about 5 times (150 cases)
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