Our basic approach to quality assurance

Komatsu's basic approach to quality assurance is to “ensure customer satisfaction by providing products that meet customer needs and effectively carrying out support activities to enable these products to fully perform their functions, through cooperation with affiliates, partner companies (suppliers), distributors, and others across all activities from planning, development, and production to sales and service.”

Mechanisms for quality assurance

Komatsu employees across all areas of our operations, from product planning to development, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service, work together as a single cohesive unit to continuously develop safe, innovative, and high-quality products. By further strengthening Komatsu’s unique product development and manufacturing system, we are able to introduce highly competitive DANTOTSU Products (advancement of machines) to the market and provide distinctive services and systems.

At each step of the development and manufacturing process, various meetings and evaluations are conducted to assess conformity and promote activities aimed at achieving goals, thereby ensuring quality and reliability through quality assurance activities.

Through these efforts, Komatsu provides products and services that consider the global environment and comply with international standards and laws and regulations in various countries, while striving to ensure customer safety and improve customer satisfaction.

Quality assurance activities at the global level

The goal of Komatsu's global quality assurance activities is to achieve a unified quality level at all locations worldwide. To this end, we engage in activities aimed at standardized technical drawings, manufacturing systems, inspection methods, information collection, and quality management across all regions.

Komatsu has a number of manufacturing facilities that it refers to as “Mother plants”. These plants have product development capabilities and serve as the central hub for global product development initiatives using cutting-edge technologies and techniques. Any form of progress or advancement that is conceived at a “Mother plant” is immediately disseminated to other Komatsu manufacturing locations around the world, creating a uniform ecosystem that promotes technological development and enhances product quality.

Using ICT to provide lifecycle support

Komatsu equips its construction equipment with Komtrax and its large mining equipment with Komtrax Plus, ICT-based machine operation management systems. These systems enable Komatsu to track information such as the operating status and condition of vehicles, and to utilize this information in its products and services. In doing so, Komatsu contributes to providing support throughout the lifecycle, including improving the operating rates of customers’ vehicles and reducing maintenance costs.

Information system for product safety

To quickly detect product safety issues in the market, Komatsu has established an information system for product safety to ensure rapid responses. Centered around the company-wide product safety committee, we have built a system that allows for the rapid execution of a series of activities, including (1) analysis and handling of accident causes, (2) communication with relevant government authorities, and (3) making decisions on corrective measures such as product recalls, involving top management to continually make improvements.

Providing product safety information to customers

The methods for providing product safety information to customers are as follows:

1. Information on the product or in the user manual
2. Explanations provided by sales dealers to customers
3. Efforts made on a case-by-case basis, such as visits by engineers or top management to customers when necessary

Recall procedures

1. Obtain defect information from the market 
2. Proposal for rectification of the situation based on information regarding the defect; decision regarding what measures the company will take toward the market
3. File a notice with relevant authorities as provided under the law
4. Inform customers through appropriate channels
5. Take appropriate corrective measures including, for example, repairs, replacements
6.  Grasp the progress situation of the corrective measures

Initiatives for proper recall management

1. Strengthening of information collecting systems on product quality in the market
2. Promotion of technical verification of the problem involved in the recall and timely decision making
3. Promotion of early resolution in compliance with laws and regulations (notification to authorities, information disclosure, recall collection, etc.) 
4. Grasp the progress situation of the corrective measures
5. Regular auditing of recall-related operations

Komatsu strictly oversees compliance with legal requirements. Should a defect be found in its products or services, the company initiates prompt correction measures and moves forward with proactive information disclosure.

[DATA] Number of Recalls