Panasonic Industry’s 40-year quality fraud includes a shocking “special mode” to fake inspection data, with concealment at the top level.
1★50 years of part-time experience.Dec. 22, 2024 (Sun) 12:16:22.02ID:3+gMHdRD9
A quality fraud issue has been uncovered at Panasonic Industry (Panainda), an electronic parts business company under Panasonic Holdings (HD). According to a report by an external investigation committee released on November 1st, cases were also discovered in which special programs had been created to deceive customers. What’s shocking is that Panasonic Switching Technologies (PanaST), a subsidiary of Panainda, has a “special mode” that can be set when customers come to check out the manufacturing process. Dedicated programs automatically fabricate and falsify data The relay products manufactured by Panasonic since the 2000s had a process defect rate, which indicates the proportion of defective products, of 5-10%, which was significantly higher than normal. Because there was a possibility that “the burden on employees to respond would increase” if customers asked for improvements (investigation report), the company falsified data on process defect rates and submitted it to customers. In addition, when customers visited the manufacturing process, the programs on the inspection equipment were changed to a “special mode” to prevent the large number of defective products and the falsification of data from being discovered. Since the late 2010s, manuals for changing settings have been created and handed over between staff members. Fraudulent programs have also been discovered at other locations. The fraudulent alteration of lot numbers of molding materials and sealing materials confirmed at the Yokkaichi, Minami Yokkaichi, Shanghai (China), and Ayutthaya (Thailand) factories involved the fabrication and tampering of test results using a special program.
As long as they’re not releasing defective products as good ones, it’s fine. If they’re just falsifying the defect rate to make it lower, then there’s no problem.
Aren’t all Japanese manufacturers like this? When superiors and executives rule the company through power harassment and fear, the workplace has no choice but to cover up problems.
>>28 There are still areas where we are better than China but I think we are winning because of our savings in the 20th century and there is a high possibility that we are losing if we look at the progress made in the 21st century and beyond. The only Japanese companies that have become world famous in the 21st century are Uniqlo and Softbank.
Comments