Proposals, requests for improvement and complaints from customers provide us with precious information that we use to make products more trustworthy and more competitive in the marketplace. We therefore strive to be amenable to customer voices and demands, which we consider from their viewpoint, before swiftly implementing improvements.

Murata has built a system for consolidated control of customers' complaints. After receiving a complaint, the responsible salesperson enters the information in a database so it can be simultaneously accessed by all Murata offices and plants worldwide. Product returns are handled primarily by the Production Quality Control Section, which investigates and analyzes the cause of a problem and formulates corrective action to prevent reoccurrence.

Information on complaints is also circulated to all divisions concerned. A troubleshooting checklist is subsequently compiled and stored by the development and design departments for use in future product development. We have also established a system for the Quality Assurance Department to report to top management on complaints and corrective actions.