Based on the principle that 6S activities (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain, and Sophisticated manners) form the foundation of all operations, Rengo is committed to companywide quality improvement to provide products that meet customer needs and ensure safe usage.
Achievement of ZD activities
Since FY3/2022, we have been engaged in Zero Defects (ZD) activities as part of our companywide unified customer satisfaction (CS) action policies. ZD activities are a series of initiatives aimed at achieving ZD in products. The basic policy is that each employee at the workplace thoroughly adheres to pre-determined rules and maintains an awareness that achieving ZD is a natural expectation. We strive to improve quality by fostering a workplace environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up and openly communicating about issues, and by promoting bottom-up proposals and improvement activities.
Quality assurance structure
We operate our unique quality management system under our CS action policies to ensure product quality. Additionally, we have established the Head Office CS Subcommittee to oversee and promote quality assurance activities across the company.
The subcommittee convenes twice annually to assess the status of companywide activities, including those of suppliers in the Paperboard Business Unit and the Packaging Business Unit. It also identifies risks related to quality based on customer information, and deliberates and determines the companywide action policies, priority items, and other matters. Each business unit decides on measures in line with the action policies established by the subcommittee. Plants and mills set more concrete measures and targets, working to improve quality by confirming the status of quality activities and evaluating defect countermeasures through monthly Plant/Mill CS Subcommittee meetings.
Quality control activities
Implementation of Quality Patrols
Each year, business units conduct Quality Patrols to assess the Sales & Marketing Departments and Production Departments of the plants/mills they oversee. The level of improvement activities has been rising annually as we respond to suggestions from patrolling staff from other plants/mills and the Head Office Quality Assurance Department.
In FY3/2025, audits focused on ensuring operations were conducted in compliance with rules and verifying that existing defect countermeasures remained effective, alongside checks of the work environment and documentation such as ledger sheets and other forms.
Efforts to prevent occurrence of defects
By establishing and strictly adhering to rules, defects can be reliably eliminated. Therefore, in FY3/2025, we focused our efforts on eliminating contamination and handling errors of different product types and order processing errors. To foster a sense of personal responsibility, we conducted case studies of recent defects at all plants/mills. The results were compiled at our Head Office, followed by companywide reminders to prevent recurrence of similar defects.
Opinions and requests from the plants/mills were reviewed in regular meetings held by relevant departments at our Head Office. To prevent issues before they occur, we created educational materials, revised rules, and disseminated these measures to help eliminate defects.
We also strive to stabilize quality by systematically updating or remodeling equipment and preventing the distribution of defective products by holding study group meetings nationwide to deepen understanding of inspection equipment. As a result, we have established our traceability system so that we can promptly respond when customers report quality defects, bringing peace of mind to them.
Strengthening of the quality of procurement sources and subcontractors
We are enhancing relationships by increasing visits to suppliers and conducting regular meetings. Through enhanced collaboration, we aim to establish a stable quality control structure that contributes to improved quality.
Initiatives of the Paperboard Business Unit
The Paperboard Business Unit, responsible for the early stages of the supply chain within the Rengo Group, conducts CS activities leveraging our strengths as an integrated manufacturer to better satisfy customer requirements. Specific activities include semi-annual Paperboard Business Unit CS Meetings aimed at improving customer satisfaction and strengthening collaboration among business units, where the progress of ZD activities is confirmed and future initiatives are discussed.
Additionally, the business unit regularly visits customers to assess the status of containerboard usage, striving to capture latent customer needs and improve quality. Furthermore, we hold quality assurance forums aimed at strengthening collaboration with Group companies. As a result of these efforts, the number of defects in FY3/2025 was reduced by more than 40% compared to the previous year.
Paperboard Business Unit: number of defects (Rengo, non-consolidated basis)
| FY3/2024 | FY3/2025 |
|---|---|
| Number of defects: 204 | Number of defects: 116 (over a 40% reduction year-on-year) |
Initiatives of the Corrugated Packaging and Folding Carton Business Units
Since FY3/2022, the Corrugated Packaging and Folding Carton Business Units have been undertaking quality assurance activities, primarily focused on ZD activities that represent the companywide unified CS action policies. ZD activities place the most emphasis on improvement through open communication. The business units focus on improving and stabilizing quality by addressing comments on defects discovered in upstream processes and suggestions for improvement.
These activities have yielded positive results. In FY3/2025, the business units successfully reduced the number of defects by approximately 10% year on year, and there was an increasing number of divisions where their zero-defect target was achieved on a monthly basis. Although the zero-defect target has not yet achieved companywide, we remain committed to further stabilizing and improving quality through ongoing ZD activities.
Corrugated Packaging and Folding Carton Business Units: number of defects (Rengo, non-consolidated basis)
| FY3/2024 | FY3/2025 |
|---|---|
| Number of defects: 453 | Number of defects: 413 (approx. a 10% reduction year-on-year) |
Initiatives for flexible packaging
Departments in charge of flexible packaging in our company strive to ensure a stable supply while meeting stringent quality standards required for primary packaging that directly contacts contents like food.
We thoroughly communicate our ZD activities and quality policy to Group companies and other manufacturing contractors through Quality Patrols and other measures. We also share information on customers’ quality policies and defect cases that occurred at other plants/mills to prevent defects.
Since FY3/2016, as a new initiative for collaboration between the Sales & Marketing Departments of our corrugated plants and the flexible packaging departments, we have been working to increase sales of flexible packaging by utilizing the nationwide sales and marketing network of corrugated packaging. At the beginning of the initiative at corrugated plants, there were many issues in handling and specification management, as those responsible were not accustomed to handling flexible packaging. However, we have worked to deepen the understanding of those in charge through online seminars for the Sales & Marketing Departments, study group meetings at various locations, and other efforts. In FY3/2025, there were no significant cases of defective product shipment (requiring recall, company announcement, etc.).
The Quality Assurance Departments will lead collaboration with Administration Departments to establish a quality assurance structure at corrugated plants nationwide, matching the standards of the flexible packaging related departments.
Flexible Packaging: number of defects (Rengo, non-consolidated basis)
| FY3/2024 | FY3/2025 |
|---|---|
| Number of defects: 28 | Number of defects: 35 (over a 20% increase year-on-year) |