YKK Episodes

Expanding around the World- Memorable Stories -Episode14

Indomitability

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YKK Brazil
Sorocaba Plant

In the 1990s,
this plant...
often had to deal withquality issues
to do with jeans zippers.

Like, they change color
when you wash them...

We’re getting
complaints!

Because industrial washingmachines oxidize things, right...?

They started to make improved fasteners
to address the quality complaints and so on... but handling the machinesrequired expert knowledge.

I mean, this isn’t likeany of the machineswe’ve used so far...

At the manufacturing site,
the whole team worked on
solving the problem
together.

One of the most passionateof them when it came toimprovement work
was Mr. T.

The rpm is the same,
but...
So, all the technicians could do was
adjust them based on past experience,then set them running andhope for the best.

Putting in manpower has
gotten the siterunning okay again.

getin
me mrooMr. U,

the production manager

Your and the other staff’s
hard work has reallypaid off...

But if we factor inproductivity and costs...

and things are going way betterwith the machines now, right?

So, Mr. T...
I want you to go to Japanand get sometechnical training.

Huh?

there’ll only be so far
we can go with things
at YKK Brazil as
they stand.

Kurobe over there is the hightemple of technology
where they actually develop andmanufacture the machines.

So, I want you to go there
and get some new technicalknow-how,then bring it back and spread
it around here to improvethings even more.

B-But why me...?

Becauseyou’re so hardworking
and sincere!

And above all,you’re always up for achallenge!

I definitely
want it to be you!

So, on October 3,1996...

...Mr. T set oﬀ for Japan.

He spent about a month anda half there
learning from Japanese technicians
about how to adjust the machines.

This part here is very important
for this adjustment.

Taking what he learned
and rolling it out in Brazil…
would require understanding everything
thoroughly, from the adjustment
methods themselves right down tothe principles they were based on.

Got it.

If it’s out of alignment…

It’s no good!

I just can’t get theseadjustments rightno matter how manytimes I try!

I guess it’s beyond me
after all!

But just then...

Boss...
About the technical training
in Japan...
It looks like in the end,
I wasn’t the right—

So, the responsibility isall mine.

I was the one
who decided
we should send you...

and I made that decision
based on seeing
how you always work.

I have faith in you,and I really want it to be
you on this.

All you need to do is
keep working
like you always do.

So, I want you to shakeoff any failures...
and stick at it until
you succeed.

Boss...

Mr. U chose me,and he always makes soundjudgments.
So, enoughworrying already.

Never mind if
I get things wrong.
I just need tokeep trying
until I can dothem right!

Mr. T kept studying everythingover and over until he got it.

He completed the training with nomajor hitches, and went back home.

Then, he shared what he dlearned in Japan
with the Brazilian plant s technicians, and pulled together to improveand they all brushed up their skills... the machine situation
at the same time.

However...

And besides that,the slider quality
isn’t stabilizing either.

We’ve made the adjustments
like I learned in Japan,
but things still aren’t going right.
What’s going on?

It looks like dimensional errors
in the semifinished products
from the previous processes...
are affecting how
the machines are operating.

Dimensional errors in thesemifinished products...
So, maybe it’s all down
to differencesin the level of quality control...

Based on that,they got the previous processes
to help out with the improvement
work as well.

To maintainquality...

Let’s ask Mr. XX over at
the YY process...

There were many diﬃculties
along the way, but...

I see.

We tried replacing the parts,
but it hasn’t madeany difference.

This breakdown ishappening a lot,right?

What should
we do, Mr. T?

We “insist on quality in everything,”
so “do not fear failure,”
because “experience builds success”!

Guys...
remember YKK’sCore Values.

Right!

...the technicians
refused to give up...

...and at last...

...successfully got themachines operating
stably...
and dramatically improved
costs and quality alike.

The next year, they gave
technical guidance
to the manufacturing
department atYoshida Nordeste as well...
and helped boost thetechnical prowess of
the Brazilian companies
as a whole.

Great job!

The jeans sliders they
introduced back then...

grew into a major item,
and now account for
78% of Sorocaba
Plant s production
volume.

YKK s employees are supporting it
through indomitable hard work likethis in every country and region
where it operates.

End.