The future
up closeWORLD QUALITY REPORT
15th Edition 2023-24

Trust is vital to quality

JAPANQuality? It’s a given!

In a 1993 Washington Post article titled “What Japan Taught Us
About Quality”, renowned quality management expert Joseph M.
Juran highlighted a notable observation. In 1954, over 140 chief
executives from the largest manufacturing companies in Japanattended his lectures on quality. This was distinctly different
from his US audience that usually comprised of engineers andquality control managers.
This contrast underscores Japan’s enduring dedication to quality
even today, solidifying its global reputation for exemplary quality
management and meticulous attention to detail. Quality, today,
remains a painstakingly refined and closely scrutinized systemin the country.

Customer-centricity remains at the heart of all Japaneseorganizations. This core principle exerts a significant influenceon various aspects, including the strategic choices madewhen embracing novel technologies and methodologies.
For instance, unlike many countries that have smoothlytransitioned to Agile and DevOps as their primary working
methods, numerous Japanese companies still opt for theWaterfall methodology for specific projects. It’s worth
noting that such decisions are deliberate and purposeful.
Japan has a low tolerance for failure and places a strongemphasis on quality, even prioritizing it over time-to-market.
This approach doesn’t necessarily indicate a reluctance totake risks or a disinterest in adopting modern technology
and methodologies. Instead, it encourages thoroughrounds of research, experimentation, and validation before
implementing any new approach.
The challenge lies in harmonizing their successful legacy
methods with the need to remain competitive in the globalmarket by adopting the latest practices. To do so, various
major corporations with extensive international operations
have adopted diverse quality management systems, tailoredto the specific countries they are operating in. This approach
has sparked an increasing need to adjust and standardize
quality engineering practices to align with global standards.

Tech trends
The World Quality Report survey (2023) highlights thatJapanese corporations prioritize customer experience andefficiency as the key benefits of ‘Jidoka’ or automation. Thisfocus remains consistent with the previous year, emphasizing
quality over the immediate implementation of a new tech1

trend, while maintaining the practice of diligent researchand experimentation. Case-in-point are low code/ no code
implementations that have gained popularity over thepast year. While Japan holds the second rank in conducting
pilot tests for the same, it only serves as testimony to theunwavering Japanese ideology of ‘test first’.
This also holds true for cloud computing, followed by Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), with open-source
testing solutions trailing behind (WQR Survey, 2023). All four
technologies exhibit differing degrees of adoption, witha decreasing order of implementation in relation to eachother. This trend is driven by concerns regarding the quality of
their solutions, which in turn stimulate ongoing research into
their capabilities.
However, with recent AI advancements like Gen AI, Japan
has begun setting its implementation goals. Japaneseorganizations are primarily focused on attaining higher
productivity and greater speed as the key quality outcomeswhen they explore and leverage AI’s potential. However,experts caution that the risks might outweigh the benefits,
as many organizations believe the Japanese industry isn’t
fully prepared for Gen AI adoption. Nevertheless, interestin Gen AI is on the rise as regulations are taking shape andboth the education sector and local startups are beginning tointegrate it.

Quality: A second nature to Japan
Japan has consistently been regarded as a leader in thefield of quality management for many decades. Everyemerging global trend undergoes thorough rounds ofresearch and experimentation before adoption. Even upon
implementation, measures are taken to ensure minimal direct
impact on business operations.

Download the World Quality Reportwww.worldqualityreport.com

Sustainability is also becoming an integral part of the testing
ecosystem and is not a passing fad. It’s here to stay as a way oflife and conducting business. It is regarded as one of the top
Key Performance Indicators in companies, with demand forprogression and refinement increasing every day.
With the latest advancements and progress being made in
the QE landscape, Japan is poised to elevate its game to thenext level, establishing yet again a standard for which it isrevered worldwide.

Survey Watch

80%

Respondents identified applications
and processes that can benefit from AI

62%

Respondents identified Security
as a major focus area forautomation

94%

Respondents have confidence that thedata they use to train AI algorithms/
platforms is correct and accurate

88%

Organizations use a traditional testing
centre of excellence to support
Agile projects

or Scan the QR code

Contact OpenText
If you desire more information about testing tools,
please contact:

Masahiko Mochizuki
Vice President, Engineering,Capgemini Japan

Monica Garcia Manzanares
Global Campaign Manager, OpenText
mgarciamanza@opentext.com

Terada Hidetochi
Director, Engineering, Capgemini JapanI N A S S OCI AT ION WI T H :2