Quality Management System

Promotion System

The Sumitomo Forestry Group has been pursuing the ISO 9001 quality management system certification in order to constantly enhance the quality of products and services provided to customers.

The Sumitomo Forestry Group has established Quality Control and Worker Safety Management Department as an office directly under the president strives to consistently improve product and service quality and eradicate occupational accidents. The department provides guidance and advice to the entire Group in Japan and overseas, as well as developing and strengthening the quality and occupational health and safety management system. In addition, important quality issues that affect the entire Group are reported and considered at the Sustainability Committee. We conducted a survey of the current status of quality management systems at 73 Group divisions in Japan and overseas in fiscal 2023 and presented the findings at the Sustainability Committee and other entities.

Implementation and Enhancement of ISO9001 Management System

The Sumitomo Forestry Group promotes the operation of the ISO9001 Quality Management System ("ISO9001") in order to provide reliable products and services and improve customer satisfaction.

Among the Sumitomo Forestry Group companies, we analyze our businesses where quality control is particularly important, prioritize them, and promote their implementation. Management system activities are incorporated into day-to-day operations and once a high level of understanding is reached, we acquire self-compliance*. Later, when obtaining ISO 9001 certification, we continue the activities for another one-year period to further increase the level of understanding.

Departments and divisions that have acquired ISO9001 self-compliance and external certification promote the operation of the management system by conducting internal auditing on a regular basis to ensure continuous improvement.

The scope of consolidated subsidiaries to be certified focuses on companies that are engaged in businesses where quality control is of high importance. In fiscal 2023, the certification rate of targeted consolidated organizations was 98.7% (based on sales).

*An ISO-based management system has been established, operated and adapted by the company

*Formaldehyde emission standards for specific wood products stipulated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Product Safety and Quality Control in the Manufacturing Business

Sumitomo Forestry is building out its quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001. In addition to satisfying the product standards of JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) and JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards), we also manage quality according to our own proprietary quality standards, as well as conduct acceptance inspections, process inspections, and final inspections. Through monthly quality meetings, we analyze the causes of in-process defects and quality complaints, formulate improvement measures, and carry out quality improvement activities, with the aim of providing higher quality.

Additionally, in collaboration with the Sumitomo Forestry Tsukuba Research Institute and other organizations, we conduct basic research and evaluate the durability of products, and accumulate verification and manufacturing technologies for product development and quality improvement.

We place importance on communication and feedback with customers regarding product safety and quality, and carry out manufacturing where customers can use our products with peace of mind. Sumitomo Forestry Crest, a manufacturing plant in Japan, has reduced the number of complaints by approximately 18% over the past three years through various quality improvement activities. In addition, our overseas manufacturing plants are working to provide higher quality products through their experience of manufacturing and selling products for Japan, which has high quality requirements.

Quality Management System (ISO9001)

Sumitomo Forestry Crest has been operating with integrated ISO 9001 at its facilities nationwide. To employ a PDCA cycle under a quality management system in accordance with the quality policy, Sumitomo Forestry Crest conducts internal audits of all of its facilities twice each year, external audits once each year, and reviews results from those audits repeatedly to build a strict process management system and manufacture high-quality products.

Product Certification

We have obtained certifications such as JIS, JAS and ministerial certification to guarantee the quality and performance of its products and ensure that they meet 4VOC* and formaldehyde emission regulations. In addition, Sumitomo Forestry Crest has produced items that have been received ministerial certification for their fireproof performance, as well as products certified by SIAA (The Society of International sustaining growth for Antimicrobial Articles) for their antibacterial and antiviral performance.

*(1) toluene, (2) xylene, (3) ethylbenzene, and (4) styrene emitted from building materials

ISO 9001 Initiatives in the Housing Business

The Sumitomo Forestry Group promotes the operation of the ISO9001 in order to provide reliable products and services and improve customer satisfaction in the housing business.

Sumitomo Forestry Home Tech Initiatives

Sumitomo Forestry Home Tech, which handles renovation and maintenance for wooden detached houses, traditional Japanese-style homes and condominiums built by Sumitomo Forestry, acquired ISO 9001 certification in 2017.

With the aim of improving customer satisfaction, we have set quality targets, monitored the performance of business quality and on-site quality, and worked toward continuous improvement.

Sumitomo Forestry Home Engineering Initiatives

Sumitomo Forestry Home Engineering, which is responsible for the construction and supervision of Sumitomo Forestry homes, acquired ISO9001 certification in 2006. By unifying construction quality management methods, we ensure consistent quality even in different construction areas and by different contractors. We are committed to building homes that are healthy, safe, secure, and of the highest quality, and putting our customers first.

ISO9001 Internal Auditors

The Quality Control and Worker Safety Management Department of the Sumitomo Forestry Group hosts and conducts the ISO9001 Internal Auditor Training Workshop to deepen understanding of the purpose of the standard and internal audits in order to incorporate the ISO9001 system into its operations and strengthen it. In fiscal 2023, 95 people* in the Sumitomo Forestry Group's housing business obtained certification.

*This figure includes those who have obtained qualifications through external training

Product Safety and Quality Control in the Construction Business

Product Safety and Quality Management System

The construction business, run by the Construction Business Sub-Division under the Global Construction and Real Estate Division, is improving the quality management system under the aforementioned policy and building a strict process management system. The Department also conducts biannual internal auditing at construction sites to follow the PDCA cycle incorporated in the quality management system as stipulated by ISO9001. We have been highly praised by third parties for providing higher quality construction with recognition that includes winning a number of Wood Design Award and Good Design Award.

Initiatives and Framework for Product Safety and Quality Control

The Construction Department, Construction Business Sub-Division, Global Construction and Real Estate Division, is actively engaged in exchanges related to product safety and quality control with Kumagai Gumi.

Since 2022, the Construction Business Sub-Division, Global Construction and Real Estate Division, has invited a lecturer specializing in estimation* from Kumagai Gumi, with which we have a business and capital alliance. The lecturer leads regular in-house study sessions on how to operate the estimation system and knowledge of wood. In addition, Sumitomo Forestry employees are sent to the company as estimating simulation trainees to learn more practical estimating methods.

In 2023, "exchange patrols and construction review meetings" were held at five sites at Kumagai Gumi and two sites at Sumitomo Forestry, in an effort to improve the occupational safety level and quality of medium- to large-scale wooden constructions.

*Calculation of the cost of construction in advance by accumulating the total predicted cost of construction