Scientific, technical and economic achievements of Japan are usually associated with the names of several dozen major corporations (Toyota, Hitachi, Sony, Toshiba, Canon, etc.). Meanwhile, small and medium-sized businesses make a significant contribution to the development of this country. Today, there are about 7 million small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Japan, employing more than 40 million people (approximately 80% of the total number of employees). These enterprises, according to various estimates, account for from 40 to 70% of the volume of industrial production. They occupy a dominant position in such industries as clothing, footwear, haberdashery, manufacturing of components and structures, construction, services (including equipment maintenance), etc.* Japanese small businesses are very heterogeneous in their forms of business organization, management methods, degree of development, and technical level of production. In addition, there are differences in the degree of economic independence, the level of labor productivity and wages, profitability indicators, etc. In recent years, under the influence of a number of factors (market saturation, diversification of customer needs, increasing complexity of products, increasing requirements for goods and services, price competition, etc.), small and medium-sized businesses in Japan are undergoing significant changes. In particular, more and more attention is being paid to the issues of quality management of products and services. This indicator becomes the basis for the competitiveness of Japanese enterprises, many of which fulfill orders from large firms - machine-building, aircraft-building, automobile-building, etc. The article describes the practical experience of using quality management tools in small and medium-sized enterprises Fukanaka makki kobe, Komatsu bane kobe, Zenan, Tokyo Titanium. Following the development and implementation of the most advanced technologies, these companies produce o ... Read more