ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Day 1 (Part A – Opening Ceremony)

Asian Network for Quality (ANQ) Congress 2024 was held by Japanese Society for Quality Control (JSQC) in the Keio University, Yokohama, Japan from 16-20 Sep 2024. The congress theme was “Prosperity through Quality – Returning to Origins, Leaping into the Future”. Day 1 of Congress is held on 18^th Sep 2024. Hong Kong team – Prof. Fugee Tsung, Minda and I took a photo with Prof. Kano for memory. 

In the morning, we set off from the hotel to the venue together with the SQI team and CSQ team members.

We arrived the reception.

Minda registered in the reception for HKSQ.

Then we took a photo with Dr. Duan Yonggang (段永剛) and Ms. Wang Lin (王琳).

In the venue, we met many ANQ friends and took a photo with Prof. Kano.

Photo with SQI friends Mr. Cheung Kah Leong and Mr. GE Tan.

Also met with Dr. Nguyen Thanh Tung (VAQH) and Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoang Lien (VAQH). We thank VAQH for the gift.

We met Dr. Surani Sharmalee Dias (Chairlady, SLAAQP) from Sri Lanka again.

I then took a photo with Prof. Wan Seon Shin (KSQM)

And also took a photo with Dr. Line (VAQH) and Mr. Prabhakar Shettigar (Executive Director, ISQ).

Photo taken with ISQ team – Mr. Janak Mehta, Mr. Narayanan Ramanathan and Mr. Anil Sachdev, as well as, Mr. Laxmikant Natu (Senior Consultant, GET)

Photo with Dr Nigel Grigg (NZOQ) 

I also met Dr. Charles A. Liedtke (IAQ from USA)

Minda and I took a photo with Prof. Azat Abdrakhmanov and Mrs. Gulbakhram Aitkhozhina.

Opening Plenary Part 1

The ANQ Congress started.

In the beginning, Prof. Shu Yamada (Japan) (Chairman, ANQ) gave welcome address and introduction of the congress.

Firstly, he reviewed the members of ANQ and history of the formation meeting and congress since 2002. 

After that Prof. Shu Yamada briefed the congress venue in Hiyoshi Campus.

Finally, he briefed the progress of quality control and management through goal by Kano method and discussed some current challenges.

There were many attendees and the seats were almost full.

Prof. Toshiyuki Murakami (Dean and Graduate School Chair, Keio University) gave welcome speech.

Mr. Hiroyuki Wakabayashi gave Organizing Committee Chair message. He firstly introduced himself that VP of JSQC and serviced in DENSO Co.

Then he pointed out the attractiveness of ASIA included growth speed, passion for KAIZEN and diversity of human resource. 

Lastly, Mr. Hiroyuki Wakabayashi said ANQ and JSQC had the same policy to strengthen network for quality by attractive proposals and asked us to remember Japanese “I•I•NE” means GOOD!

Prof. Noriaki KANO gave Honorary Chairperson Greeting. Prof. Kano mentioned that he stayed at home for 3-year period of coronavirus and he resumed his business trip now. And he said that Asia has not stagnated during the Corona, but has continued to develop. 

And then he introduced that 2024 is the 40^th Anniversary of the Publication for Kano Model and the paper entitled “Attractive Quality and Must-Be Quality” which published in Journal of Japanese Society for Quality (JSQC) in 1984.

Finally, Prof. Kano discussed the quality failure (e.g. Toyota Motor, Boeing 787) and quality fraud (e.g. Fujikura, Hitachi Chemical) in Japan. 

Lastly, Prof. Kano concluded that it is not hid but disclose it. Thus, we needed to establish whistleblowing system and implement this.

Mr. Janak Mehta gave opening remarks. Firstly, he briefed the ANQ Way included goal, strategy and core values.

He then compared the GDP of the ANQ region to that of the Americas/Europe region. But the GDP per Capita in the ANQ region still lags behind.

Finally, Mr. Mehta stated the customer value creation that included Attractive Quality Creation, QC and QM.

During the break, Minda and I took a photo with SQI team and Prof. Kano.

(Left: Mr. Tu Jianyu, Mr. GE Tan, Mr. Johnson Tan Swan San, Prof. Kano, Dr. Roy Rimington, Mr. Cheung Kah Leong, I and Minda)

I met Dr. Nguyen Xuan Tung (VQAH) again and he would visit Hong Kong soon.

I also met Adv. Md. Azadul Islam (Managing Director, Raian Arian International, Bangladesh) and Mr. Masudur Rahaman (Managing Director, AHarbor).

I recognized the ARE-QP winner Mr. IIia Rusakov (National Research University “MPEI”) through Prof. Azat and then we took a photo together with Mr. GE Tan (SQI).

I also met old Japanese Friends Prof. Yoshinori Iizuka (Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo) and Prof. Yukihiro Ando (JSQC). We took a photo together with Dr. Charles A. Liedtke.

I, Dr. Nigel Grigg (NZOQ) and Dr. Roland K. Jahnke took a photo for memory.

After the break, the first keynote speaker was Dr. Ken Nishina (Professor Emeritus, Nagoya Institute of Technology; Professor, Aichi Institute of Technology) and his topic entitled “2S is an Origin of the Management Cycle”. Firstly, Dr. Nishian introduced the background of his talk from “Factory Manager’s Traing Workshop”.

Then he briefed 2S that were SEIRI (Sorting) and SEITON (Setting in order) in Japanese. 2S activity is a cycle of “Sorting” and “Setting in order” said by Dr. Ken Nishina. Three effects by 2S are more safety, more ease and more visualization.

After that he combined management cycles including Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and Standardize-Do-Check-Act (SDCA) cycle. Where “Sorting” aimed finding waste and eliminating it and “Setting in order” aimed setting a rule to make it easier to use and then standardization & maintaining. Thus, integrating SDCA cycle into PDCA cycle indicating 2S effects. Finally, Dr. Ken Nishina concluded that 2S is the first step in management.

The second keynote speaker was Dr. Heejun Park (President of KSQM, Professor, Dept. of Industrial Eng., Yonsei University) and his presentation named “Quality Innovation Based on Digital Platform”. Firstly, he discussed that crisis come opportunity such as water supply source contamination incident in 1990s, then beer made with natural mineral water.

After that Dr. Park discussed technology and quality. He said blockchain technology would play a crucial role in quality control in the platform era. Moreover, digital transformation is not a linear change to improve efficiency but “Disruptive Change” to change rule of the game.

Finally, Dr. Park introduced product concept based on customer needs using Business Model Canvas. He concluded the critical for successful innovation is to define innovation as a tool to create a masterpiece.

Opening Plenary Part 2

Mr. Janak Mehta (Chair IKA Committee) presented the ANQ Ishikawa-Kano Award silver medal. Mr. Mehta firstly briefed the criteria of IKA Silver Medal.

Mr. Janak Mehta and Prof. Shu Yamada presented the certificate and medal to the first awardee Mr. Ashok Sharma.

Mr. Janak Mehta and Prof. Shu Yamada presented the certificate and medal to the second awardee Dr. Partud Bhandhubanyong.

After that Mr. G.E. Tan (Chairman, ASA & ARE-QP Committee) presented Asian Service Award (ASA) and ANQ Recognition for Excellence for Quality to the awarded company representatives.

Finally, all the winners took a group photo.

After the morning session, Mind and I took a photo with Taiwan team and their awardees. 

Lunch boxes were provided and we had lunch in the classroom with Kazakhstan & Russian team. 

Reference:

ANQ website - https://anforq.org/index.php

ANQ 2024 - https://pub.confit.atlas.jp/en/event/anq2024  

JSQC - https://jsqc.org/

HKSQ - https://hksq.org/

20240917: ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Pre-Congress Visit on 16th & 17th Sep 2024 - https://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2024/09/anq-congress-yokohama-2024-pre-congress.html

20240918: ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Day 1 (Part A – Opening Ceremony) - https://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2024/09/anq-congress-yokohama-2024-day-1-part.html

20240918: ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Day 1 (Part B – Parallel Session) - https://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2024/09/anq-congress-yokohama-2024-day-1-part-b.html

20240919: ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Day 2 (Part A – Parallel Session) - https://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2024/09/anq-congress-yokohama-2024-day-2-part.html

20240919: ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Day 2 (Part B – Closing Ceremony) - https://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2024/09/anq-congress-yokohama-2024-day-2-part-b.html

20240919: ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Gala Dinner - https://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2024/09/anq-congress-yokohama-2024-gala-dinner.html

20240920: ANQ Congress Yokohama 2024 – Technical Visit - https://qualityalchemist.blogspot.com/2024/09/anq-congress-yokohama-2024-technical.html