Supporting Product Quality at YKK AP — The Role of the Field Engineer, from Installation Support to Gathering Feedback from Work Sites and Making Improvements

Holding responsibility for installation quality, FEs form a technical group that works to improve on-site issues, leading to product improvements.

To explain the role of Field Engineers, let us first take a look at the Field Technical Center (FTC). The FTC is engaged in a wide range of activities, including the development of installation jigs to make the installation of products easier and reduce the workload involved, verifying the installation of new products, providing technical support to enhance architectural product distributors’ competitiveness, and providing training and guidance on assembly, delivery, and other areas to ensure product quality is maintained. FEs are engineers who are assigned to the FTC and work on the front lines at installation sites. There are currently 39 FEs at YKK AP, working at 13 locations nationwide. The FE Group also provides technical support for the installation of vinyl windows and remodeling and exterior products, conducts quality audits of distributors, and identifies areas for product improvement and provides feedback to the FTC. When the position that preceded FE was first established around 2000, its role was very different from that which FEs play today. At that time, they were responsible for assembling sashes to make finished windows, and the assembly know-how they developed through this experience laid the foundation for their current work, such as making proposals for operational improvements to distributors. The role then changed over time, and there was a period when the focus was on product maintenance and investigating the causes of defects. As such, they would handle consultations such as locks not working on a site-by-site basis, but realizing that defects would not decrease without addressing the root of the problem, it was decided to enhance technical support, such as installation training sessions for installers, thereby preventing defects from occurring in the first place. As a result, since 2016, "technical support" has accounted for more of their work than "defect investigations," now comprising about 80% of the total.

Training sessions and dialogue at installation sites allow FEs to gather valuable on-site information directly from installers, such as issues related to product handling and construction, as well as requests for improvement. Regarding dialogue with installers, Mr. Ueki said, "We have very close relationships with contractors and distributors, so we are able to get direct feedback from them. That feedback is sometimes quite critical, but on the other hand, it is always rewarding for us as FEs to receive words of gratitude for the improvements we make." All of this information is gathered together at the FTC and used in conjunction with information on past problems to confirm quality targets during development reviews of new products.

One example of a product improvement Mr. Ueki was involved in is a change in the shape of the metal tabs for preventing fixed windows installed in rows from falling out. With the original specifications, when the glass was placed into a row of fixed windows, there was a risk that the glass would strike the metal tabs installed earlier, causing it to break. To address this, they raised a request for improvement and the shape of the tabs was changed, allowing them to be attached after the glass was inserted. This reduced the risk of the glass hitting the tabs when inserted, reducing the risk of breakages and improving workability.

To address customer issues, FEs will not only suggest improvements to products, but sometimes suggest appropriate installation methods. For example, Mr. Sunazawa received feedback saying that the cutting-out process ( manual processing such as cutting parts of components ) for installing screen rails on vinyl windows was difficult, and when he actually tried it himself, he realized how difficult it was: the cutter blade would jump out of alignment, often causing damage to the window. To address this, he thought up a safer and more efficient method  using marking calipers, and proposed it to the installer, to their satisfaction. In this way, FEs work to solve on-site issues, including proposals to ensure greater safety and efficiency, such as changing the installation method or the tools used.