Recognizing 41 companies at the awards ceremony for suppliers
In addition to sharing business policies and purchasing measures with suppliers, Honda holds awards ceremonies for suppliers. At one such meeting in January 2012, President Takanobu Ito met with participants from 321 companies to express gratitude for their cooperation following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the flooding in Thailand. He also described Honda's companywide policy of accelerating its proactive approach by combining best-of-breed products and best-of-breed global operations. Next, Honda presented letters of appreciation to 41 suppliers who made outstanding contributions to the company's business in development, cost, quality, parts, and environmental categories. Then Honda presented special letters of appreciation to 25 suppliers that made a particularly significant contribution to the company's recovery from the earthquake and flooding. Finally, Masaya Yamashita, Chief Operating Officer of Purchasing Operations, highlighted the need to enhance risk management; explained Honda's future approach to purchasing, including the move toward global operations, the move toward high-order leveling of safety and quality worldwide, and the drive to reduce CO2 emissions throughout the product life cycle; and asked the assembled suppliers to redouble their cooperation.
In fiscal 2012, Honda introduced an Environmental Award as a new letter of appreciation. The award expresses our gratitude and respect to suppliers that have undertaken initiatives in line with Honda's Green Guidelines and otherwise made exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impacts throughout the product life cycle.
President Toru Kitamoto (right; retired in June 2012) of Yamada Manufacturing Co., Ltd., accepts cost, quality, and parts awards from Honda President Ito.
Striving to achieve a safer labor environment
Honda has consistently worked to encourage the creation of safe work environments at its suppliers' manufacturing sites in order to fulfill founder Soichiro Honda's assertion, "No safety, no production."
Since 2009, we have been augmenting classroom lectures and training on occupational health and safety management systems by conducting simple audits of manufacturing sites with suppliers and encouraging each company to move quickly to develop and introduce an occupational health and safety management system that suits the characteristics of its own production system.
During fiscal 2012, we made progress together with suppliers toward thoroughly implementing occupational health and safety management systems by helping them resolve challenges during the audit stage, offering advice on how to resolve issues, and proposing solutions.
Going forward, we will continue to work with suppliers to eliminate industrial accidents as part of our efforts to create workplace environments in which employees can do their jobs with peace of mind.
