Quality evaluation system
Over 300 “customer’s-perspective” quality checks
How should we check vehicle quality from the customer’s perspective? Nissan’s answer to this question is the Vehicle Evaluation Standard (VES). This system evaluates product quality according to more than 300 criteria developed from the customer’s perspective. These checks are rigorously conducted by Nissan staff certified in using the VES system.
When checking the condition of body paint, for example, we envisage a situation where the customer is extremely close to the car’s exterior, such as when they are washing the car. We then keep this perspective in mind as we check for scratches and color irregularities.
- VES is an abbreviation for Vehicle Evaluation Standard.
Using test vehicles to imagine customer-use scenarios
In
order
to
deliver
high-quality
cars
to
our
customers,
Nissan
manufactures
test
vehicles
that
are
repeatedly
test-driven
and
trialed
under
the
strictest
conditions.
The
results
of
these
trials
guide
us
in
raising
quality
to
a
level
that
exceeds
customer
performance
expectations.
During
these
test
drives,
we
carefully
assess
performance
as
cars
drive,
corner
and
stop
in
a
variety
of
imagined
customer
use
scenarios.
We
also
adopt
a
customer
perspective
to
evaluate
advanced
features
that
provide
customers
with
added
value,
such
as
the
latest
driver
assistance
technology.
Continuous evaluation to boost customer satisfaction
Even
after
a
vehicle
enters
mass
production,
the
VES
system
is
periodically
used
to
guarantee
quality.
This
means
that
we
are
continually
assessing
quality
from
a
customer
perspective,
which
improves
quality
outcomes
and
contributes
to
customer
satisfaction.
Meeting customer expectations
The
same
list
of
over
300
VES
criteria
is
used
at
every
Nissan
production
site
in
the
world.
However,
the
target
scores
for
individual
criteria
continue
to
evolve.
This
reflects
ongoing
changes
in
customer
attitudes,
from
general
quality
expectations
to
other
criteria
that
they
consider
important.
Nissan
is
also
constantly
reviewing
the
VES
criteria
to
ensure
that
every
customer
is
satisfied.
VES
is
designed
so
that
customer
feedback
can
be
rapidly
analyzed
and
fed
back
into
the
system
in
order
to
deliver
cars
that
meet
customer
expectations.