After recalling more than one million products in four months, Panasonic's product 'Quality Gate' event is still fermenting.
Recently, Matsushita Electric (China) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Panasonic China) announced that it will recall some imported notebook products. The total number of products affected in mainland China is 4,175. It is understood that the global Panasonic notebooks may reach 1.168 million units.
Regarding the reason for the recall, the announcement stated that the internal pressure rises due to the deterioration of the battery. If there is a small foreign matter in the battery, it may cause internal short circuit or even fire.
In fact, the Panasonic recalled notebook was not its first recall. Since the end of last year, Panasonic has announced that it will recall 140,000 notebooks in multiple markets and replace it for free. After nearly half a year, Panasonic began to officially Announced that some of the problem products will be officially recalled in the Chinese market.
Zhang Jianfeng, deputy secretary-general of the China Household Electrical Appliances Business Association, said: 'At present, Panasonic's recall in the Chinese market is relatively lagging behind. After the implementation of the recall, how can Panasonic be implemented and whether it can keep pace with other markets in the Chinese market? . '
The recall expanded to involve more than 20 brands
Why is it always half a beat in the Chinese market?
Recently, the State Administration of Markets and Communications notified that some imported Panasonic brand notebook products will be recalled from now on. The total number of products affected in China is 4,175 (including CF-SX series of optional batteries).
"Securities Daily" reporter called Panasonic China to understand that the Panasonic recalled only four models of notebooks in China, namely CF-SX2 of Panasonic CF-SX series, CF-S of CF-SX4 and CF-AX series. AX2, CF-AX3.
In April of this year, Panasonic also announced in the Chinese market that the four models of notebook computers may have problems, but at that time, they only provided battery diagnostic control procedures to Chinese consumers to judge the battery deterioration, and did not officially start the battery. Recall action.
Recently, in accordance with the requirements of the “Management Measures for Defective Consumer Goods Recall”, Panasonic China finally officially filed a recall plan with the State Administration of Markets. The company said that since mid-September, new battery replacements were made for products sold in China.
For these models of notebooks, Panasonic has already opened recalls in many countries and regions as early as six months ago.
In December last year, Matsushita announced that due to the fire hazard of the laptop battery, about 142,000 related batteries will be recalled and replaced free of charge. The recall is for the battery produced from February 2012 to July 2014. It is a series of CF-SX and other notebooks 'Let' Note'.
However, the scale of this recall was expanded by Panasonic in April this year.
At that time, there was news that Panasonic had announced a recall of more than 1.16 million laptops due to battery problems.
In addition to the four series announced in December last year, Panasonic's recalled notebook models include CF-AX and Tough Book series CF-C2. The production time of its recalled products is further extended, at the beginning of 2011 - March 2018.
For the reason of the recall, Panasonic's explanation also appeared in multiple versions. At the end of the year, Matsushita said that the battery was mixed with foreign objects, and in April of this year, its words turned a bit, and then said that the battery appeared aging. Panasonic has different calibers. Really let the outside world understand.
However, in this recall of the Chinese market, Panasonic will unify the two explanations. It refers to the notebook products within the scope of this recall. In the case of long-term use, the internal pressure rises due to the deterioration of the battery. There are tiny foreign objects in the battery, which may cause internal short circuit or even fire.
It is reported that since the beginning of 2015, Panasonic laptops have suffered more than a dozen fuel-burning accidents around the world.
Industry economic observer Ding Shaojiang believes: 'From the reaction of Panasonic, its recall in the Chinese market is later than the overseas market. After the failure of the self-beating plasma, Panasonic's overall investment in the consumer electronics field has been decreasing, and its focus has also fallen. B2B business. With the continuous rise of Chinese and Korean brands, they have surpassed Panasonic in the TV, PC, mobile phone and other markets. They have also surpassed Panasonic in terms of technology investment and quality control capabilities. Panasonic is still 'satisfied' in the consumer electronics field. However, if it is unable to provide high-quality products and services, Panasonic will continue to be marginalized and may even be forced to withdraw from the Chinese market.
It is worth noting that after Panasonic announced the recall of some notebook products, Samsung and Dell also announced the recall of some notebook products in early July, citing the safety hazard of 'equipped ( Panasonic) batteries'.
"Securities Daily" reporter learned that the Panasonic battery recall incident has affected more than 20 consumer electronics brands.
The reasons for these manufacturers to announce the recall are clearer and more uniform. They are: 'Batteries within the scope of this recall. Because the batteries are mixed with metal foreign objects during the production process, short circuits may occur inside the battery.'
Production control is not strict
Internal governance problems are seriously exposed
A hundred years of Panasonic, known for its quality and rigor, has repeatedly seen product recalls in recent years, reflecting the problems in the quality control of this Japanese company.
The "Securities Daily" reporter learned that the Panasonic's "there is a small foreign matter in the battery", but in fact it may be mixed with foreign objects in the production process, which indicates that it has problems in production and management.
Luo Qingqi, senior director of Paler Consulting, said: 'The battery is generally closed. If foreign matter appears, the sealing of the battery is not ideal, or the production control is not strict. Panasonic mixes foreign matter into the battery during the production process. There are serious problems in the internal management and management of the company.
At the same time, he believes: 'From the Panasonic recall, it took a long time, slow motion, and the production time of the problem product lasted for 5 years. It can be seen that its loopholes in management and governance have existed for many years.
Panasonic, notebooks, TVs and other products that have just passed the 100th anniversary of the event have been frequently reported, and most of the problems are related to the core of the battery industry, which is worrying.
According to the data, Panasonic is the world's No. 1 manufacturer of lithium batteries. Industry insiders expect that Panasonic's battery share and sales will reach new heights in the future. However, many of its products have battery problems, and let the outside world question its reputation and ability. .
Ding Shaojiang believes: 'The problem of laptop battery that has appeared many times in Panasonic, and the scale of the recall has been expanding, indicating that there is a big problem in the control of its products, and its own attention to the incident is not enough. Panasonic's strategic goal is to 2020 In the year, China's home appliance business unit reached an annual sales target of 20 billion yuan. However, the product recalls that frequently broke out in the Chinese market cast a shadow over the realization of Panasonic's goal.