QUALITY CIRCLES
AND
STEERING GROUPS
Presented by:-
KRITIKA
GANDOTRA
Roll no. 13
QUALITY CIRCLE
????
QUALITY CIRCLE
QUALITY CIRCLE IS A SMALL GROUP
OF PEOPLE
WHO VOLUNTARILY
PERFORM QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
ACTIVITIES
AT THE WORK PLACE.
HISTORY OF Q.C.
This technique was first started by Kaoru Ishikawa in Japan in early 1960s.
The movement in Japan was coordinated by the Japanese Union of
Scientists and Engineers (JUSE).
The first circles were established at the Nippon Wireless and Telegraph
Company but then spread to more than 35 other companies in the first
year.
By 1978 it was claimed that there were more than one million Quality
Circles involving some 10 million Japanese workers.
There are now Quality Circles in most East Asian countries; it was recently
claimed that there were more than 20 million Quality Circles in China.
Quality circles have been implemented even in educational sectors in
India, and QCFI (Quality Circle Forum of India) is promoting such activities.
However this was not successful in the United States, as it (was not
properly understood and) turned out to be a fault-finding exercise although
some circles do still exist.
CONCEPT OF Q.C.
Voluntary groups of employees who work on
similar tasks or share an area of
responsibility.
They agree to meet on a regular basis to
discuss & solve problems related to work.
They operate on the principle that
employee participation in decision-making
and problem-solving improves the quality of
work.
3 MAJOR ATTRIBUTES
Quality Circle is a form of participation
management.
Quality Circle is a human resource development
technique.
Quality Circle is a problem solving technique.
EXAMPLE
United
airlines used quality circles to
look at the problem of no-shows and
sick leave problems. As a result of
the employees analysis of the
problem sick leave was cut by 17%
which saved united airlines $18.2
million in the first year .
OBJECTIVE
A) Change in Attitude.
From "I dont care" to "I do care"
Continuous improvement in quality of work life through humanization of
work.
B) Self Development
Bring out Hidden Potential of people
People get to learn additional skills.
C) Development of Team Spirit
Individual Vs Team "I could not do but we did it"
Eliminate inter departmental conflicts.
D) Improved Organizational Culture
Positive working environment.
Total involvement of people at all levels.
Higher motivational level.
Participate Management process.
COMPOSITION OF Q. C.
Members
Circle
leaders
Facilitator
Coordinators
Steering
committee
Executive
committee
Executive committee: senior- level management committee
empowered to make and implement major organizational decisions.
A steering committee: This is at the top of the structure. It is
headed by a senior executive and includes representatives from the
top management personnel and human resources development
people. It establishes policy, plans and directs the program and meets
usually once in a month.
Co-coordinator: He may be a Personnel or Administrative officer
who co-ordinates and supervises the work of the facilitators and
administers the program me.
Facilitator: He may be a senior supervisory officer. He co-ordinates
the works of several quality circles through the Circle leaders.
Circle leader: Leaders may be from lowest level workers or
Supervisors. A Circle leader organizes and conducts Circle activities.
Circle members: They may be staff workers. Without circle
members the programme cannot exist. They are the lifeblood of
quality circles.
IDEAL SET UP OF A Q.C.
ORGANIZATION
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
them to
volunteer as members of Quality Circles.
3. Nominate senior officers as facilitators.
4. Form a steering committee.
5. Arrange training of co-coordinators, facilitators in
basics of
Quality Circle approach, implementation,
techniques and
operation. Later facilitator may provide training to
Circle leaders
and Circle members.
6. A meeting should be fixed preferably one hour a
week for the
Quality Circle to meet.
Formally inaugurate the Quality Circle.
7. Arrange the necessary facilities for the Quality Circle
meeting and
its operation.
LAUNCHING Q.C.
PROCESS OF OPERATION
USED IN Q.C. :
The Ishikawa or fishbone diagram which shows hierarchies of causes
contributing to a problem.
The Pareto Chart - which analyses
different causes by frequency to illustrate
the vital cause.
QUALITY CIRCLE
TOOLS
Process Mapping
Data gathering tools such as Check
Sheets etc
Graphical tools such as histograms,
frequency diagrams, spot charts and pie
charts
BENEFITS
Reduce
errors and enhance
quality and productivity
Inspire
more effective
teamwork
Promote
job involvement and
participation
Increase
Create
employee motivation
problem solving capacity
Build
an attitude of problem
prevention
communication in the
organization
Develop
harmonious
manager-worker
relationship
Promote
personal and
leadership development.
Develop
a greater safety
awareness
Promote
cost reduction
Catalyze
attitudinal changes
for greater cohesiveness
and teamwork
Improve
Positive
quality of work life
PROBLEMS WITH Q.C.
Inadequate Training
Not truly Voluntary
Lack of Management
Interest
Quality Circles are not
really empowered to
make decisions.
CONCLUSION
Quality Circles are not limited to
manufacturing firms only.
They are applicable for variety of
organizations where there is scope for
group based solution of work related
problems.
Quality Circles are relevant for factories,
firms, schools, hospitals, universities,
research institutes, banks, government
offices etc.
STEERING GROUPS
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