Quality Circles

What are Quality CirclesVoluntary group of personsMeet on regular basisWork on similar tasksShare area of responsibilitySolve problems related to work

They operate on the basic principle that employee participation in decision making and problem solving improves the quality of work.

Characteristics of Quality CirclesVolunteersSet Rules and PrioritiesDecision made by consensusOrganized approach to problem solving

Members of a circle need to receive training

Support of senior management required

Members need to be empowered

HistoryStarted in 1962 in Japan

Kaoru Ishikawa is the creator of Quality Circles

Movement in Japan is coordinated by Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE)

In India Quality Circles is promoted by QCFI (Quality Circle Forum of India)Adopt prevention procedures rather than corrective measuresMinimize scrap and downtimeImproving quality - increase productivity, theory of Total Quality Control (TQC)

QC relies on visual representations: -scatter diagrams, -flow charts, -cause & effect diagram etc

In U.S. it started in early 1970s

Aerospace manufacturer, Lockheed visited Japanese plants

15 QCs saved nearly $3 million

Ratio of savings to cost = 6:1

Quality Assurance

Covers all activities from design, development, production, installation, servicing and documentation

Includes regulation of quality for: >Raw Material, >Assemblies, >Product, >Components & other services related to production.

A Model of Quality Assurance is PDCA also known as Shewhart cycle P Plan D Do C Check A - Act

Failure TestingThe operation of a product until it fails by exposing to factors : > Temperature > Humidity > VibrationExposes to unanticipated weakness is a productThis data used by engineers to improve products

Quality Circle ToolsIshikawa Diagram - shows hierarchies of causes contributing to a problem Pareto Chart - analyses different causes by frequency to illustrate the vital cause PDCA-Deming wheel - Plan, Do, Check, Act, as described by W. Edwards Deming

Fish Bone Diagram

Benefits of QCs Increased productivity Improved quality Boost employee morale Enhances creativity Improved teamwork Employee involvement

Problems with QCs Inadequate training Not entirely voluntary Lack of Top Management interest Unsure of Purpose Decision making does not necessarily take place

Innovation and QCs (IQC) Cross functional teams, members drawn from different departments

IQC communication website- facilitates exchange of experiences & interact

Impart new tools & techniques through workshops & courses

Members can come from suppliers as well - wider scope

Leaders or mentor organization helping other organization