QUALITY CIRCLESQUALITY CIRCLES

By By Zaipul AnwarZaipul Anwar

Business & Advanced Technology Centre,Business & Advanced Technology Centre,Universiti Teknologi MalaysiaUniversiti Teknologi Malaysia

OverviewOverview

What are Quality Circles?What are Quality Circles? Summary of History and Practices Summary of History and Practices How Do Quality Circles Work?How Do Quality Circles Work? How Can They be Used in an How Can They be Used in an

Organization?Organization? Example and ActivityExample and Activity Problems with Quality CirclesProblems with Quality Circles BibliographyBibliography

Summary of History and Summary of History and PracticesPractices

Quality Circles were first seen in the Quality Circles were first seen in the United States in the 1950’sUnited States in the 1950’s

Circles were developed by Dr, Kaoru Circles were developed by Dr, Kaoru Ishikawa in Japan in the 1960’sIshikawa in Japan in the 1960’s

Circles were re-exported to the US Circles were re-exported to the US in the early 1970’sin the early 1970’s

Summary of History and Summary of History and Practices (continue)Practices (continue)

1980’s brought Total Quality 1980’s brought Total Quality Management and a reduction in the Management and a reduction in the use of Quality Circlesuse of Quality Circles

Quality Circles can be a useful tool if Quality Circles can be a useful tool if used properlyused properly

Inspection (1950’s) Quality Control (1960’s)

Quality Assurance (1970’s)Total Quality (1980’s)

“World Class”Zero Defect,

Customer Focus,Quick Response (1990’s)

2000’s ?

Summary of History and Summary of History and Practices (continue)Practices (continue)

What is a Quality Circle?What is a Quality Circle? Voluntary groups of employees who work on Voluntary groups of employees who work on

similar tasks or share an area of responsibilitysimilar tasks or share an area of responsibility They agree to meet on a regular basis to They agree to meet on a regular basis to

discuss & solve problems related to work.discuss & solve problems related to work. They operate on the principle that employee They operate on the principle that employee

participation in decision-making and problem-participation in decision-making and problem-solving improves the quality of worksolving improves the quality of workThe The reduction, by their efforts, of the countless reduction, by their efforts, of the countless number of problems which impede the number of problems which impede the effectiveness of their workeffectiveness of their work

Encourage circles to elect their own leaders Encourage circles to elect their own leaders towards the end of the training periodtowards the end of the training period

Frequency and duration of meetings is set Frequency and duration of meetings is set by the groupby the group

Circle should be autonomous in that it Circle should be autonomous in that it should select the problems that it wishes to should select the problems that it wishes to solve solve QCCs useful for mutual-self-QCCs useful for mutual-self-development and process control and development and process control and improvement within their workshop.improvement within their workshop.

Utilising basic 7 QC Tools.Utilising basic 7 QC Tools. Japanese experience indicated that 95% Japanese experience indicated that 95%

of the problems in the workshop can be of the problems in the workshop can be solved through 7 QC Toolssolved through 7 QC Tools

What is a Quality Circle? What is a Quality Circle? (continue)(continue)

The Japanese description of The Japanese description of the effectiveness of a the effectiveness of a

quality circle is expressed quality circle is expressed as:as:

““It is better for one hundred people to take one step It is better for one hundred people to take one step than for one person to take a hundred’than for one person to take a hundred’

The World Turned Upside Down!The World Turned Upside Down!

CEO

SNR MGT

MANAGEMENT

SUPERVISORS

OPERATORS

CONTROL

COACHMASS PRODUCTIVITY /SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

CEO

SNR MGT

MANAGEMENT

SUPERVISORS

OPERATORS

CUSTOMER FOCUSED /CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

How Do Quality Circles How Do Quality Circles Work?Work?

All members of a Circle need to receive All members of a Circle need to receive trainingtraining

Members need to be empoweredMembers need to be empowered Members need to have the support of Members need to have the support of

Senior ManagementSenior Management CharacteristicsCharacteristics

VolunteersVolunteers Set Rules and PrioritiesSet Rules and Priorities Decisions made by ConsensusDecisions made by Consensus Use of organized approaches to Problem-Use of organized approaches to Problem-

SolvingSolving

Formation of Quality Formation of Quality CirclesCircles

Start on the Shop FloorStart on the Shop Floor Base Circle on TrainingBase Circle on Training Allow the Circle to Form ItselfAllow the Circle to Form Itself Do The Training ProperlyDo The Training Properly Support with Information Support with Information

RequiredRequired Provide Skills and ExperienceProvide Skills and Experience

Requirements of Quality Requirements of Quality CirclesCircles

Management SupportManagement Support TrainingTraining Recognition SystemRecognition System

How Can They be Used in How Can They be Used in an Organization?an Organization?

Increase ProductivityIncrease Productivity Improve QualityImprove Quality Boost Employee MoraleBoost Employee Morale

The Premise of Quality The Premise of Quality CirclesCircles

Much of the trouble originated Much of the trouble originated from the gulf between from the gulf between management and shop floormanagement and shop floor

Operators were frequently well Operators were frequently well aware of the cause of quality aware of the cause of quality problems and, with modern problems and, with modern standards of education, often standards of education, often knew how to cure themknew how to cure them

Team ExerciseTeam Exercise

Break down into teams of 6-8 peopleBreak down into teams of 6-8 people Establish a leader and rules for your Establish a leader and rules for your

CircleCircle Have a brainstorming and problem-Have a brainstorming and problem-

solving session to resolve the issue solving session to resolve the issue on the next slideon the next slide

Team ExerciseTeam Exercise A Collegiate class on Statistical Analysis A Collegiate class on Statistical Analysis

has a total enrollment of 45 people. has a total enrollment of 45 people. Average attendance is 18 studentsAverage attendance is 18 students The class consists mainly of lectures The class consists mainly of lectures How can the professor of this class How can the professor of this class

improve the quality of this course and improve the quality of this course and increase student involvement?increase student involvement?

The Benefits of Quality The Benefits of Quality CirclesCircles

A Direct Pay-off (cost/benefits)A Direct Pay-off (cost/benefits) An Operator To Manager Dialogue An Operator To Manager Dialogue

(involvement, participation, communication)(involvement, participation, communication) A Manager To Manager Dialogue (awareness)A Manager To Manager Dialogue (awareness) An Operator to Operator Dialogue (attitudes)An Operator to Operator Dialogue (attitudes) A Quality Mindedness (product quality and A Quality Mindedness (product quality and

reliability, prevention of non-conformance)reliability, prevention of non-conformance) The Personal Development of the ParticipantsThe Personal Development of the Participants

Inadequate TrainingInadequate Training Unsure of PurposeUnsure of Purpose Not truly VoluntaryNot truly Voluntary Lack of Management InterestLack of Management Interest Quality Circles are not really Quality Circles are not really

empowered to make decisions.empowered to make decisions.

Reasons for failure of Reasons for failure of Quality CirclesQuality Circles

Reasons for failure of Reasons for failure of Quality Circles Quality Circles

(continue)(continue) They have not had enough trainingThey have not had enough training They have not been given They have not been given

sufficient autonomysufficient autonomy The Quality Circles have been The Quality Circles have been

started in isolation and not part of started in isolation and not part of a wider programme of Company-a wider programme of Company-wide Continuous Improvementwide Continuous Improvement

BibliographyBibliography Cole, Robert E. 1999. Cole, Robert E. 1999. Managing Quality Fads: Managing Quality Fads:

How American Business Learned to Play the How American Business Learned to Play the Quality Game. Quality Game. New York, NY: Oxford PressNew York, NY: Oxford Press..

Aubrey, Charles A. 1988. Aubrey, Charles A. 1988. Teamwork: Involving Teamwork: Involving People in Quality and Productivity Improvement.People in Quality and Productivity Improvement. Milwaukee, WI: Quality Press.Milwaukee, WI: Quality Press.

Foster, S. Thomas. 2001. Foster, S. Thomas. 2001. Managing Quality: An Managing Quality: An Integrative Approach.Integrative Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Author Unknown. 1984. Prentice Hall. Author Unknown. 1984. Quality Quality Circles in the Community College Circles in the Community College [online]. [online]. Available online via Available online via http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed35http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed353008.html3008.html

Author Unknown. 1994. Author Unknown. 1994. Kaizen and Quality Kaizen and Quality CirclesCircles [online]. Available online via [online]. Available online via http://http://sol.brunel.ac.uk/~jarvis/bola/quality/circles.htmlsol.brunel.ac.uk/~jarvis/bola/quality/circles.html

QUALITY QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT

TEAMSTEAMS

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TEAMSTEAMS

Team formed where there is a Team formed where there is a specific problem whose solution is specific problem whose solution is unlikely to reside in a single unlikely to reside in a single department and which is large department and which is large enough to justify the establishment of enough to justify the establishment of a team to resolve the problema team to resolve the problem

For example (the combined actions of For example (the combined actions of Production, Testing, Technical Production, Testing, Technical Departments as well as the Supplier Departments as well as the Supplier for persistent equipment breakdown)for persistent equipment breakdown)

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF QITSQITS

Set up by management Set up by management Inter-departmental Inter-departmental Group is usually formed to resolve Group is usually formed to resolve

a problem identified by othersa problem identified by others Team is usually disbanded once Team is usually disbanded once

the problem solvedthe problem solved

BENEFITS OF QITSBENEFITS OF QITS Break Down Inter-Departmental BarriersBreak Down Inter-Departmental Barriers

QIT process is part of team building and ownership of the QIT process is part of team building and ownership of the problemproblem

Solutions Are More Global In ConceptSolutions Are More Global In Concept optimised for corporate rather than departmental goalsoptimised for corporate rather than departmental goals

Improved CommunicationsImproved Communications solutions are sought for the corporate good rather than to solutions are sought for the corporate good rather than to

shift blameshift blame

Improved Problem SolvingImproved Problem Solving create a degree of mobile expertise in problem solving create a degree of mobile expertise in problem solving

within the companywithin the company

THE QIT PROCESSTHE QIT PROCESS

Adequate training in appropriate Adequate training in appropriate skills must be provided before the skills must be provided before the QIT starts workQIT starts work

To deny the team the problem-To deny the team the problem-solving tools it needs to carry out solving tools it needs to carry out the task is inviting failure which the task is inviting failure which will affect not only the issue under will affect not only the issue under consideration but the credibility of consideration but the credibility of the QIT process itselfthe QIT process itself

THE QIT PROCESSTHE QIT PROCESS

Identify the Project And Form The Identify the Project And Form The TeamTeam

Define The Problem AccuratelyDefine The Problem Accurately Identify And Verify Root CausesIdentify And Verify Root Causes Plan And Implement Corrective Plan And Implement Corrective

ActionAction Standardise And Seek Other Standardise And Seek Other

ApplicationsApplications Conduct A Review Of The ProjectConduct A Review Of The Project

Thank YouThank You