Quality Circles

1. QUALITY
CIRCLES
Prof (Dr) A Chamaru De Alwis

2. End of this lecturer , you should be able to
• Explain the Meaning of Quality Circles and explain
Characteristics of Effective Quality Circles
• Identify groups around the quality Circles
• Explain concepts around the Quality Circles
• Explain philosophy of Quality Circle Activities
• Explain 8 key features of Quality Circles
• Explain the Objectives of quality Circles
• Explain the organizational Structure and different roles
• Explain actions required to take when OC is going to
initiate
• Explain the steps of setting up QC
• Explain the rules of the quality Circles
• Explain the Benefits and limitations of quality circles
• Design a Quality Circles programme

3. • Quality circle is a people
building philosophy based on
the premise that an
employee doing a particular
job is biggest expert of that
field and thus is in a better
position to identify, analyze
and resolve the work related
problems through their
innovative and unique ideas.

4. QUALITY CIRCLES
QC is a small group pf
employees why have got
together voluntarily to analysis
and solve their own work
related problems with a view
to enriching their quality of
work life ( Wijesinghe, 2001)

5. There is more than one way to solve a problem
Encouragement of all the members
Periodic summarizing of the activities
Avoidance of heated arguments
Avoidance of majority vote and division to obtain group
agreement.
Promotion of constructive disagreements in place of
dodging arguments in search of artificial state of harmony.
Suspicion of agreement that comes to quickly and easily.

6. •Recognizing and non monitory Rewards
Recognizing
•Offering monetary rewards through the suggestions
program
Offering
•Providing sufficient training
Providing
•Establishing a system for circle’s to expand into cross-
functional teams
Establishing
•Training of middle managers in circle tools and techniques
Training
•Addressing middle management resistance when diagnosed.
Addressing
•Measuring effectiveness by focusing on the quality of the QC
Measuring

7. 1. Contribute to the development and improvement of the organization,
2. Respect humanity and build a happy bright workshop which is meaningful to –
• (i) People not treated as a part of machinery, but as human beings engaged in
meaningful jobs and exposing their full potential
• (ii) Employees use their wisdom and creativity in work they are engaged.
• (iii) Employees develop their ability through an opportunity to use their brains.
• (iv) Employees are not isolated from each other and act as a group creating
human relations based on bonds of brotherhood in the workshop.
• (v) Employees mutually educate themselves by sharing an experience.
• (vi) Employees are given due recognition by all.

8. 3. Display of human capabilities fully and
eventually draw out infinite possibilities.
4. It promotes job involvement and
participation
5. it is a people building philosophy.

9. People Building
Philosophy
Voluntary Group
Participative
Program
Supportive
Management
To Improve the
Performance
Enrichment of Work
life
To Identify and
Resolve Work
Related Problems
The focus is on
quality related
problems.

10. • To develop, enhance and utilize human resources
effectively;
• To improve quality of products/services, productivity
and reduce cost of production per unit of output;
• To satisfy the workers’ psychological needs for self-
urge, participation, recognition etc.,
• To improve various supervisory skills like leadership,
problem solving, inter-personal and conflict
resolution;
• To utilize individual imaginative, creative and
innovative skills through participation, creating and
developing work interest, including problem solving
techniques etc.
• To make use of the knowledge and skills of the
workers.
• To develop good relations between workers and
managers and create cordial industrial relations.

11. Constitute a Steering Committee:
Select a Coordinator:
Implement the Programme
• Following steps are involved in the implementation of the
programme
• Choose the name of quality circle
• Explain the purpose and function
• Select facilitators
• Training leaders
• Circle meetings
4. Monitoring Progress:

12. i) understand the concepts and activities of
Q.C.
(ii) Management’s total support and
commitment
(iii) Steering committee is formed
(iv) A facilitator is selected from the senior
management
(v) Supervisor and foreman are then trained
(vi) Members of each circle must be selected

13. (vii) Membership to the circle is voluntary.
(viii) First few meetings of the circle
(ix) To start with, only one to two circles
(x) Meetings must be held regularly,
(xi) Everyone’s suggestion or problem matching with
the circle’s objectives is discussed.
(xii) Total participation of team members must be
encouraged.
(xiii) Recommendations of the circle must be
considered and decisions should be taken without
delay.

14. BENEFITS OF QC
Organization
(a) Improvement in the job performance of members
(b) Development of solutions to the identified areas.
(c) Improvement in two-way communication among members and members and management.
(d) Promotion of participative management culture and teamwork
(e) Generation of pride among members in doing a meaningful job
(f) Increased managerial effectiveness
(g) Development of problem solving- ethic in organization
(h) Development of harmony and mutual trust between members and Management.

15. (a)
Satisfaction
and self-
esteem and
esteem from
(b) Improved
job
satisfaction.
(c) Self-
development
in terms of
skills,
knowledge,
(d)
Satisfaction
of social and
psychological
needs.
•
•Employee

16. Resistance: Lack of Time: Lack of Ability:
Lack of
Management
Commitment:
Non-
Implementation
of Suggestions:
Negative
Attitude:

17. • Set the objectives
• Attitude
• Self-
Development
• Team Sprit
• Organizational
culture
• Quality
Improvement

18. • QC Structure
• A Quality Circle needs to have an
appropriate organizational structure to
ensure effective and efficient
performance. It varies from industry to
industry, organization to organization.
• Size should be match with
organizational setting

20. • Headed by the CEO
• Members are HOD’s
• Meets one in three months
• Maps out the implementation plan
• Selected facilitators
• Formulate guidelines
• Determine Reword Scheme
• Review Programme regularly
• Special Notes : Sepatetly located plants have separate SC

21. • Link between SC and QC
• Guide to QC and ensure success
• Features and functions of facilitator
• A respectable person with knowledge of
problem-solving silks and human relation skills
• Monitors 3 -4 QCs at a time
• Guide leaders to conduct meeting
• Encourage QCs
• Communication link between SC and QC
• Diffuses Conflicts ( within QC, QC and outside)

22. • Elected by the circle members.
• He is responsible for the circle activities.
• Normally members themselves choose their
hierarchical supervisor as their leader.
• Leaders help keeping the circle meetings on the right
track by applying quality circle techniques to solve
quality problems.
• The leader should have more positive and constructive
attitude in order to get better response from the
members.
• To have a high degree of individual involvement and
participation, leaders should assign tasks to different
members and give them necessary guidance.
• Encourage to participate actively and training
members
• Ensures disciple and decorum during the meetings and
evolves consensus decision-making process.
“leader is one who knows the way, shows the way and goes the way.”

23. • The main activities of circle members
include:
• i. Regular attendance of meeting,
• ii. Active participation in the discussion,
• iii. Identification of issues deterring improvement,
• iv. Analysis of issues/problems
• v. Submission of suggestions for improving quality
and solving problems arising in work related areas.

24. • For any problem identified and resolved by
the quality circles, it would become difficult
for them to implement their own
suggestions without the cooperation of the
non-members.
• Non-members should be motivated to
participate in quality circle activities and
gradually change their attitudes and get
inclined to join the quality circles for the
betterment of their own accomplishments
as well as the organizational goals.

25. • The major prerequisite for initiating Quality
Circles in any organisation is the total
understanding of, as well as complete
conviction and faith in, the participative
philosophy, on the part of the top and
senior management.
• In the absence of a commitment from the
Chief Executive to support the Quality
Circle movement, it would be inadvisable
to seriously attempt the starting of Quality
Circles.

26. Expose middle-level executives to the concept.
Explain the concept to the employees and invite them to volunteer as members of Quality Circles.
Nominate senior officers as facilitators.
Form a steering committee.
Arrange training of coordinators,/ facilitators in the basics of a Quality Circle approach, implementation, techniques and operation.

27. Later the facilitator may provide training to Circle
leaders and Circle members.
A Quality Circle meeting should have a fixed time and
place for preferably no more than one hour a week
Formally inaugurate the Quality Circle.
Arrange the necessary facilities and resources for the
Quality Circle meeting and its operation.

28. TRAINING
Appropriate training for different
sections of employees needs to be
undertaken.
Without a proper understanding
of the real concept of Quality
Circles, both the workers and
management might look at this
philosophy with doubt.
Each group should know before
the commitments and
implications involved as well as
the benefit that can be obtained
from Quality Circles..
• Brief orientation programme for top
management.
• Programme for middle-level
executives.
• Training of facilitators.
• Training for Circle leaders and
members.
•
• .

29. PROCESS OF
IMPLEMENTING QUALITY
CIRCLES

30. It is advisable to set out the overall
by establishing the team, the team's name
and align the goals with company’s strategic
priorities and what it is trying to achieve.
I would also advise that the team set out
a Code of Conduct for all the group
members

31. Be punctual
Everyone to
contribute (to teach
and to learn)
To listen
Don’t judge Don’t take offence
Respect each
other’s cultural
differences
Respect for all ideas All feel free to speak Don’t be critical
Take every idea and
run with it
Honesty

32. • Agree on the ‘playing
field’. i.e what
particular area of
operations is the
focus of the Quality
Circle i.e. cleaning,
reception, catering
etc.

33. • Conduct a brainstorming exercise to list out all of the
issues challenges problems associated with the area of
operation. Identify, select the problem to be taken up
first. Here are some guidelines to achieving this.
• Brain-storming -creativity, explore issues, ideas
• No criticism of ideas during development stage
• Record all ideas
• All members take part
• Think out of the box (especially in the cause and solution
seeking stage)

34. • Take the suggestions listed in the brainstorming session in no particular order and
cluster them into themes. You will often find that on examination the same problem
is stated in different ways but do not be tempted to discard anything at this stage.
• Develop mind maps/clusters and label them
• When process dries up discuss clusters
• Individuals define and share all interpretations of the problems
• Defines, combine or eliminate clusters
• List and Label clusters (A – B – C) etc….
• Individual prioritization of clusters
• Share individual prioritization
• Team prioritization of cluster
• Team discussion and agreement on desired priority set

36. • The chosen problem is clarified
and analyzed by basic problem-
solving methods.
• Cause and effect- Problems may
have more than on cause
• Conduct cause-effect analysis
• 5 Whys

37. •Identify and evaluate
causes and generate
several possible alternative
solutions. Seek alternatives,
weigh up consequences,
pros and cons and
analyze alternatives.

38. • This stage can often generate significant disagreement and friction within
the group. In-depth discussion and evaluation of alternatives, by
comparison, will help enable the selection of the most appropriate
solution.
• What exactly has to be decided? (Identify issues)
• What are the alternatives? (Undertake analysis)
• What are the pros and cons? (Evaluate options)
• Which alternative is the best? (Identify choices)
• What action needs to be taken? (Implement plans)
• Loop back to original issue (Systems thinking)

39. • Test the idea or solution using prototypes, or
trial runs where possible to establish initial
operating challenges and benefits.
• Prototyping will provide useful data for a proof
of concept when presenting to management.
• In addition, discuss with user groups and
Customers but always remain open to new
information and or possibilities.
• Be particularly alert that you avoid groupthink
and confirmation bias regarding the decisions
taken.

40. GROUPTHINK AND CONFORMATION BIAS

41. This is the presentation of the solution and the test results (where
available) to the steering committee for approval.
This stage can be particularly discouraging for those members of the
circle that are not used to presenting, motivating and debating
particularly with senior levels of management.
Most of all be confident and do not be discouraged.
If you have gone through the process above, you should have faith in
your proposed solution.
Thorough preparation for the presentation with an agenda will allow
you to proceed through your decision-making process in a
sequence that will show that you have gone through the process an
intelligent and mature manner.

42. Where management have evaluated your
proposed solution and have given the go-ahead
to implement.
Review the final action plan and implement.
Remember to set up any before versus after data
gathering, so that analyses and reporting can
show improvement metrics.

43. Evaluate and report back to
management the effects of the
solution both good and bad.
Be sure to investigate if other processes have been
affected by the implemented solution. Where the data
that the solution has not adequately solved the problem,
report this back to management and immediately revert to
the Quality Circle process to re-analyze the original problem
and suggested a solution.

44. If the solution is successful, document the
process, and submit for configuration.
Remember to
and to the company as a whole your
achievements so that these can be
implemented elsewhere where appropriate.

45. Buoyed by your success and with root cause or number one priority
disposed of go back to the original list of issues.
This may well have changed and may require; re-brainstorming, re-
and re-prioritization of problems. If not, start on the 2nd problem.

46. Not a participative management
Not a suggestion scheme
It is not a technique for Quality Control ( Quality,
productivity, safety, sales etc)
Not only for production and manufacturing areas
Not an alternative for trade unions

47. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTidaKbSTrk