Quality Circles

By:
Anil V Oommen

Spice Solutions
Overview
What is a Quality Circle?
How Do Quality Circles Work?
How Can They be Used in an
Organization?
Example and Activity
Problems with Quality Circles
Summary of History and Practices
Bibliography
What is a Quality Circle?
• 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
How Do Quality Circles
Work?
• Characteristics
– Volunteers
– Set Rules and Priorities
– Decisions made by Consensus
– Use of organized approaches to
Problem-Solving
How Do Quality Circles
Work?
• All members of a Circle need to
receive training
• Members need to be empowered
• Members need to have the
support of Senior Management
How Can They be Used
in an Organization?
• Increase Productivity
• Improve Quality
• Boost Employee Morale
Summary of History and
Practices
• Started in 1962 in Japan
• Circles were developed by Dr,
Kaoru Ishikawa in Japan in the
1962
• In India Quality Circles is
promoted by QCFI (Quality Circle
Forum of India)
Basics of Quality Circle

• Adopt prevention procedures rather

than corrective measures
• Minimize scrap and downtime
• Improving quality -» increase
productivity, theory of Total Quality
Control (TQC)
• QC relies on visual representations:
– scatter diagrams,
– flow charts,
– cause & effect diagram, etc.
Structure of quality
circle

Facilitator
(Common)

Circle leader

Circle members
The operation of quality
circle
• Problem identification
• Problem analysis
• Generate alternative solutions
• Select the most appropriate solution
• Prepare plan of action
• Present solution to management for
approval
• Implementation of solution
Benefits of QC’s

• Increased productivity
• Improved quality of work life
• Boost employee morale
• Enhances creativity
• Improved teamwork
• Employee involvement
 When QC can be
ineffective?

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