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Quality Circle-A
way to Quality Improvement
INTRODUCTION
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People
are the greatest assets of an organisation, because,
through people all other resources are converted into
utilities. However, management of ‘People Resources’
has always been a vexed problem ever since the beginning
of organised human activities. A number of managerial
responses have been developed to answer this question.
Participate methods in the workplace are one way to
improve both the work environment for employees and
productivity and quality for the company.
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Quality Circle
is one of the employee participation methods. It implies the
development of skills, capabilities, confidence and creativity
of the people through cumulative process of education, training,
work experience and participation. It also implies the creation
of facilitative conditions and environment of work, which
creates and sustains their motivation and commitment towards
work excellence. Quality Circles have emerged as a mechanism
to develop and utilize the tremendous potential of people
for improvement in product quality and productivity.
GENESIS OF QUALITY
CIRCLES
After the Second
World War Japanese economy was in the doldrums. Seeing this
disastrous effect of war, Americans decided to help Japan
in improving the quality standards of their products. General
Douglas Mac Arthur who, at that time, was the commander of
the occupational forces in Japan took up the task of imparting
quality awareness among Japanese to help them improve their
products and the reliability of manufacturing systems including
men, machine and materials. Thus, by 1975, they were topping
the world in quality and productivity. This astonishing and
unique achievement in modern history became an eye – opener
to the world. Industrialists and politicians from all over
the world started visiting Japan to know how they have achieved
such magical results in such a short span. The answer to this
was painstaking and persevering efforts of the Japanese leaders
and workers and the development and growth of the philosophy
of small working groups. This resulted in the Quality Circle
concept being accepted all over the world as a very effective
technique to improve the total quality of work life.
DEFINITION
Quality Circle
is a small group of 6 to 12 employees doing similar work who
voluntarily meet together on a regular basis to identify improvements
in their respective work areas using proven techniques for
analysing and solving work related problems coming in the
way of achieving and sustaining excellence leading to mutual
upliftment of employees as well as the organisation. It is
"a way of capturing the creative and innovative power
that lies within the work force".

PHILOSOPHY
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Quality
Circles is a people – building philosophy, providing
self-motivation and happiness in improving environment
without any compulsion or monetary benefits. It represents
a philosophy of managing people specially those at
the grass root level as well as a clearly defined
mechanism and methodology for translating this philosophy
into practice and a required structure to make it
a way of life. It is bound to succeed where people
are respected and are involved in decisions, concerning
their work life, and in environments where peoples’
capabilities are looked upon as assets to solve work-area
problems.
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The Quality Circle
philosophy calls for a progressive attitude on the part of
the management and their willingness to make adjustments,
if necessary, in their style and culture.
If workers are prepared to contribute
their ideas, the management must be willing to create a congenial
environment to encourage them to do so.
CONCEPT
The concept
of Quality Circle is primarily based upon recognition of the
value of the worker as a human being, as someone who willingly
activises on his job, his wisdom, intelligence, experience,
attitude and feelings. It is based upon the human resource
management considered as one of the key factors in the improvement
of product quality & productivity. Quality Circle concept
has three 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.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives
of Quality Circles are multi-faced.
a) Change in Attitude.
From "I don’t care" to "I do care"
Continuous improvement in quality of work life through humanisation
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 Organisational Culture
Positive working environment.
Total involvement of people at all levels.
Higher motivational level.
Participate Management process.
ORGANISATIONAL
STRUCTURE
A Quality Circle
has an appropriate organisational structure for its effective
and efficient performance. It varies from industry to industry,
organisation to organisation. But it is useful to have a basic
framework as a model. The structure of a Quality Circle consists
of the following elements.
- 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-ordinator: He may be a
Personnel or Administrative officer who co-ordinates and
supervises the work of the facilitators and administers
the programme.
- Facilitator: He may be a senior
supervisory officer. He co-ordiates the works of several
quality circles through the Circle leaders.
- Circle leader: Leaders may
be from lowest level workers or Supervisors. A Circle
leader organises and conducts Circle activities.
- Circle members : They may
be staff workers. Without circle members the porgramme
cannot exist. They are the lifeblood of quality circles.
They should attend all meetings as far as possible, offer
suggestions and ideas, participate actively in group process,
take training seriously with a receptive attitude.The
roles of Steering Committee, Co-0rdinator, Facilitator,
Circle leader and Circle members are well defined.

LAUNCHING QUALITY
CIRCLES
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
totally, it would be inadvisable to seriously attempt the
starting of Quality Circles. The
launching of Quality Circles involves the following steps:
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 co-ordinators,
facilitators in basics of Quality Circle approach, implementation,
techniques and operation. Later facilitator may provide training
to Circle leaders and Circle members.
A meeting should be fixed
preferably one hour a week for the Quality Circle to meet.
Formally inaugurate the Quality
Circle.
Arrange the necessary facilities
for the Quality Circle meeting and its operation.
TRAINING
Appropriate
training for different sections of employees needs to be imparted.
Without a proper understanding of the real concept of Quality
Circles, both the workers and management might look at this
philosophy with suspicion. Each group should know beforehand
the commitments and implications involved as well as the benefit
that can be obtained from Quality Circles. Such training comprises
of :
Brief orientation programme
for top management.
Programme for middle level
executives.
Training of facilitators.
Training for Circle leaders
and members.
PROCESS OF OPERATION
The operation
of quality circles involves a set of sequential steps as under:
1 Problem identification:
Identify a number of problems.
2 Problem selection : Decide
the priority and select the problem to be taken up first.
3 Problem Analysis : Problem
is clarified and analysed by basic problem solving methods.
4 Generate alternative solutions
: Identify and evaluate causes and generate number of possible
alternative solutions.
5 Select the most appropriate
solution : Discuss and evaluate the alternative solutions
by comparison in terms of investment and return from the investment.
This enables to select the most appropriate solution.
6 Prepare plan of action
: Prepare plan of action for converting the solution into
reality which includes the considerations "who, what,
when, where, why and how" of solving problems.
7 Present solution to management
circle members present solution to management fore approval.
8. Implementation of solution
: The management evaluates the recommended solution. Then
it is tested and if successful, implemented on a full scale.

BASIC PROBLEM
SOLVING TECHNIQUES
The following
techniques are most commonly used to analyse and solve work
related problems.
1 Brain storming
2 Pareto Diagrams
3 Cause & Effect Analysis
4 Data Collection
5 Data Analysis
The tools used for data analysis
are :
1 Tables
2 Bar Charts
3 Histograms
4 Circle graphs
5 Line graphs
6 Scattergrams
7 Control Charts
The Quality Circles
also are expected to develop internal leadership, reinforce
worker morale and motivation,
and encourage a strong sense of teamwork in an organisation.
A variety of
benefits have been attributed to Quality Circles, including
higher quality, improved productivity, greater upward flow
of information, broader improved worker attitudes, job enrichment,
and greater teamwork.
Problem quality
circles often suffer from unrealistic expectations for fast
results, lock of management commitment and support, resistance
by middle management, resentment by non participants, inadequate
training, lack of clear objectives and failure to get solutions
implemented.
BENEFITS AND
LIMITATIONS OF QUALITY CIRCLES
It took more
than two decades for the quality control concept to get acceptance
in India, after its introduction in Japan. This may be due
to the differences in the industrial context in the two countries.
Japan needed it for its survival in a competitive market.
India had a reasonably protected, sellers market, with consequent
lethargy towards efforts to improve quality and productivity.
However, with the policy of liberalisation of economy and
privatisation of infrastructure development, contexts changed.
The concept now needs to be looked upon as a necessity.
APPLICABILITY
IN GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS
The Public
Works Department of Government of Maharashtra is responsible
for the construction and maintenance of about 2.00 lakhs km.
of road net work in the state and a large number of Government-owned
buildings spread all over the state. The road net work caters
for national level traffic to the rural area traffic. The
climatic and geographical features also vary from place to
place in the state. The ultimate customer of the Department
is the common man and it is not generally easy to satisfy
the ultimate needs of this user to the fullest extent merely
by taking decision at the top management level. The sub-ordinate
officers and staff working in the field and who are well-acquainted
with the day-to –day problems in their work areas, are the
best judges to decide upon the line of action. The top management
in Maharashtra P.W.D. realized this need of the time and introduced
the concept of Quality Circle as employee participation method
in the organisation. The concept of Quality Circle was launched
in the Public Works Department of Govt. of Maharashtra on
18-11-1997. In a span of about a year 17 Quality Circles have
been formed in Mumbai Region wherein 22 problems have been
solved so far. 48 Quality Circles have been formed in Pune
Region wherein, 8 problems have been solved. Nashik Region
of the P.W.D. has formed 9 Quality Circles and solutions to
3 problems have been found out . Aurangabad Region has formed
21 Quality Circles and solved 7 problems. Nagpur Regions have
formed 47 Quality Circles and have found out solution to 57
problems, so far.
The results
of a short period of one year are found to be very encouraging
so far and many of these Circles have already come up with
solutions to the various work related problems as evidenced
from the last two state level conventions held at Mumbai and
Aurangabad respectively. The presentations by the various
Quality Circles at these conventions bear testimony to the
fact that the concept of Quality Circle has been received
with much enthusiasm at the grass root level. These presentations
also provide concrete evidence fulfilling the expected benefits
of the Quality Circle . Taking inspirations from these conventions,
more staff of the Department have come forward to form Quality
Circles , emphasising the fact that Quality Circles have come
to stay in the Department.
Some of the
problems solved by the Quality Circles in P.W.D. of Maharashtra
are as follows:
1 Eliminating delay in issuing
observation memos after inspection of site.
2 Preventing accidents on
highways.
3 Reducing electricity bill
in office.
4 Avoiding duplication of
work.
5 Removal of encroachment
from Govt. land.
6 Speeding up pot-hole filling
on roads during monsoon.
7 Upkeeping of service records
of employees.
8 Maintaining Govt. offices
clean.
9 Stream-lining reservation
system of Govt. rest houses.
10 Improvement in maintenance
of Govt. Hospital at Solapur.
Some of the problems and
the solutions thereof are explained briefly below:
1 Delay in issue of observation
memos:
The Public Works Department
of Maharashtra is divided into six regions each headed by
a Chief Engineer. Each regional Chief Engineer is assisted
by a Superintending Engineer, Vigilance & Quality Circle
who with the help of two Executive Engineer and about 6 Deputy
Engineers carries out inspection of the ongoing projects.
The samples of the construction material being used on project
are collected and independently tested in the Regional Testing
Laboratories to ascertain the level of acceptance. The findings
of the inspections are communicated to the field engineers
in the form of ‘observation memo’. It is contemplated that
the Execution Engineer in charge of the project ensures immediate
compliance of the remarks raised in the observation memo and
carries out corrective measures in the ongoing project as
well as preventive measures for the future works.
However, very often the observation
memos are issued after much delay defeating the very purpose
of the observation memo. This problem was identified by the
‘OMKAR’ Quality Circle formed in the office of Superintending
Engineer, Vigilance & Quality Control Circle, Navi Mumbai.
The members used various tools and methodology, identified
the various root causes that led to this problem and finally
solved the problem with requisite foolproofing.
By solving this problem,
it became possible to improve the quality of work in the field
which ultimately brightened the image of the Department. The
formation of Quality Circle also benefited employees by providing.
a) A systematic style of
education that helped them grow.
b) Freedom to modify their
work habits.
c) Opportunity to use their
brain for development of the Department; and
d) Opportunity to work as
a team.
e) The employees were also
motivated to improve work culture, self improvement recognition
and creativity in work.
ii) Preventing accidents
on highways:
It was
observed that the accident rate on Sion-Panvel Highway passing
through New Mumbai had gone up sharply. The Circle members
collected the data from the respective police stations and
identified the important causes of accidents by using Pareto
Analysis. They segregated the causes under Man, Machine, Material
& Method . The Circle members found out solutions to the
problem such as closing of central verge at all locations
except junction, frequent lane marking, installation of Caution
boards, Providing lay-byes for buses etc. The data collection
of accidents for a period three months after implementation
of solutions near Shirvane and Turbhe revealed that the cause
of accident had been eliminated and no more accidents occurred
at those locations had been eliminated and no more accidents
accoured at those locations again. This way the Circle members
ensured the effectiveness of the solution implemented. They
made presentation to their steering committee for obtaining
sanction to other solutions involving more funds.
CONCLUSION
Quality Circles
are not limited to manufacturing firms only. They are applicable
for variety of organisations 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. The P.W.D.
of Maharashtra has set an example for the Government organisations
marching on the path of Quality Improvement.
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