What is quality circle?
A group of employees who perform similar duties and meet at periodic intervals, often with management, to discuss work-related issues and to offer suggestions and ideas for improvements, as in production methods or quality control, called quality circle.
Therefore quality circle is nothing but a small group of employees who come together to discuss with the management issues related to either quality control or improvement in production methods form a Quality Control Circle (QCC). These employees usually work in the same areas, and voluntarily meet on a regular basis to identify, analyze and solve their problems.
Key Characteristics of quality circle:
• A circle, usually consisting of 6-8 members, from the same section.
• Membership of a Quality Circle is voluntary.
• Circle members should meet regularly, ideally once a week, in particular place also in particular time.
• Circle members select a name for their circle in the first meeting and elect aleader to conduct the meetings.
• Members are specially trained in problem solving and analysis techniques in order to play their role effectively.
• Circle works on a systematic basis to identify and solve work – related problems for improving quality and productivity not just discussing them.
• The management must ensure that solutions are implemented quickly once they have been accepted
• The management must give appropriate and proper recognition to solution
Why Quality Circle:
It is said that 95% of the problems in workshops can be solved through quality control tools. The Japanese have experienced this! The quality control tools useful for QCCs are Pareto Diagrams, Cause-and-Effect Diagrams, Stratification, Check Sheets, Histograms, Scatter Diagrams, Graphs and Control Charts. Also, logical thinking and experience are a must for solving problems. Therefore the main objectives of QC are:
• To improve quality and productivity.
• To reduce the cost of products or services by waste reduction, safety, effective utilization of resources, avoiding unnecessary errors and defects.
• To identify and solve work-related problems and interfere with production as a team.
• To tap the creative intelligence of people working in the org. and make full use of human resources.
• To improve communication within the organization.
• To improve employees loyalty and commitment to the organization and its goals. (Promoting Morale of employees)
• To build a happy, bright, meaningful work environment.
• To satisfy the human needs of recognition, achievement and self development
