Quality CircleA Way To Quality Improvement

What is quality Circle?A Quality Circle is volunteer group composed of members who meet to talk about workplace and service improvements and make presentations to their management with their ideas.

It composed of two words: Quality Circle

Quality Circle

A circle of employees that is formed to solve problems related to quality of work environment.

Basic Terminologies of Quality Circle1. Small Group of 6-12 employees.2. Who basically do similar kind of work.3. Meet on voluntarily basis.4. To identify improvements in work areas.5. Analyze and solve work related problems.6. Leading to mutual upliftment of employees as well as organization.

It is a way of capturing the creative and innovative power that lies within the workforce.

BENEFITS OF QUALITY CIRCLES

✘ Self-development: QC’s assist self-development of members by improving self-confidence, attitudinal change, and a sense of accomplishment.

✘ Social development: QC is a consultative and participative program where every member cooperates with others. This interaction assists in developing harmony.

✘ Opportunity to attain knowledge:QC members have a chance for attaining new knowledge by sharing opinions, thoughts, and experience.

✘ Potential Leader: Every member gets a chance to build up his leadership potential, in view of the fact that any member can become a leader.

There are no monetary rewards in the QC’s. However, there are many other gains, which largely benefit the individual and consecutively, benefit the business. These are:

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✘ Enhanced communication skills: The mutual problem solving and presentation before the management assists the members to develop their communication skills.

✘ Job-satisfaction: QC’s promote creativity by tapping the undeveloped intellectual skills of the individual. Individuals in addition execute activities diverse from regular work, which enhances their self-confidence and gives them huge job satisfaction.

✘ Healthy work environment: QC’s creates a tension-free atmosphere, which each individual likes, understands, and co-operates with others.

✘ Organizational benefits: The individual benefits create a synergistic effect, leading to cost effectiveness, reduction in waste, better quality, and higher productivity.

All these benefits are lasting in nature, which bring about progress over a period of time.

TrainingAppropriate training for diffrent sections of employees needs to be imparted. Without proper understanding of real concept of Quality

Circles, both the workers and management may look at this phisosophy with suspicion. Each group should know beforehand the commitments and implications involved as well as the benefits that can be obtained

from quality circles.

Such training comprises of:

I. Brief orientation program for top management.

II. Program for middle level executives.

III. Training of facilitators.

IV. Training for circle leaders and members.

Launching Quality CirclesThe major prerequisite for initiating quality circles in any organization 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.

Launching of quality circle involves the following steps:

1. Expose middle level executives to the concept.2. Explain the concept to employees and invite them to volunteer.3. Nominate senior officers as facilitators.4. Form a steering committee.5. Arrange training of facilitators, who in turn will train the volunteers.6. A meeting should be fixed preferably one hour a week for quality circle to

meet.7. Formally inaugarate the QC. 8. Arrange the necessary facilities for Quality Circle meeting and it’s operation.

Benefits and Limitations of QCsAdvantages:

Increase Productivity. Improve Quality. Boost Employee Morale.

Disadvantages:

Inadequate Training.Unsure of purpose.Non Truly Voluntary.Lack Of Management Interest.

Conclusion ✘ QCs are not limited to manufacturing firms only. ✘ They are applicable for variety of organizations

where there is scope of group based solutions of work related problems.

QCs are relevant for factories, schools, hospitals, firms, universities, research institutes, banks government offices etc.

THANKS!Any questions?

Special Thanks to our faculty Mrs. Ruchi Khanna Puri for giving us this opportunity to present our views.