Quality Circle

A group of workers who do the same or similar

work, who meet regularly to identify, analyze and
solve work-related problems
Normally small in size, usually led by a supervisor or manager and
presents its solutions to management; to improve the performance of
the organization and motivate employees
They operate on the principle that employee
participation in decision-making and problemsolving improves the quality of work

It is better for one hundred people to take one

step than for one person to take a hundred

Quality Circle
The World has Turned Upside Down!
CUSTOMER FOCUSED /
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

CONTROL

CEO
SNR MGT
MANAGEMENT

OPERATORS
SUPERVISORS
MANAGEMENT

SUPERVISORS

SNR MGT

OPERATORS

CEO

MASS PRODUCTIVITY /
SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

COACH

Quality Circle

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
Characteristics
Volunteers
Set Rules and Priorities
Decisions made by Consensus
Use of organized approaches to Problem-Solving

Quality Circle

Quality Circle

Formation of Quality Circles

Start on the Shop Floor
Base Circle on Training
Allow the Circle to Form Itself
Do The Training Properly
Support with Information
Required
Provide Skills and Experience

Quality Circle
Basic Requirements
Management Support
Training
Recognition System

Basic Application Areas

Increase Productivity
Improve Quality
Boost Employee Morale

Quality Circle
Kaizen vs. Problem solving team
Kaizen

Problem Solving
Team

Team

Cross-functional

Same

Time

2 10 days

3 6 months

Power

Make changes

Recommend action

Focus

Whole process

Single issue

Goal

Improve process /
eliminate waste

Resolve problem

Quality Circle
Benefits of Quality Circle
A Direct Pay-off (cost/benefits)
An Operator To Manager Dialogue
(involvement, participation,
communication)
A Manager To Manager Dialogue
(awareness)
An Operator to Operator Dialogue
(attitudes)
A Quality Mindedness (product quality
and reliability, prevention of nonconformance)
The Personal Development of the

Quality Circle
Reasons for Failure

Inadequate Training
Unclear Purpose
Not truly Voluntary
Lack of Management Interest/support
Insufficient authority/empowerment
The Quality Circles have been started
in isolation and not a part of the wider
program of Company-wide Continuous
Improvement