What is Quality Control Circle?

A small group activity to support TQM in a

company
Started in Japan in 1962 under the leadership of
Ishikawa
QCC tackles productivity related problems in a
workplace
Uses the inputs and participation of actual
doers to evolve solutions
QCC is a team drawn from a workplace with
homogeneity of purpose and objectives
1

This is a forum to share the original ideas of the

people at lower hierarchical level and also a
recognition platform
Basic principles
Voluntary
Regularity
Four dimensional process, quality improvement
cycle- define, analyze, correct & prevent
Self development solving ones own problems
Improvement in work life
Synergy team work
Sincerity of purpose
2

General application
Simplicity

Why Quality Control Circles? Objectives

To promote team work
Motivation by job enrichment & recognition
To improve quality of products and services
Training Skills Improvement
Promotion of Industrial Relations mutual trust
Harnessing hidden potential of employees
Productivity Improvement
When do we go for QCC?
When we initiate TQM
To improve Productivity
4

How do we implement QCC? The roadmap

Select a coordinator
Select a steering committee
Establish objectives
Establish policy
Scope of projects
Circle size
Personnel to manage QCC program
Frequency and duration of meetings
Training
Conflict resolution
Non member relations
5

 Constraints
Evaluation system
Pilot run
Scale up
The QCC process
Problem identification
Problem selection
Problem analysis
Develop solution
Presentation
Review of the solution
Implementation
6

Performance of QCC as a quality initiative in

India
High level of enthusiasm while starting and then
slow decline and subsequent abandonment
Lack of strategic commitment by top
management
Result focused leadership no process focus
Presentation & award focus
Lack of trust

Quality Circle forum of India

First quality circle was launched in India in 1980
at Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. Hyderabad under
the initiative of Mr.S.R.Udupa
Success of the first circle prompted founding of
Quality Circle forum of India
A nonprofit professional body with head quarters
at Hyderabad was started in 1982. Strong initiative
was by BHEL, Hyderabad. Now it has chapters all
over India
8

Various QCCs present their work in these

forums which provides recognition and motivation
There are competitions between circles of
different chapters
Winners get opportunity to go abroad and
present their work in international forums
Great opportunity to share experience and learn
from each other

Tools of T Q M
(Quality tools or QC tools)
Check sheet, Paretos rule, fish bone diagram,
brain storming, flow chart, histogram, control
chart, stratification
To identify analyze and solve problems by QC
members
All tools may not be used at the same time
Requires use of simple statistical methods
Used extensively by Quality Circles
Very popular in TQM companies
10

Data Collection-Check Sheet or Defects chart

Make a list of all expected problems like
recurring internal customer complaints & external
customer complaints, from experience
Track them every day in a chart
Use tally marks to mark occurrence of problem
Also track new problems
Creates a fact base for strategizing productivity
improvement-choosing the most grave problem for
resolution
11

DEFECTS SHEET SEPT06 WEEK I

Tight
bore

Rough
edge

Surface
finish
poor
Rusty
parts

Total

10

4
0

12

Paretos rule: 80 20 principle

Vital
few
Trivial
many

20%
80%
80%
20%

Causes

Effect
13

Paretos rule: 80 20 principle

From the data collected, find out significant issues
using Paretos rule
Pareto Analysis is a prioritization tool
Used for ABC Analysis
80-20 ratio not rigid
Used for identifying high priority problems for
resolution
Applied judgmentally in practice
Assign the problems to Quality improvement teams
Teams can use fish bone diagram to find root causes to
make improvement
14

Fish Bone diagram

A tool used for reaching root causes of a
problem
Developed by Kouru Ishikawa
Represents chain of effect and causes
horizontally & vertically
Construct a fish bone diagram on the problem
that the light fails to come on when you enter your
house and need light
Use inputs of the team who experience the
problem
Use Brain storming as a tool
15

Lamp doesn't turn on

Lamp

Plug/
Cord

Bulb

Power

16

Lam p doesn't turn on

Burned out

No Contact

Broken

loose
connection

Bulb

Missing

Corroded

Loose

Lam p

Bulb Holder
Switch
Broken
Cord is cut

Power failure

Storm

Chewed
by rat
Fuse
Blown
off

Accidental
cut

Plug/
Cord

Old

Careless
cleaning

Not
plugged
in

Power plant
failure
Load
shedding

Power
Main switch
turned off
Unpaid bill

No supply in
the house

17

Bad aquality products

operator

Machine

Methods

Tools

Material

18

In industrial practice problem is the main effect

which is put at the stem
Main causes are man, machine, tools, materials
and methods
Further, these causes are treated as effects and
causes are dug out
One should reach deep in this chain for root
causes
Benefits of fishbone diagram
Root cause identification
Identify corrective action, preventive actions on
root causes
Implement the action plan
19

Nominal Group technique

This technique is used by groups keen on
finding solution to a problem
These groups posses information necessary to
solve the problem under consideration
The group members do not interact with each
other directly but write their ideas
Written ideas are collected and best idea is voted
for implementation

20

Shortcomings of brainstorming
Influence of ones opinion on the other
Tendency to suppress ones own idea due to
inhibitions
How these shortcomings are overcome?
Writing the ideas or solutions instead of
articulating
One doesnt know what the other is saying
Inhibitions are limited
Steps in Nominal group Technique
Group identifies the problem
Group members write their ideas for solutions
21

Ideas are entered in a chart by the leaders

Group discusses and evaluates each idea
Participants rank ideas
Highest ranking idea is taken as group decision

22

Other Quality Tools which are used

Brain storming
Flow chart
Histogram
Control chart
Stratification

23