What is a quality circle?

What is a quality circle?

Quality circles are small groups of workers of different levels in the firm who come together to discuss and solve problems in production. Managers, assembly line workers and engineers mix together and everyone’s opinion is valued and respected. Membership of quality circles is voluntary.

What is the difference between Kaizen and quality circle?

Quality circle is defined as a small group that voluntarily performs quality control activities within the workshop. Total Quality Management and Kaizen activities are involving everyone in the organization- managers and workers alike.

What are the functions of quality circle?

Objectives of quality circle

• Identify and analyze problems.
• Work towards the development and improvement of the organization.
• Utilize and enhance human resources.
• Improve the quality of products.
• Reduce costs and enhance productivity.
• Solve problems specific to a product or service.

What is quality circle story?

Quality circle is a people building philosophy based on the premise that an employee doing a particular job is biggest expert of that field and thus is in a better position to identify, analyse and resolve the work related problems through their innovative and unique ideas.

Who uses quality circle?

Such well-regarded companies as IBM, TRW, Honeywell, Westinghouse, Digital Equipment, and Xerox use them a lot. In any discussion of the prevalence and popularity of quality circles, the question inevitably arises, “Why are they so popular?” As with most management trends, there is no simple answer.

What are the stages of kaizen quality circle?

divide the staff into small groups – Quality Circles. discuss & analyse problems identified in each area by QCs. recommend possible solutions by QCs. prepare implementation plans.

What is the relationship between TQM and kaizen?

TQM features primarily focus on customer’s satisfaction through improvement of quality. It is both a top down and bottom up approach whereas kaizen is processes focused and a bottom up approach of small incremental changes. Implementation of TQM is more costly as compared to Kaizen.

What is the Kaizen concept of quality circles?

Each area may be allocated to a group (form from members of the organisation) which is called Quality Circle 1, 2, 3 etc, depending on the number of areas identified. The Quality Circles should have a common objective of working for the success of their project in the area being allocated to them. These areas may be called Kaizen activities.

Who was the founder of the quality circle?

Quality circles were developed by Kaoru Ishikawa in the early 1960’s, and the approach was circulated through the Japanese industry by JUSE. It was most popular during the 1980s, but continue to exist in the form of Kaizen groups and similar worker participation schemes.

Which is the best description of quality circles?

Quality has been described by many people as many different things, but in reference to quality circles, quality is the state in which the entitlement of value is realized for both the customer and the provider in every aspect of the business relationship without majorly affecting the environment or the society.

What is the meaning of the Japanese term Kaizen?

Kaizen is a Japanese term which can be interpreted as ‘continuous improvement’ by developing efficient systems which REDUCE wasted time, wasted resources, wasted space, wasted energy. One of the key areas of the Kaizen I will look into here is the introduction of Quality Circles (QCs).