EP156 – What Are Quality Circles and Why Should You Implement Them NOW?
The key to quality circles: collaboration and continuous improvement for all. Together, we are stronger! #AdvancedQualityPrograms #TheQualityGuy #ContinuousImprovement
Do you know the key to excellence? Well, Vince Lombardi said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the task at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have given our best to the task.”
Quality circles are a popular method that encourages our teams to participate in problem-solving related to their own tasks. The idea is to form action groups, composed of individuals working together to meet, discuss, and address problems or difficulties, generating solutions for continuous improvement.
The concept of quality circles gained popularity in the 1990s due to the increased adoption of quality philosophies, which led to remarkable improvements in quality and economic competitiveness in Japanese industry after World War II. The Japanese strategy emphasized preventing defects before they occurred, primarily using kaizen and its methods.
Quality circles are closely associated with kaizen, a Japanese management and manufacturing philosophy. Their introduction in Japan was inspired by W. Edwards Deming, who advocated for restructuring production processes to focus on quality control methods and employee education. In this sense, quality circles provided a channel for continuous education and the introduction of quality control methods.
Deming’s quality circle principles shifted quality control to the forefront of the production process. The intention of quality circles is to prevent defects from happening in the first place, instead of relying on post-production inspections. This approach reduces machine downtimes and costs related to product defects and rejections. Deming’s philosophy of improving quality from the source showed an increase in productivity and led to the development of the total quality control concept.
The basic technique used by Deming’s quality circles is a cyclical four-step application process known as the Deming Cycle or PDCA. This cycle is applied repeatedly to address problems, opportunities, or areas needing optimization, ensuring an endless and continuous improvement process.
The PDCA concept is based on the scientific method, which we explored last week. It was later summarized and described by Francis Bacon as “hypothesis–experiment–evaluation” or “plan–do–check.” Walter A. Shewhart later adapted this into a three-step process for manufacturing control: specification, production, and inspection. Deming translated and simplified this process to the now easy-to-remember and popular plan, do, check, act.
The key to the success of the PDCA cycle is repetition. By continually applying the cycle, teams can learn from their experiences and move closer to their goals, whether a hypothesis is proven or disproven.
Deming’s philosophy encourages a continuous focus on improving our systems with each new cycle. This approach is based on the understanding that our knowledge and skills are limited, especially at the beginning of any project. The PDCA cycle works by providing feedback to validate assumptions and increase our understanding.
Instead of striving for perfection the first time, we should focus on completing the task and optimizing later. For Deming, it’s better to be approximately right than exactly wrong. As our knowledge improves, we can adjust the initial goal along the learning process. The aim of PDCA is to bring us closer to our chosen goal and excellence with each new cycle.
The PDCA four-step process stands for:
- Plan: Establish objectives and processes to achieve desired results.
- Do: Carry out the planned objectives.
- Check: Evaluate data and results from the “do” phase. Compare these to the expected outcomes and assess the testing process.
- Act: Finally, improve the process based on findings from the “do” and “check” phases. Identify and eliminate root causes of problems, non-conformities, or inefficiencies. Re-evaluate risks and plan for the next cycle.
For quality circles and the Deming cycle to be successful, it is recommended that teams follow these principles:
- Quality circles should be staffed entirely by volunteers.
- Participants should represent different functional activities.
- The problem to be addressed should be chosen by the circle, not by management.
- Management should support the circle and provide adequate funding.
- Circle members should receive appropriate problem-solving training.
- The circle should choose its own leader from within its members.
- The tasked team should have a mentor to assist the circle in achieving its objectives.
When implementing quality circles in industries, it is useful to consider using them for projects that involve teamwork and measurable improvements. In daily activities, we can also join forces with family and friends to improve home renovations, budget for vacations, or enhance the performance of a basketball team. The key is to focus on improvements that benefit everyone in the circle and create a group that helps each other work together on various projects.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama