Quality circles: what are they and characteristics of this method?

Summary of the characteristics of quality circles, a methodology used in companies.

Companies tend to optimize their processes more and more, and to this end, different procedures are constantly emerging in pursuit of this objective.

Quality circles are a good example of this.. Throughout this article we will study in detail all its characteristics, how it is carried out and we will discover which are its strongest points if we decide to use it in our own organization.

What are quality circles?

Quality circles refer to a business methodology that seeks to the optimization of the processes through groups of workers (the circles) that put in common the different problems and aspects for improvement that they have found in their respective departments with the aim of sharing different ideas and reaching solutions to solve the greatest number of incidents that they had previously detected in the analysis carried out.

Once the members of the quality circles have reached these agreements, the next step would be to The next step would be to transfer the chosen ideas to the heads of each department so that they can study them in detail, check whether they are feasible or not.If they agree, they can then implement them, assigning the departmental resources needed for the new processes to come into operation and their effects to be felt as soon as possible.

What makes the quality circles so effective and valuable is that the information provided by the workers of the different sections of the company is first hand and spontaneous, they are problems that they observe and experience themselves on a daily basis, so they are not inferences or deductions based on data from third parties. In this way, invaluable information is available to improve quality processes.

This methodology arose in Japan in the 1960s, a country always at the forefront in the implementation of new procedures for improving quality management. The creator of this new method was the businessman and chemist Kaoru Ishikawa. Since its creation, quality circles have been implemented in many Asian companies, proving their effectiveness in organizations with a classic Eastern cultural background.

However, in its origin did not have the same success in the Western business world, a relatively common problem when it comes to exporting methodologies to very different cultural areas.. But this is a problem with a solution, since the question is to adapt these methods to the idiosyncrasies of the place where we want to implement them. With an adequate cultural adaptation, quality circles are just as effective in the West as in the East.

Characteristics

In quality circles there is the figure of the facilitator, a person in charge of coordinating the group and explaining the dynamics to be followed. The facilitator provides the appropriate training in the methodology to the rest of the members. All the members of the group will hold these meetings during working hours, and they will do so with a certain regularity, according to what has been agreed upon by all the members.The facilitator provides adequate training in the methodology to the rest of the team members.

The facilitator will only be in charge of requesting the participation of the different members of the quality circle and guiding the process, but should never evaluate the proposals that are made, nor pronounce in favor or against any of them, and should maintain objectivity at all times. It would be part of his tasks to appease possible conflict situations that may arise between different components, urging again the members to continue with the methodology.

As for the dimensions of the group, it is advisable that each quality circle contains at least four participants and trying not to be more than eight.. These are the recommended figures, but the total number can be adapted to the particular characteristics of the company, the number of departments it has or if you want to deal with particular casuistics that imply the presence of more workers of the organization.

From among these members (since the figure of the facilitator is separate), one must be chosen as spokesperson of the group. At the end of the session, the spokesperson will be the one who will provide a summary of the selected measures to the various department heads. The authorship of this document belongs to the team as a whole, not to anyone in particular, since the decisions have been taken jointly, so no individual signatures will be affixed.

The quality circles will meet again cyclically, according to the needs of the company, although it is recommended that there be at least one meeting each year. Similarly, the creation of other independent quality circles can be encouraged to deal with different issues, so that there are several teams working complementarily at the same time and thus solving different problems. several teams working complementarily at the same time and thus solving different issues in less time, which further optimizes the process. in less time, which further optimizes the process.

Implementation of this methodology in organizations

To be able to implement the methodology of the circles of quality the first thing that we need is the approval of the directive of the company, as it is logical. Once the plan has been presented, the managers must support it and encourage the good functioning of the circles from now on, which is an essential condition for their success. without the confidence of the company's leaders, we cannot expect the quality circles to develop their full potential..

Once we have the green light, an implementation program adapted to the characteristics of the company should be designed, encouraging the spontaneous appearance of the circles, as this is the ideal scenario for the start of this program. All quality circles must be supported by an independent organization, which provides all the resources they need for a good functioning, in terms of space, material or any other required means.

The next step will be to The next step will be to choose the facilitators of the various quality circles and provide them with adequate training to enable them to carry out the tasks entrusted to them. At this point, the company can officially communicate to all employees the implementation of this methodology so that everyone who wishes to participate in the processes can do so. It is important that the entire staff is aware of this situation, as one of the keys to making quality circles work is communication.

Then decide which are the most important issues and therefore the ones to which time should be devoted at the beginning of the program. Do not be too ambitious and deal with all the problems at the same time, but rather build a scale of priorities and try to resolve each issue before moving on to the next. In addition, it is important that the first problems to be addressed have a relatively simple solution, as a successful start is key to boosting implementation.

Everything is now ready to start the operation of the first quality circles in the company. It may happen that in these first occasions the workers are reluctant to participate, perhaps because of the topics proposed.perhaps because of the topics proposed. In that case, it would be appropriate to wait a while to propose the creation of the circles again, proposing different topics this time, hoping that this change will motivate the first members to make their appearance.

Contents

The topics to be discussed in the quality circles are very varied, especially depending on the type of company and the sector in which it is located. However, there are general However, there are general guidelines that are suitable for many companies and can be a good guide to start putting the methodology into practice. There are also a number of issues that should never be chosen as topics to be discussed within the circles.

Examples of those that are likely to be chosen include increasing the quality of the product or service offered, improving the company's communication channels and interdepartmental coordination, minimizing bureaucratic processes, reducing costs, offering a more satisfactory customer service, improving environmental working conditions (comfort, cleanliness and safety) or shortening deadlines, as far as possible.

But we have already mentioned that there are some issues that are not suitable for analysis by safety circles. For example, we should never discuss the working conditions of employees, question the capabilities of team leaders or other colleagues, evaluate the business strategies being implemented, or comment on other company decisions such as dismissals or promotions of certain people.

Bibliographical references:

• Palom, F.J. (1991). Quality circles: theory and practice. Productica.
• Ruelas-Barajas, E., Reyes-Zapata, H., Zurita, B., Vidal-Pineda, L.M., Karmcher, S. (1990). Quality circles as a strategy for a health care quality assurance program at the National Institute of Perinatology. Public Health of Mexico.
• Thompson, P.C., Hassan, A. de. (1984). Quality circles: how to make them work. Norma Quito.