SLAAQP to revive interest in quality circles
The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Quality and
Productivity is planning a series of events to re-invigorate Quality
Circles (QCC), to build up an impressive level of activity in time for
the International Convention to be hosted by Sri Lanka in 2014.
Currently when especially exporters are experiencing difficult times
with the appreciation of the Rupee the only answer is higher
productivity. The best method is to use the creativity of all employees
to boost productivity in all spheres of work and therefore QCCs are more
relevant today than ever before, maintains the Association.
Quality Circles originated in Japan in the early 1960s when Japan was
still struggling with post war recovery. Japanese goods were still
considered to be of poor quality and unreliable. The quality revolution
in Japan was created by the well known American quality experts; Deming
and Juran, and the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE)
commenced a programme to teach simple Quality Control techniques to
floor level workers in Japanese factories. They also used the group
orientation of the Japanese and got them to get together in small groups
to systematically analyse quality problems, and use simple statistical
and non statistical tools to evolve solutions. This was the beginning of
the so called “Quality Circles”.
It was so successful that the concept spread throughout Japan from
factories to offices, to educational establishments, to shops, and
covered every sphere of work. Although first used to improve quality, it
was later used for many other initiatives such as productivity
improvement, sales improvement, customer service, discipline improvement
in schools, cost reduction, improving government services, patient care
improvement etc. Thereafter it spread to the neighbouring countries such
as South Korea and Taiwan. Many thought that it will die a natural death
like most management fads, but QCCs have continued to prosper. Every
year an International convention is held in one of the Asian countries,
and hundreds of “Quality Circles” consisting of non executive employees
of factories, offices, schools, government establishments, military
units of the member countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China,
Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, and Thailand make presentations of their case studies. In
India the National Annual Convention attracts several thousands of
participants.
Sri Lanka’s QCC activity reached a peak in 1993 when over 60 persons
participated in the international convention in Bangkok, and Sri Lanka
last hosted the convention in 1998 in Colombo. QCC are active in several
manufacturing companies, government offices, banks and schools in Sri
Lanka. In fact the National QCC convention and awards organised by the
National Productivity Secretariat was held recently.
“Quality Circles and Continuous Improvement Teams at Sri Lanka
Telecom have contributed immensely to improving service quality and
productivity at Sri Lanka Telecom” said Sri Lanka Telecom Deputy Chief
Corporate Officer Vijitha Ratnayaka.
Similar sentiments are echoed by other manufacturing and service
establishments that have used QCCs to boost productivity, quality and
improve the quality of work life of employees.
This year’s international convention is in Yokohama in September. |