Pilot Circle Evaluated

Evaluation Item Evaluation Item Marks

1. Accomplishment of

goal (10 marks) 1) Was the goal adequately established?

2) Was the established goal fully met?

2. Analysis

(10 marks)

1) Was the past data fully available?

2) Was the analysis deep enough to find true cause?

3) Was the QC technique skillfully utilized?

0 　 10 　 20

2) Was positive cooperation gained?

4. Validation (5 marks)

1) Was the revealed result fully validated?

2) Was the problem encountered during the validation process identified definitely?

5. Standardization

(5 marks) 1) Was every necessary action for full standardization taken?

1 5 10

Aside from the department-based case presentation, it is recommended that the QC Circle Office organize division and company-wide presentation of cases to challenge and encourage others to organize their own QC Circles.

8. Pilot Circle Evaluated

It is necessary to evaluate the pilot Circle before proceeding to the company-wide implementation of the QCC concept, so that the positive lessons are sustained and the negative lessons are addressed to prevent recurrence. The evaluation is normally conducted by the QC Circle Steering Committee, the QC Circle Office, the facilitators, the department management where the pilot QC Circle was organized, the leaders, and the members.

The facilitators, leaders, and members also assess their level of satisfaction with their own competence and performance, via checklists. The members can also evaluate the leader using the Leader’s Competencies Checklist, and the leader can evaluate individual members using the Member’s Competencies Checklist.

The leader also assesses the QC Circle case using the same parameters used by the facilitator: how the Circle identified the problem, the degree of members’ participation in the case study, the extent they followed the QC Story, the utilization of the QC tools and techniques,

and the level of satisfaction of the department management.

Evaluation by the QC Circle Steering Committee

The QC Circle Steering Committee is responsible for the overall evaluation using the goals, plans, and budget as reference. It also evaluates the QC Circle Office manager and the facilitator. It uses detailed evaluation of the QC Circle Office, department management, facilitators, leaders, and members as inputs to its own evaluation.

Evaluation by the QC Circle Office

The QC Circle Office makes an evaluation of its own activities during the preparation phase and the support it provided the pilot Circles during their meetings and case presentations.

The facilitators evaluate the degree of their satisfaction with their own technical skills, people skills and management skills. The checklist for self-evaluation of satisfaction in figure 53, Facilitator’s Competencies Checklist, can be used. This same checklist can be used by the QC Circle leader to evaluate the facilitator assigned to the Circle.

If the facilitators are not satisfied with their performance, they may conclude that they need more training and this should be addressed before the company goes for a company-wide implementation.

Training may come in the form of visits to companies with QC Circles, where facilitators can learn from others’ comparable experiences.

The facilitators may also attend conferences on QC Circles where several companies talk about their experiences, the lessons they learned, and the corrective and preventive actions they took.

Evaluation by the Department Management

The department management evaluates the effects of the pilot Circle on its department and the usefulness of the assistance given by the QC Circle Office, specifically the support given by the department’s facilitator.

The department management uses the experience of the pilot Circle in convincing others in the department to organize their own QC Circles, so its direct participation in this kind of evaluation is a must.

Evaluation by QC Circle Leaders and Members

The leaders and members, like the facilitators, also indicate their level of satisfaction regarding their own competencies and performance.

Additionally, the members can evaluate the leaders using the Leader’s Competencies Checklist, and the leaders can evaluate individual members using the Member’s Competencies Checklist. Both leaders and members can also use the Facilitator’s Competencies Checklist.

4 How to Get Started: QC Circle Activities

Figure 53 Facilitator’s Competencies Checklist

Level of Satisfaction 1. Ability to teach QC Circle concept to leaders 2 1 0

2. Ability to teach QC Story to leaders 2 1 0

3. Ability to teach QC tools to leaders 2 1 0

4. Ability to teach QC Circle techniques to leaders 2 1 0 5. Ability to provide technical support to leaders 2 1 0

6. Ability to provide moral support to leaders 2 1 0

7. Ability to monitor and report progress of QC Circles 2 1 0

8. Ability to sustain Circle enthusiasm 2 1 0

9. Ability to get necessary support from management 2 1 0 10. Ability to attend QC Circle meetings regularly 2 1 0

Figure 54 Leader’s Competencies Checklist

Level of Satisfaction 1. Ability to teach QC Circle concept to members 2 1 0

2. Ability to teach QC Story to members 2 1 0

3. Ability to teach QC tools to members 2 1 0

4. Ability to teach QC Circle techniques to members 2 1 0 5. Ability to encourage members to participate in

discussions 2 1 0

6. Ability to keep meetings on track 2 1 0

7. Ability to get Circle to implement actions as planned 2 1 0 8. Ability to get members to help in the preparation of

case presentation materials 2 1 0

9. Ability to encourage members to participate in case

presentation 2 1 0

10. Ability to encourage Circle to tackle next theme 2 1 0

Figure 55 Member’s Competencies Checklist

Level of Satisfaction

4. Understanding of QC Circle techniques 2 1 0

5. Participation in discussions 2 1 0

6. Contribution in keeping meetings on track 2 1 0 7. Contribution to implementation of actions

as planned 2 1 0

8. Contribution in the preparation of case

presentation materials 2 1 0

9. Participation in case presentation 2 1 0

10. Willingness to tackle next theme 2 1 0

A QC Circle meeting in a telecommunications company (Photo by JUSE)

A QC Circle meeting in a machinery-manufacturing company (Photo by JUSE) 4-3-2 In-house Pocket Guide

The QC Circle Office publishes a small handbook on the QCC concept, when first introducing a pilot circle. Such books are first distributed by facilitators to individual QCC leaders. Later, at the stage when QC Circle activities are operated as company-wide activities, they are distributed to each QC Circle member.

The reasons for producing these handbooks are firstly to disseminate the QCC concept, and secondly to make employees understand the rationale behind the company’s decision for starting QC Circle activities. The voluntary action and self-motivation is a crucial driving force for operating a QCC program. The handbook plays a very important role in generating employee interest; it can be an easy textbook to be used when leaders explain QCC activities to their members for the first time; and it is sized so that members can carry it at all times and refer to it whenever necessary.

With these purposes in mind, the handbook should be neither too complex nor too technical, rather it should be handy, easy to deal with, and interesting to read, as it is an important way to disseminate knowledge about QCC for the first time in the company.

Each company produces its own handbook and incorporates various gimmicks to make it appeal to their employees (e.g., by using comics or photographs).

Here is a list of issues that that are often explained in these handbooks:

l Foreword: Message from the CEO l What a QCC is

l Why QC Circle activities are being started l What the objectives of the activities are l How a QCC is organized

l Who the people involved in QCC activities are

4 How to Get Started: QC Circle Activities

l Tools and techniques

l Some tips for successful QCC operations

l Things about which to be careful when operating QC Circles

In addition to the above basic information on QCC, some companies also cover the following topics in their handbooks:

l What quality is

l An organizational map for quality management

l Roles of management, facilitators, leaders, and members l QC Circle meeting guidelines

l The 7 steps for solving problems l What to do if you face difficulties l QC Story case examples

l Reference list (for further information) l Information on seminars and study tours

It is important to note here that the contents will also vary depending on whether the company is introducing the QCC method as a part of TQM or as a single component. In the former case, some companies also include some elements relating to TQM in the book, changing its title from QC Circle Pocket Guidebook to Pocket Guidebook on Quality Improvement.

What are the 7 QC Tools?

* Cause & Effect Diagram

* Pareto Diagram

* Histogram

* ……….

…………

Cause & Effect Diagram Figure 56

Examples of in-house pocket guides (Photo by DBJ)