Quality circles in a company are an example. Quality circles at the enterprise. Stages of problem solving

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists using the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Similar documents

general characteristics Japanese model of quality management, its distinctive features and aspects of formation. Features of quality circles and the program "Five Zeros", their meaning, functions, principles and application. Determination of the parameters of production.

test, added 12/08/2010


Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers. Models of the Japanese School of Quality Management. American contribution to quality management. Formation of the American School of Quality Management. A. Feigenbaum's Ten Commandments. J. Juran's triad of quality.

abstract, added 07/01/2015


The origin and development of quality circles in Japan. Organization of training in the Japanese quality management system. Features of the activities of quality circles. The work of quality circles at Toyota. Experience in organizing the work of quality groups in Russia.

term paper, added 06/04/2011


Study of the importance of quality management in the activities of the organization and the formation of product quality in the process of bread production at the enterprise "X". Analysis of existing defects and the reasons for their occurrence. Suggestions for improving product quality.

thesis, added 12/14/2010


Characteristics and distinctive features of the management system in Japan, its traditional cultural roots. Features of personnel management, its education and training, means and methods of motivation. The principles of quality management and personnel management at Toyota.

term paper, added 10/04/2009


Distinctive features and philosophy of Japanese management, the essence and prevalence of the Kanban system. "Quality circles" in production in Japan, management control system and assessment of its effectiveness. Comparative assessment of two quality concepts.

abstract, added 12/17/2014


The essence of planning a quality management process. The main approaches to quality planning, their characteristics. Analysis and assessment of the organization of quality planning at JSC "Uraltrubprom". Suggestions for improving the product quality planning process.

thesis, added 08/29/2012

The main provisions of the concept of quality circles were formulated in 1962. Kaoru Ishikawa (QC). Quality circles in Japan are voluntary associations of employees of organizations that gather in order to find activities to improve quality. Participants independently develop methods for detecting manufacturing defects, propose measures for their elimination, search for bottlenecks in the production process, and outline priority tasks. Japanese quality circles are small groups (8-10 people) of workers from one production site. As a rule, the circle is led by a foreman or a foreman, who is assisted by an instructor who is responsible for keeping a log of meetings and executing training programs. The leader is either elected or appointed. The manager and subordinates are one whole. In large companies, quality circles are chaired by a group council and coordinated by a special representative. The meetings are held weekly for one hour. Typically, symbolic (moral) reward is practiced for participating in its work. Conferences of quality circles of different levels are regularly held, as a nationwide event - the all-Japanese congress of representatives of quality circles.

The principles of quality circles are formulated in the form of slogans: “Think about quality every minute”, “Quality decides the fate of the company”, “What seems beautiful today will become obsolete tomorrow”.

The basic idea behind the quality circles work can be expressed as follows:

• 1. Quality circles contribute to the significant improvement and development of the enterprise.
• 2.Can improve the morale among members working group, contribute to the development of everyone's self-esteem and the creation of relationships between all members of the circle, based on respect and humanity.
• 3. create conditions for everyday growth, broadening one's horizons, developing a person's creative abilities.

In the JUSE Quality Circle Guidelines, it is stated that the main objectives of the clubs are:

• · To seek additional opportunities for effective management on the part of foremen and line management of the lower level, to promote their self-development;
• · To raise the level of labor morale of workers in production and create an atmosphere in which the conscious attitude of each member of the labor collective to quality and shortcomings in production will increase;
• · To function as the "core" of the overall quality management system, which will provide support and implementation directly in the shops of the policy of the president of the company and the director of the enterprise in relation to ensuring product quality

The bulk of quality circles (from 80 to 90%) operate in the production sector. They are especially widely used in the electronics industry and a number of other industries. According to some estimates, today there are about 30 thousand quality circles in the country. Only at Toyota Motor Corp. About 40 thousand people work in Japan, most of them are united in 5 thousand QCC (Quality Control Circle), each of which has an average of 8 employees. According to some estimates, the work of the circles allows Japanese companies to save $ 20-25 billion annually. For example, as a result of training members of quality circles, the average annual economic effect from the activities of each member amounted to 147 thousand yen, which is 15 times higher than the cost of training. This experience turned out to be so attractive that it is now widely used in more than 50 countries. given form participation of workers and employees in improving the quality of products and such circles operate. For example, quality circles operate at the factories of BIC, a well-known French manufacturer of ballpoint pens and lighters. There are boxes throughout the plant where workers drop sheets of paper with their suggestions to improve production efficiency. Proposals are approved at a general meeting of workers and managers by general vote. In 2000, out of 684 workers, 577 blue-collar workers came up with various ideas. The total number of proposals was 2999, of which 2368 were approved and implemented. The author of the best proposal of the month is rewarded with a hundred dollars and a parking space. At the same time, it should be noted that in many countries quality circles were not as effective and practically ceased to exist. The reasons for the success of quality circles in Japan are rooted in the specifics of Japanese culture, which is characterized by a high assessment of group behavior.

According to experts, 80% of the success of Japanese firms is associated with three main factors:

• · Unusually high activity of workers;
• · The spirit of cooperation (ideas of paternalism; "all as one family");
• · Constant search for ways to improve quality.

The historically entrenched clan social psychology has created a fertile ground for involving employees on the path of intensifying their efforts in the name of achieving one of the most important goals of the company - improving quality. A Japanese man is proud of the prosperity of the company he works for.

Therefore, concern for the quality and reputation of the company among ordinary workers comes to the fore. The effective activity of quality circles is also ensured by the high general educational level of their members. Another traditional norm of Japanese culture is the desire to assess (rank) the elements of social structure.

With regard to quality groups, a special rating scale has been introduced in Japan, which allows you to get a fairly complete picture of the work of a particular quality group.

3. Japan Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management is a philosophy of total quality management that emerged in the 60s. XX century in Japan and the USA. The ideas of "total" quality control were formulated in the works of Japanese quality gurus Kaoru Ishikawa and Genichi Taguchi. This concept is based on:

• 1.the idea that most of the defects of products are laid at the development stage due to the insufficient quality of design work;
• 2. the main attention in the creation of products is transferred from testing prototypes to mathematical modeling of the properties of products and their manufacturing processes;
• 3. instead of the concept of "0 defects" the concept of "Satisfied customer";
• 4. high quality must be provided to the consumer at an affordable price that is constantly decreasing.

Basic principles of TQM:

• 1. Orientation of the organization to the consumer (study of demand, focus on the "latent needs" of the market, measurement of consumer satisfaction, "feedback" - correction of their own activities);
• 2. Leading leadership role;
• 3. Involvement of employees (maximum disclosure of creative potential, bringing the goals of individual employees closer to the goals of the organization itself, in fostering team spirit);
• 4. Process approach (defining the process of achieving the desired result, establishing and measuring the "input" and "output" of the process, assessment of possible risks, clear distribution of powers);
• 5. A systematic approach to management (understanding the interdependence between the processes in the system, structuring the system to achieve the goal in an optimal way, setting the priority of resource consistency in activities);
• 6. Approach to decision making based on facts (reliable data);
• 7. Relations with suppliers (establishing stable mutually beneficial relationships, documenting activities);

The basic principles of "total" quality control in industrial production in Japan are designed in the form of slogans, for example:

“Any employee has the right to stop the conveyor if he sees that the defect has passed”, “The path to achieving high quality products should be as clear as day!”, “Carry out 100% inspection of manufactured products!”.

8. Distinctive features of the Japanese approach to quality management It is considered that the Japanese approach to quality management has its own specifics. However, a comparative analysis showed that the differences lie, first of all, in the style, methods of implementing the approach, and not in its theoretical provisions, which are universal.

The following distinguishing features of the Japanese approach to quality management can be listed:

• · Focus on continuous improvement of processes and work results of all personnel;
• · Priority of process quality control, not product quality;
• · Special attention to the prevention of the possibility of admission of defects;
• · Solution of emerging problems according to the principle of an upward flow (direction from the previous operation to the next);
• · Development of the principle "your consumer is the executor of the next production operation";
• · Imposition of all responsibility for the quality of labor results on the direct executor;
• · Activation of the human factor (encouragement of creative search, application of methods of moral stimulation and influence).

Thus, the introduction of the latest technologies not only in the field of production and service, but also in the field of management, including quality management, has allowed Japan to reach the forefront of the world economy, to talk about the "Japanese miracle".

Course work

Management system in Japanese enterprises -

QUALITY MUGS.

Give up:

RGTU-MATI them. K.E. Tsiolkovsky: gr. 6MP-X-X (November 1999)

Moscow 1999

Introduction ................................................. .................................................. .......................... 2

1. The origin and development of quality circles in Japan ........................................ 3

1.1 Reasons for the appearance of quality circles. Quality circles concept ........ 3

1.2. Goals and objectives of quality circles ............................................. ............................ four

The main idea of \u200b\u200bthe quality circles: ............................................ .................................................. ...... four

The main goal of the quality circles ............................................. ............................................. four

1.3. Implementation of positive labor motivation in quality circles ................. 5

2. Organization of training in the Japanese quality management system .................... 7

2.1.1. The main method of quality improvement is the PDCA control cycle, ................................. 9

2.1.2. Statistical control methods ........................................... .................................................. .......... eleven

2.2 Aspect of education in the system of education and training ....................... 11

3. Organization of activities of quality circles ............................................ ....... 12

3.1. The preparatory stage for the introduction of quality circles ................................. 12

3.2. The stage of implementation and the stage of functioning of quality circles ..................... 14

3.3 Managing the movement of quality circles in Japanese firms .................. 16

4. Total quality control and quality circles .......................................... .... 17

5. Trends in the development of quality circles ............................................ .................... 20

Conclusion ................................................. .................................................. ................... 22

List of references................................................ .................................................. .... 23

In modern conditions, product quality is an important measure of the economic success of any country. In the field of world industrial production, a new era began in 1949, associated with the introduction of quality control of manufactured products. In Japan, this led, first of all, to the emergence of various research groups dealing with quality control issues in universities, enterprises, and government agencies. The slogan "Quality, and only quality!" has long defined the policy of the Japanese business world.

The high quality of Japanese products not only provides them with a stable dominance in the domestic market, where the mass consumer prefers domestic samples over imported ones. The quality parameter has become a powerful means of promoting Japanese products to foreign markets.

Japan's success in this area has been facilitated by a set of measures: intensive study of theories and practices of quality assurance; creation, development and effective use state systems standardization and control of export products; restructuring of intra-firm management and special organization of production and motivation of personnel labor, allowing to achieve higher productivity and quality of labor. A particularly important role was played by the specific Japanese form of organizing the activities of small working groups (quality circles), i.e. united in a group of people working in one working area (for example, in one shop).

The quality circles solve such problems as the reduction of rejects; improvement of technological processes; modernization of tools and equipment; reduction in production costs; professional development and training of personnel; safety engineering; Labour Organization; labor discipline etc.

In Japan, the quality movement is considered the main driving force behind the development of the economy. All Japanese factories are managed through quality circles. The activities of quality circles are currently aimed at solving important problems that are equally typical for enterprises around the world.

Since 1961, persons and divisions responsible for quality control began to be appointed at the enterprises of Japanese firms. The next step was the transition to a form of quality control that would satisfy not only the manufacturer, but also the consumer - universal quality control. Thus, the main production goal of the strategy of Japanese firms was to improve quality, which determines the competitiveness of goods in the market, while reducing costs. When organizing production, Japanese managers faced the problem of a shortage of qualified labor resources, on which the quality of the product directly depends. The overall result of the company ultimately depends on the clarity of the distribution and performance of work by working groups. The working group is the smallest organizational unit, which includes from 5 to 10 performers. Therefore, it was necessary to achieve such an organization of work areas, in which the working group would have a good understanding of production tasks and methods of their implementation, consciously and creatively relate to its work and act as a whole. In April 1962, the brochure “Quality Control for Craftsmen” was published. This publication became a monthly magazine, and a seminar was created for the foremen and foremen to study the materials published in it. From the very beginning of the publication of the journal, the foremen were encouraged to read and discuss the articles posted there with the workers in order for them to apply in practice the methods of statistical quality control described in the journal to solve production problems arising in the workplace.

The main provisions of the concept of quality circles were formulated in 1962 by Kaoru Ishikawa. It was found that when people are united in a group facilitates interactions and increases individual activity and performance ... We identified and described such characteristics of a small group as its size, composition, communication channels, interpersonal relationships, leadership style and a number of others. According to K. Ishikawa, a quality circle is a group of people functioning directly at the workplace, the main task of which is to find, study and solve practical tasksas well as ongoing training. When organizing circles, the principle of complete voluntariness must be observed. A wide competition should be organized between the circles, both within the company and throughout the country. An essential part of the work of the circles is a company-wide educational program. The successes of the circles should be widely reported and promoted by in-house, regional and national media and celebrated various forms encouragement.

The quality circle represents:

1) a small group (no less than 3 and no more than 12 people)

2) independently working (but not working within the framework of the unified administrative system of the enterprise)

3) performing quality control work (work related to quality, safety, cost, etc.)

4) in one workplace (manager and subordinate are one whole).

1. Quality circles contribute to the significant improvement and development of the enterprise.

2. Quality circles improve the moral climate among the members of the working group, contribute to the development of self-esteem for everyone and create relationships between all members of the circle, based on respect and humanity.

3. Quality circles create conditions for everyday growth, the development of human creativity.

Seek additional opportunities for effective management on the part of foremen and line management of the lower level, contribute to their self-development;

To raise the level of labor morale of workers in production and create an atmosphere in which the conscious attitude of each member of the labor collective to quality and shortcomings in production will increase;

To function as the “core” of the overall management system, which will support and implement the product quality assurance policy.

The main goal of all theoretical and practical activities for organizing quality circles is, of course, to ensure victory in the competition and increase the company's profits.

The implementation of the set goals depends to a large extent on the adopted at the company hired personnel management style ... To successfully complete the tasks assigned to the quality circles, the management must perceive ordinary workers and employees as conscientious members of the work collective, who know best how to carry out their labor operation, are interested in strengthening and prosperity of their enterprise, in their own self-development, in the rational solution of production problems ...

10 principles of quality circles:

Successful functioning of quality circles.

Positive labor motivation is a powerful reserve for increasing productivity and quality. Workers must feel like full members of the team, be confident that management treats them fairly, takes into account their needs and thinks about their well-being. Only in this case they will have an appropriate “working mood”. This problem becomes more and more important as the standard of living and education in the country rises. ,

The hierarchy of human needs was formulated by the American scientist Maslow (see Fig. 1). As the needs of one level are satisfied, they cease to serve as motivators, and new needs of a higher level arise. Material needs (first two levels) are gradually replaced by spiritual ones (last three levels). Since with the development of a person as a person, his potentialities expand, the need for self-expression can never be fully satisfied. Therefore, the process of motivating behavior through needs is endless. In order to motivate a specific person, a leader must enable him to meet his most important needs through a course of action that contributes to the achievement of the goals of the entire organization.

In the 70s, the problem of positive labor motivation received a new development. In the work of Nishibori (1971), reflecting a new view of the organization of labor, an alternative is formulated to the organization of labor adopted in most countries of the world, in which all work consists of planning carried out by employees of an engineering level and execution carried out by workers. According to Nishibori, human labor should include three factors:

1) creative element (work of thought);

2) an element of activity (labor itself);

3) social element (satisfaction).

In the daily work of the worker within the framework of the accepted labor system, the first and third factors are usually absent.

The introduction of quality circles in Japanese enterprises was largely the implementation of the concepts of Maslow and Nnsibori. The voluntary participation of workers in quality circles is promoted by the organizers of the circles as a reliable way to meet individual needs.

1. creative work in a circle stimulates activity and relieves fatigue, increases interest in work;

2.Constant study in the circle improves the qualifications of the worker, success and achievements increase his value as an employee for the company, encouragement of the management increases his confidence in the future, guarantees

3. security in the future;

4. work in a circle, where an atmosphere of humanity, benevolence, attention is ensured, increases the sense of collectivism, satisfies social needs;

5. successful work in the circle, rational solution of emerging problems, bringing profit to the company, increases the significance of the circle, contributes to the emergence of self-esteem among the members of the circle;

6. in quality circles, opportunities are provided for free expression of judgments and assessments, making suggestions, creative self-expression.

The work of quality circles is carried out subject to the conditions of work organization on the basis of positive motivation:

A clear understanding of the true purpose of the work;

Training and education of members of the circle;

Ensuring the possibility of a free choice of means and methods in achieving the goals of the work;

Feedback, consisting in timely and correct information on the results of work;

Collectivism in the work of members of the circle

Using various means to closely link management with quality circles.

One of the key principles of the concept of quality circles is continuous and systematic education and training of employees of all levels. The system of training in the principles and methods of quality control, carried out within the framework of a unified training program at the firm and covering all personnel of Japanese firms from top management to workers, is critical factor in providing a high level of quality management in Japan.

There are four areas in the personnel training and education system: educational training, professional and job training, and special education. In turn, the training system is vertically subdivided into several subsystems or sublevels.

Methods for teaching the basics of total quality control are divided into collective based on classroom learning, and are common when training is carried out in the course of daily work. Collective training can be carried out in-house or in special seminars and short-term courses outside the firm. Such seminars and courses are organized by the Japan Organization for Standardization, the Japan Union of Scientists and Engineers, and other institutions. The advantage of short-term courses organized outside the enterprises can be considered an increase in the general level of employees sent to courses through the mutual exchange of information with representatives of other firms. However, in comparison with training at a company, classes in such courses give less knowledge, no matter how close the topics of lectures are to conditions at enterprises.

Most Japanese firms nowadays regard the efficient use of human resources as long-term management strategy ... One of the features of Japanese enterprises is the existence of a life-long employment system for workers and employees, which gives each employee confidence in the future. Human resources training is planned and carried out from the perspective of overall quality control. Training plans are drawn up in accordance with long-term plans for the implementation of total quality control in the enterprise.

Most large firms have created special functional services dealing with personnel training, which manage the work of subsystems and coordinate their activities. Such a service is headed by a rather high-ranking executive, as a rule, a vice president.

The main volume in educational programs takes studying practical application statistical methods of quality assurance. Workers and employees can quite freely choose topics of interest to study and, in accordance with this, join a particular working group. At the same time, there are a number of compulsory disciplines that all employees of this unit must study.

On-the-job training includes two areas: vocational and job training. The latter is aimed at developing a certain stereotype of employee behavior.

When training in a company, ready-made developments are usually used, but teachers treat them creatively, changing the texts of the developments and using examples from the practice of their company. When effective teaching In the fundamentals of quality control, trainees tend to continuously improve the quality of their work.

where P (Plan) is a work plan;

D (Do) - execution of work in accordance with the plan;

C (Check) - checking the compliance of the result with the planned;

A (Action) - taking the necessary measures if the execution result deviates from the planned result. After the completion of the first cycle, they again proceed to drawing up a new plan, which is corrected taking into account the previous error. The cycle is repeated until the result coincides with the plan.

The PDCA cycle came from Dr. Deming and is often referred to as the Deming cycle. This cycle is the foundation of the overall quality control throughout the company, the foundation of success in the work of both an individual employee and a team, such as a quality circle. Obviously, the sooner this cycle takes place, the faster the quality of the process or product will improve.

The firm's staff are trained to apply the PDCA cycle at their level. When drawing up the plan, the so-called 5W and 1H conditions must be taken into account:

1) What (what is the content of the work);

2) Why (what are the prerequisites and goals of the work);

3) When (by what date the work should be completed);

4) Who (who should do the job);

5) Where (where the work should be done) and 1) How (by what methods the work should be done).

After the approval of the plan, it is necessary:

Confidently begin work according to plan;

Perform work, strictly following the sequence of program points;

If it is not possible to complete any point of the program in accordance with the plan, immediately seek advice from higher management and outline the necessary measures;

If the work is not going smoothly, strive, without giving up in the face of difficulties, to solve problems one by one and finish the work according to plan.

After completing the work, the compliance of the result with the planned one is checked. This check is carried out from the positions of the so-called P, Q, C, D, S, M, as a result of which all difficulties are usually clarified. These positions have the following meaning:

P-performance (can it be improved?),

Q-quality (can you improve?),

C-cost (can you lower it?),

D-term of work completion (can you shorten it?),

S-security is there a problem?),

M-morality (is everything in order from the currents of morality?).

Difficulties identified as a result of verification are carefully analyzed, after which measures are assigned to resolve them (up to the development of the necessary standards in order to prevent difficulties in the future).

One of the conditions for achieving high production indicators is strict saving of working time, to which special attention is paid in Japanese enterprises. The system of general training necessarily includes a course of work improvement for each level of personnel. In quality circles, workers learn how to improve performance in their workplace.

2.1.2. Statistical control methods.

Much attention is paid to the study and correct application of statistical control methods. The basis of the statistical control methods studied by all workers are “ Seven quality control tools ” , which include Pareto diagrams, Ishikawa diagrams (“cause-effect” diagrams), layering methods, control charts, histograms, scatter diagrams, corrective action maps.

The “Seven Quality Control Tools” allow 95% of quality control problems to be solved in a variety of areas with simple methods. The remaining 5% of problems require additional solutions. This is how the “Seven New Control Tools” appeared. K “ Seven new quality control tools ”Include: affinity diagram, dependency diagram, system (tree) diagram, matrix diagram, arrow diagram, process assessment planning diagram, matrix data analysis.

Management training is produced both on-the-fly and on-site. The course includes the following:

Acquisition of knowledge necessary for practical work;

Methods and procedures for organizing business meetings;

Control over own activities;

Market conquest tactics.

Activities related to the organization of business meetings are the main thing in the work of the management unit. The training program should contain recommendations on working with a partner, on methods of persuasion, on the technical support of business meetings. On the other hand, the leader must be able to defend the interests of his company, resolve conflict situations, and achieve mutual understanding on a mutually beneficial basis.

In Japanese firms, much attention is paid to the training of middle managers. It is they who are responsible for training in quality circles, for the work of the circles, for the results of their activities in solving problems in the workplace.

The specificity of the Japanese education and training system is purposeful social education. The emphasis is on creating an ideology of loyalty to the firm. An important role is given to informal contacts of employees outside of office hours. The firms train special staff of educators and leisure organizers. The responsibility for “off-duty parenting” is most often the vice president or board members. The forms of such upbringing can be very different: picnics, sports events, travel, holidays, etc.

The leading role in the organization of quality circles from the very beginning was taken by YASUI, the country's leading scientific and technical society (the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers). At YSUI, a national committee for quality circles was created, headed by one of the vice-presidents of the Union. The committee has 9 regional sections, each of which is chaired by a representative of one of the leading companies in the region. The committee holds regular meetings of the section members, publishes and distributes literature, tutorials and other teaching aids, organizes courses and seminars, exchange of experience in the work of circles and different companies, provides consulting activities and assistance in the implementation of circles in companies.

The experience of quality circles is widely covered by the monthly magazine "Quality circles", which began to be published in 1962. Chief Editor is a member of the national committee for quality circles. YASUI has organized a wide network of training for organizers, leaders and members of quality circles. Beginning in 1963, the union began to hold annual nationwide conferences of quality circles to exchange experience and expand the circle movement.

The decision to organize quality circles in the firm is made by the top management. The process of organizing circles consists of several stages, of which the preparatory stage is the most difficult and lengthy. The effectiveness of the further work of the circles depends on how carefully the planning of the introduction of the circles and the psychological training of the personnel are carried out.

The preparatory stage at Japanese firms begins with the secondment of a group of capable foremen and workers, who have an idea of \u200b\u200bquality circles and who have expressed a desire to get acquainted with their work in more detail, to the company where such circles operate. After returning, they become promoters of quality circles in their company. Consultations on the organization of quality circles can be obtained at seminars and conferences for the exchange of experience organized by YSUI.

At the preparatory stage, special mechanism implementation of the program for the introduction of circles, the entire staff of the company acquaints with the topics of the circles, determine the circle of listeners of quality circles. Typically, a firm creates a committee for quality circles of 5 to 15 people from representatives of top and middle management, engineering and technical personnel, and trade unionists. The work of the committee includes defining the objectives of the program, developing a general policy for its implementation, drawing up required documents, providing resources, developing recommendations for further expanding the scope of the program, solving problems arising in the course of organizing circles.

The circles are created on an informal basis, voluntarily, although the organizers are encouraged to propagate the circles so that all workers understand the expediency of participating in the circles. In Japanese enterprises, the circle includes, as a rule, all members of one production team. The functioning of such circles is facilitated by the generality of the production task, an understanding of the problems that arise in the process of work. The optimal number of members of the circle is 6 people. At the preparatory stage, experimental circles are created, the leaders of which are assigned to the foremen of the production team.

The main work at the preparatory stage is training the organizers and leaders of the circles (on their own and with the involvement of external consultants) in the basics of statistical methods of quality control, building control charts, different methods analysis and problem solving. The focus is on learning the “seven tools for quality control”. In addition to technical disciplines, the training program contains socio-psychological methods. This includes the rules of communication, discussion, ways to improve the ability to “listen”, methods of developing creative initiative, overcoming difficulties and changing negative personal attitudes, resolving conflicts, avoiding stress, methods of motivating work. The program also includes training in administrative procedures, that is, the ability to properly conduct briefings, draw up an agenda, organize the work of a meeting, keep minutes, draw up the results of the work of the circle for presentation to the management.

The indicators characterizing the readiness to introduce quality circles are organizational support of the program, the consent of top management to accept proposals from ordinary employees, the adequacy of the time devoted to the preparation of the program, the sufficiency of financial resources for its provision, the desire of staff to participate in the circles, intensive training.

The first 4-6 months of the meeting of the circle are devoted to teaching the basics of statistical methods of quality control and various methods of solving emerging problems. In the future, the members of the circles gather on their own, without a mentor, discuss problems related to ensuring the quality of their work, find solutions and present the results for consideration by the management. Those circles that are able to acquire the mechanism of internal self-motivation turn into a stable, long-term functioning mechanism. Others pass their life cycle and either turn into a sluggish formal team working without interest and enthusiasm, or they disintegrate.

First of all, the circle should have a work plan for the year broken down by month. The number of topics simultaneously developed in the circle, depending on the number of its members, ranges from 3 to 5. Each member of the circle is assigned a specific task, and the stage-by-stage terms of its implementation are fixed in the personal plans of the members of the circle. It is considered ineffective to make general commitments such as “to improve product quality, reduce the number of rejects by 1%,” etc. For any problem, realistic ways of solving it should be indicated. The specificity of the task allows the worker to focus on a narrow problem and solve it successfully.

According to a survey conducted at Japanese firms, a typical list of topics covered is as follows:

Quality	Elimination of reasons for the release of low quality products, improving the quality of products; preventing the possibility stabilization of the quality level.
Equipment	Breakdown prevention, mechanization, improvement tool, optimization of equipment placement and sequence of operations.
	Reducing costs, reducing the number of man-hours, efficient use of working time, reduction processing time, saving raw materials, materials and energy; reduction in unit costs.
Efficiency	Increase in labor productivity, increase in output production, reduction of equipment downtime, reduction the volume of aids, reducing the time delivery of finished products.
Control and control	The use of methods and means of standardization, improving the organization of work, identifying “Checkpoints” in the production process requiring constant attention; prevention often errors encountered, supervision of technological processes, standardization of production operations.
Security	Compliance with safety regulations, content in the order of the workplace, improvement production environment.

The organizer must diplomatically influence the work of the circle - identifying, analyzing and solving problems. At first, it only suggests the choice of the problem. As they gain experience, members of the circle will be able to identify problems on their own. In this case, the organizer uses the method of polling the members of the circle, or the method of "brainstorming". This method gives the greatest effect if the work is done in an atmosphere of trust and friendliness, the absence of criticism of any, the most "crazy" idea, acceptance of all ideas and their subsequent discussion. As a result of the “brainstorming”, a list of problems is drawn up that the members of the circle are considering until the next meeting, where the problems are sorted into those solved by the members of the circle and beyond their competence. Problems are prioritized and the problem to be solved is selected and reported to the immediate supervisor. Problems that the circle cannot solve on its own are transferred to the organizer to attract competent persons or to the leadership. The members of the circle regularly receive information about the stage at which these problems are considered. Work on the selected problem begins with the collection of the necessary information and its analysis.

The next step is to analyze the causes that gave rise to the problem. For this, the method of constructing cause-effect diagrams is used. Further, with the help of Pareto diagrams, the reasons are distributed according to their importance and probability. Then, with the help of "brainstorming" ideas are put forward to eliminate the most significant problems.

The work of the circles is documented. The leaders of the circles submit reports on their activities to the organizers of the circles, report to the committee for quality circles. The committee holds conferences at which it analyzes their successes, encourages the most distinguished circles and their members.

As a rule, the management of the activities of the circles in the company is carried out by the council of leaders, elected at the general meeting of the members of the circles for a period of 1 year. The council coordinates the plans of the circles, checks their work, liaises with the top administration of the company, and organizes the necessary assistance. The remarks and advice expressed by the representatives of the administration are of a recommendatory nature, and general meeting the circle can accept or reject them at its discretion. Management intervention becomes necessary when problems go beyond the shop floor. Any member of the quality circle can get advice on a question of interest from engineers, in whose daily routine there is a time for such consultations.

At most Japanese firms, the prevailing form of moral incentives for successful work in quality circles. The work experience of the circles and their individual members is widely promoted in the in-house publications, the presidents of the companies institute special prizes, medals, and honorary badges, which are awarded to the distinguished workers. The material remuneration received by workers for participating in quality circles is small. Under the current system of life-long employment, remuneration for labor in Japanese enterprises is largely determined by the length of service of the employee and the system of semi-annual and annual bonuses, paid depending on the profits received by the firm. The workers are taught that the contribution to the profit of the enterprise due to the successful work of quality circles should in itself be perceived by them as an incentive to further work, and the work, as a result of which this contribution is received, should bring satisfaction. The management system is structured in such a way that the workers practically cannot but participate in the work of the circles. It is promoted that this is the fulfillment of obligations to oneself, one's profession, group and the firm as a whole.

Quality circles are part of a comprehensive quality management structure in Japanese firms that encompasses all personnel at all levels of production. According to K. Ishikawa, quality circles should be introduced only at those enterprises where such a system has been introduced. None of the Western countries has a national quality movement like Japan. In the 70s, a movement was launched in the country to ensure “universal (company-wide) quality control”. In 1969, at a quality control symposium, six features of the Japanese version of quality control were formulated:

1) Total quality control, in which the entire staff of the company takes part.

2) Teaching the theory and practice of quality control for each level of the firm's personnel in each area of \u200b\u200bwork.

3) Operation of quality circles.

4) Implementation of quality control diagnostics throughout the enterprise by persons, both working for the company and from outside.

5) Active application and dissemination of statistical control methods.

6) A nationwide movement for quality control, expressed in conferences on statistical control methods, conferences on quality control, conferences on standardization, quality months, etc.

The meaning of total quality control is that all personnel of the company, starting with the president, must, in constant mutual cooperation, continuously carry out work aimed at implementing the idea and implementation of quality control methods that ensure clear daily activities of all divisions of the company, including the work of the departments responsible for control of management activities. This control should primarily cover the production units and be carried out at all stages, starting with the study of the demand market and the distribution of needs, and ending with the work of services such as sales, after-sales service, etc., and not be limited to such works as planning of products, their design, purchase of the necessary materials and parts, inspection control, manufacturing, packaging, etc.

In accordance with the quality circles program drawn up in 1970, “quality circles are small working groups united by a common workplace and independently performing quality control work. These working groups are a link in the overall system for ensuring universal quality control, carry out self-education and mutual exchange of experience, improve control at the workplace, study and use quality control methods, learn to independently solve problems arising in the process of work at the workplace. They work continuously and cover the entire staff of the company. "

The activities of quality circles should ensure:

Improvement enterprise activities,

Fostering respect for a person, creating friendly relationships in the workplace,

· Development of human abilities, identification of opportunities for creative growth.

M. Imaizumi highlights 10 features inherent in the activities of quality circles in Japan:

1. Daily study of the participants, planning of continuous improvement of their level of education.

2. Transition from passive to active participation in work. At the very beginning, they were reluctant to study in circles. Gradually, the situation changed, the members of the circles themselves realized the advantages associated with participation in their work, and began to change their attitude. Employees of the control service, who really understand the meaning of the work of quality circles, drawing up a plan of measures aimed at activating the work of quality circles, pay special attention to fostering independence, a sense of responsibility and the ability to make decisions.

3. Collective activity. People of different ages, experience, abilities, professional level, characters gathered in one workplace make up one group and perform common work. In this case, high efficiency can be achieved only in the case of the correct distribution of work among the members of the group and mutual assistance in the work.

4. Voluntary participation in quality circles of all personnel of the company.

5. Application of the effectiveness of control methods, methods for solving the problems posed and methods for improving processes and equipment.

6. The work of the circle on the problems that arise in their own workplace.

7. Activity and continuity of work.

8. Mutual exchange of experience. An indicator of good work of the circle is the possibility of organizing competitions with other shops, other firms, etc. In Japan, conferences are held to exchange experience between quality circles within the company, region and the whole country, on the practical implementation of the assigned tasks. To deepen the knowledge of the participants in these circles. The results of the work of quality circles are published. There is no such experience anywhere in the world.

9. Creative work and work that requires a high intellectual level, depending on the nature of the work, from the workplace, from the shop, etc.

10. Awareness of the problem, ie. understanding of the need to ensure growth of profits, improvement of processes and equipment, compliance with standards, high quality of work, etc.

The implementation of rational and effective production management and the implementation of universal quality control in modern economic conditions is based, according to Japanese experts, on the following measures:

Careful selection and training of management personnel;

Release of products that meet the requirements of consumers and the capabilities of the enterprise;

Analysis of the activities of other firms of similar production;

Bringing to the understanding of all participants in the production process of the goals, means and methods of production and the stages of its improvement;

Elimination of unnecessary and ineffective operations in the control process;

Shortening the period for discussing new projects;

Ability to select from the flow of information about scientific developments necessary for their company;

Improving the efficiency of working with information and making decisions;

Increasing dynamism, resourcefulness, efficiency;

Operational analysis and assessment of market conditions;

Activation and improvement of the level of activity of quality circles (ensuring high quality work in all processes, finding out the true reasons for the appearance of defects and ensuring the impossibility of their repetition).

The role of the administrative divisions in the firm at the present time, when more than half of the firm's personnel are employed in the non-production sphere, is changing dramatically. To increase productivity with an ever-increasing change in consumer requirements and in the production of small series of goods with a large variety of them, it became necessary to improve the quality of the work of administrative divisions. Requirements - simplification, standardization, specialization - that were previously placed on production shops to reduce costs and reduce turnaround times, are now placed on administrative departments for the same purpose.

Service quality plays an important role in a firm's strategy. The essence of the service is expressed in accuracy, speed, cheapness, reliability, courtesy, etc. The teaching of high-quality service methods is based on the idea of \u200b\u200bunderstanding the psychology of the client, his individuality.

Life cycle of quality circles.

At all phases of quality circles, to one degree or another, opposing forces manifest themselves, which gradually reduce the activity of their activities. The activity of the quality circle is determined by the degree of the leader's manifestation of his functions. The ability of the club leader can be improved through training. But the quality of the work of the leader of the circle is not the only factor that determines the activity of the members of the circles. The reason for the appearance of bad quality circles is the unsatisfactory performance of department heads. Average management personnel should consider quality circles as a mirror in which it is reflected own work... The middle management personnel in the activities of quality circles does not take an active enough position, their guidelines and advice are too vague, as a result of which the organizers of the circles do not treat them with due attention. To activate the activity of quality circles, it is necessary to change the attitude of all categories of workers towards it.

The revitalization of the quality circles depends on how quickly the heads of departments change their attitude towards quality circles and take on all the main issues of managing the circles. Their tasks are to carry out day-to-day concrete leadership, analyze and eliminate the reasons that hinder the effective work of the circles.

The Japanese experience in solving the problems of personnel management and improving the quality of products, which provided it with the highest competitiveness of goods in the world market, is studied by managers from many countries of the world.

This is how American experts see in the activities of quality circles "the key to the success of Japanese business." American companies make significant efforts to develop similar groups in their enterprises. Quality groups are, as it were, re-exported from Japan to the USA. The solution to this "transplant" problem is very difficult. In order for the experience of one culture to be effective under the conditions of another, it is necessary to balance the ones formed at both poles. social values... At the same time, a number of purely technical management techniques lend themselves to borrowing without much difficulty. The activities of quality circles can be developed in any country. They don't have to be based on the Japanese model. And our business executives would be quite able to extract a lot of useful information from the Japanese practice of managing the human factor. Effective use human resources should be seen as a long-term management strategy. The system of training and education of personnel in Japanese enterprises deserves careful study and application.

The main task of product quality management is currently considered to ensure reliability, moreover, reliability production process determined by the human factor. To ensure the reliability of a person, it is very important not only his technical training, but also his emotional education. This becomes an urgent task that can be addressed by quality circles. The effectiveness of the use of Japanese experience at enterprises in other countries will depend on how correctly managers will understand the nature and dynamics of changes in the management of quality circles in Japan.

1. Deming W.I. "Out of the Crisis". - 1994

2. Ishikawa K. " What is the Japanese way of quality management. ”\\\\ Economy-1988.

3. Leonov I.G., Aristov O.V. " Product quality management ”\\\\ Publishing house of standards. -1990.

4. Nikolaeva E.K. "Circles of quality at Japanese enterprises" \\\\ Publishing house of standards.-1990.

5. Nikolaeva E.K. "Seven Quality Tools in the Japanese Economy." \\\\ Standards Publishing House - 1990 ..

6. Pronnikov V.A., Ladanov I.D. "Personnel management in Japan" \\\\ Science.-1989.

7. Feigenbaum A.V. "Quality control and production" \\\\ Science.-1991.

One of the most effective ways to manage personnel and improve the efficiency of the entire company is to organize quality circles at the enterprise. Quality circles, as a phenomenon, first appeared in Japan and became one of the engines of progress in this country, and to this day they are an important component of its corporate culture. Therefore, now more and more Russian entrepreneurs are paying attention to such structures and are trying to introduce similar quality circles and their tools at their enterprises.

Quality circles in Japan - what is it, their main tasks

For the first time, quality circles began to appear in Japan in the middle of the 20th century. This event is in many ways considered phenomenal, since these circles were formed from the employees themselves without any initiative from above, and, at the same time, had an extremely significant impact on the development of Japanese national enterprises. Characteristic feature was, first of all, the frequent and rapid introduction of innovations into the activities of organizations and, accordingly, the high speed of modernization of enterprises and optimization of labor activity.

Not a single country outside Asia has been able to fully replicate Japan's success in creating quality circles at enterprises. However, some developments have been successfully applied in many states, including Russia.

By themselves, quality circles are voluntary associations of enterprise employees, created on a voluntary basis from the bottom, and not from above, who are interested in improving the quality of labor results directly in their places. Taking into account the highest level of corporate culture characteristic of the Japanese mentality and the extremely respectful attitude of the Japanese society to work, these circles have significantly increased the speed of Japanese business development. At the same time, in other countries of the world such organizations did not appear or did not have a noticeable positive impact on business.

The main objectives of the quality circles are to directly improve the workflow within the structural units... Nowadays, any concept of innovation in Japan is based on two main mechanisms - the tactics of kairyo or kaizen. The kairyo system is almost a classic innovation management, consisting in investments coming from the enterprise's management, made rarely, but affecting a wide aspect of the entire organization. At the same time, the use of kaizen tactics implies a series of small, grass-roots improvements that are implemented often and everywhere, which also have a significant impact on the activities of the entire enterprise.

It is the quality circles that are a reflection of the kaizen tactics and imply a regular meeting of individual team members to find and implement improvements at the enterprise within their area of \u200b\u200bresponsibility and work. Moreover, such organizations are built on the principles of equality and voluntariness. But their key feature is, firstly, group activity, and secondly, support by the employer himself.

Quality groups and circles in Russia

Taking into account the positive experience of Japan in the creation of quality circles, as well as noting its compliance with communist and socialist ideals, an attempt was made to introduce similar mechanisms in the USSR in the 1980s. These mechanisms were called quality groups and on their creation and functioning, separate regulatory documents... At the same time, this attempt turned out to be unsuccessful, since in the process of its implementation the basic principles of the quality circles were ignored and leveled, and, accordingly, these methods of personnel management and the introduction of innovations at the enterprise were doomed to failure and did not demonstrate significant effectiveness.

So, the main mistakes when introducing quality groups in the USSR can be called:

Subsequently, in Russia, quality circles were rarely used and introduced precisely because of the negative experience in the implementation of quality groups during the USSR. However, in the petrochemical industry, Dmitry Dimitriev's project yielded positive results in one of the largest enterpriseswhich, in turn, influenced the work of the entire industry.

Quality circles in Russia should not be formed in strict accordance with the Japanese model, since there is a significant difference in the national mentality of Russian and Japanese employees. However, the employer can adapt and use the basic principles of the Japanese model to create the most suitable system of quality control groups of proactive workers for a particular enterprise.

Quality circles and their tools - the pros and cons of this approach

Like any other methods of personnel management and innovation management, quality circles have both positive and negative sides. At the same time, the employer can effectively influence these structures and the process of their implementation. Incorrect implementation of such methods can, on the contrary, lead to the absence or decrease in the positive impact of quality circles on the activities of the enterprise and to an increase in the negative aspects of this technique.

In general, the following features can be called the main advantages of the system for organizing quality circles at an enterprise:

• Modernization of production and production processes... The main goal of the quality circles is precisely the improvement of labor and production activities, their optimization and the introduction of innovations.
• E efficiency of innovation... Since quality circles consist of simple local employees, they can better understand the specifics of their activities than higher managers and managers, even those who specialize in innovation. At the same time, since most of the work of quality circles involves small and simple solutions, the cost of such modernization also turns out to be minimal and affordable for the enterprise.
• Team building... The creation of an informal quality circle or a similar structure of a semi-official level, allows you to unite workers with common goals and interests, reduce psychological stress in the team and improve the relationship between ordinary workers and their leadership.
• Selection of professional specialists... Quality circles are formed on a voluntary basis, and this allows us to single out the most responsible, proactive and have the necessary professional qualities employees, which the employer can pay attention to in the subsequent distribution of promotions within the enterprise.
• Professional education... The presence of quality circles makes it possible to effectively organize self-education and actual professional development of employees without any direct involvement of the employer, which can also reduce the costs of relevant activities while increasing the effectiveness of improving the qualifications of employees.
• Improving the social situation and living standards of employees... One of the key goals of quality circles is to form not only consumer goals in life for employees, but also higher, creative ones. Thus, quality circles can turn the work process into a real hobby for an employee, replace a less effective pastime, prevent alcoholism, hoarding and other negative social factors in the life of workers.

However, despite the advantages of this system, its use in Russia can be complicated by a number of disadvantages. These include the following features of the quality circle system:

• Impossibility to implement the system without motivation of employees... If the team does not initially have an interest in the development of the organization of workers, then it will be impossible to form a quality circle by administrative methods, at least without the formation of a proper system of preliminary motivation.
• Inability to actually manage quality circles... Direct interference of the employer and management in the activities of quality circles is unacceptable, since it can neutralize all the advantages of such a system. At the same time, in the absence of control, there is no guarantee of effective management of funds spent on the implementation of this system.
• Decline in employee cohesion and the emergence conflicts... In many teams, the presence of a separate informal group can lead to disunity of the entire team. Moreover, in some enterprises, the very fact that employees show initiative and the desire to improve the quality of work can be considered by other employees to be sycophantic, a desire to curry favor and cause certain conflict situations.

Accordingly, each employer, when introducing quality circles in an enterprise, should take into account both their positive aspects, for maximum disclosure of these features, and strive to neutralize negative features. It is with this approach that quality circles will yield effective results, provided that employees are fully involved in them.

Despite the fact that within the quality circle, everyone is equal, managers are encouraged to take part in them. However, in the quality circle itself, a different leader should be selected who does not have administrative functions within the enterprise.

How to organize a quality circle at an enterprise

Given the effectiveness of quality circles in Japan, Russian employers may also want to implement such mechanisms in their enterprises in practice. This is not a very difficult task, and quality circles can be implemented within almost any company. Such groups of employees prove to be effective both in small businesses and large corporations with a huge number of employees. When forming a system of quality circles, regardless of their specific format, the employer needs to take care that the following fundamental principles are implemented in this system:

A system of monetary remuneration for participants in quality circles should exist at the enterprise, but it should not constitute the main motivation for participants in such circles, since in this situation it may turn out that employees will join the circles for the sake of money, and not for self-realization within the enterprise and the development of the enterprise itself ...

In fact, despite the fact that in Japan quality circles appeared as an initiative of the workers themselves, in Russia a similar scheme can be successfully implemented on the initiative of the bosses. In each specific enterprise, the employer should develop their own principles for the operation of quality circles, however, the general procedure for action may look like this:

1. Preliminary stage. HR specialists, or other managers responsible for personnel management, develop a system for supporting quality circles in the enterprise. This considers general principles the work of such circles, potential leaders and interested workers are selected, the feasibility of introducing such a system is assessed, taking into account the personal characteristics of the staff.
2. The responsible specialist is appointed as the coordinator for the organization of quality circles at the enterprise. At this stage, the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a quality circle is conveyed to the initiative employees, they are shown examples possible activities and development. At the same time, these examples should first of all include game forms and principles of non-material motivation of employees.
3. As soon as the quality circles no longer need a coordinator, they should choose their own informal leader, who will subsequently take over the coordinating functions. At the same time, the leadership should have constant contact with the leaders of the quality circles.
4. Quality circles should have sufficient tools to implement their improvements into the workflow. That is, their activities cannot be strictly limited by regulatory documents, and accordingly, additional efforts may be required from the employer to create sufficient opportunities for optimizing work in the field, so that it does not contradict other internal documentation of the enterprise.
5. The performance of the quality circles should be regularly evaluated and rewarded if it is successful.

In general, quality circles can work in enterprises without any regulatory documents, and their members can be an absolutely informal association that is going to solve major problems outside of working hours. At the same time, the employer can contribute to the development of quality circles by establishing additional local regulations that encourage employees, providing them with meeting rooms and actively discussing their proposals with their members.

Japanese products are in demand all over the world. Household appliances, cars and much more with the Made in Japan label are associated by consumers with consistently high quality. Japanese manufacturers keep up with modern market requirements, and sometimes even outstrip most foreign companies, constantly expanding the range of high-quality products at very competitive prices. What is the secret of the Japanese phenomenon? How do Japanese manufacturers manage to achieve a balance of high quality and reasonable price, and can their methods be applied in russian conditions? The deputy tried to answer these questions general director, head of the department for work with key clients of the company "Intercolor" Andrey Nasonov.

One of the fundamental components in the Japanese model of enterprise management is the internal quality control system at the enterprise. The most effective part of the quality control system is the so-called quality circles. These are small groups of workers who periodically meet in their own time to discuss related labor activity problems and opportunities, including the quality of work, its volume, costs, valuation and other issues.

The quality circle is:
1. small group (no less than three and no more than twelve people);
2. independently working (but not working within the framework of the unified administrative system of the enterprise) group;
3. a group performing work to control the quality of work, its safety and cost;
4. a group in which the leader and subordinate are one.

The main idea of \u200b\u200bthe quality circles

1. Quality circles make a significant contribution to the improvement and development of the enterprise.
2. Quality circles improve the moral climate among the members of the working group, contribute to the development of self-esteem for everyone and the creation of relations between all members of the circle, based on respect and humanity.
3. Quality circles create conditions for everyday growth, development of human creative abilities.

The objectives of the quality circles are as follows:

1. To look for additional opportunities for effective management on the part of master-receptionists, shop foremen, managers of the procurement department, to promote their self-development.
2. To raise the level of labor morale of workers in production and create an atmosphere in which the conscious attitude of each member of the labor collective to quality and shortcomings in production will increase.
3. To function as the "core" of the overall management system to implement and maintain a product quality control system.

The main goal of all theoretical and practical activities for organizing quality circles is, of course, to ensure victory in the competition and increase the company's profits. The implementation of the set goals largely depends on the style of management of hired employees adopted at the workshop. To successfully complete the tasks assigned to the quality circles, the management must perceive direct and indirect personnel as conscious members of the work collective, who know best how to perform their labor operation, are interested in strengthening and prosperity of their enterprise, in their own self-development, in the rational solution of production problems ...

Participation in work

The voluntary participation of workers in quality circles is promoted by the Japanese as a reliable way to meet the individual needs of employees.

Indeed, creative work in a circle stimulates activity and relieves fatigue, increases interest in work; constant study in the circle improves the qualifications of the worker, thanks to his successes and achievements, the “price” of the employee for the company becomes higher, the incentives of the management increase his confidence in the future, guarantee security in the future. In addition, work in a circle, where an atmosphere of humanity, benevolence, attention reigns, increases the sense of collectivism, satisfies social needs; successful work, rational solution of emerging problems, bringing profit to the company, increases the significance of the circle, contributes to the emergence of self-esteem among the members of the circle. And most importantly, in quality circles, opportunities are provided for free expression of judgments and assessments, making suggestions, and creative expression.

10 Japanese principles of quality circles:
Voluntariness; self-development; group activity; participation of all employees in the work of the circles; application of quality management methods; relationship with the workplace; business activity and business continuity; an atmosphere of innovation and creative search; awareness of the importance of quality improvement; mutual development.

Conditions for fruitful work

Voluntary participation. In Japan, participation in circles is a voluntary matter, but there is extensive propaganda of the prestige of such participation. Regularity. The mugs should be collected at least once every two weeks, preferably once a week.

Topic	Content
Quality	Elimination of reasons for the release of low quality products, improvement of product quality; preventing the possibility of complaints, reducing the spread of indicators and stabilizing the quality level.
Equipment	Breakdown prevention, mechanization, tool improvement, optimization of equipment placement and sequence of operations.
Costs	Reducing costs, reducing the number of man-hours, efficient use of working time, reducing processing time, saving raw materials, materials and energy; reduction in unit costs.
Efficiency	Increase in labor productivity, increase in production output, reduction of equipment downtime, decrease in the amount of auxiliary equipment, and reduction in delivery times for finished products.
Control and management	Using methods and means of standardization, improving the organization of labor, identifying "control points" in the production process that require constant attention; prevention of common errors, supervision of technological processes, standardization of production operations.
Security	Compliance with safety regulations, keeping the workplace in order, improving the working environment.

Management's response to the work of the circle members. It is important for a person to know whether his proposal is accepted for implementation or rejected (if rejected, then why).

Real support of the circles by the top and middle management of the company. PR support for the quality system. Incentives for active participation in the work of the circle, the development of proposals that have found application. Moreover, not only material, but also moral incentives: for example, the possibility of training and professional growth.

Creation of a creative open atmosphere during the work of the circle. Participation of the most experienced and respected employees in the activities of the circle.

Organization of activities of quality circles

I. Preparatory stage for the introduction of quality circles.

The decision on the organization of quality circles at the workshop is made by the top management. The process of organizing circles consists of several stages. The preparatory stage turns out to be the most difficult and lengthy. The effectiveness of further work depends on how carefully the planning for the introduction of circles and the psychological training of personnel is carried out.

The preparatory stage in Japanese firms begins with the secondment of a group of capable craftsmen and workers, who have an idea of \u200b\u200bquality circles and who have expressed a desire to learn more about their work, to a company where such circles are already operating. After returning, they become promoters of quality circles in their company. Consultations on the organization of quality circles can be obtained at seminars and conferences for the exchange of experience organized by the "Japan Union of Scientists and Engineers" (YASUI).

At the preparatory stage, a special mechanism for implementing the program for the introduction of circles is created, the entire staff of the company is introduced to the topics of the circles, the circle of listeners of the quality circles is determined. Usually, a committee for quality circles of 5 to 15 people is created from representatives of the top and middle management levels, engineering and technical personnel, and trade unionists. The work of the committee includes defining the goals of the program, developing a general policy for its implementation, drawing up the necessary documents, providing resources, making recommendations for further expanding the scope of the program, solving problems that arise during the organization of circles.

The circles are created on an informal basis, voluntarily, although the organizers are encouraged to promote the circles so that all workers understand the expediency of participating in them. In Japanese enterprises, the circle includes, as a rule, all members of one production team. The functioning of such circles is facilitated by the generality of the production task, an understanding of the problems that arise in the process of work. The optimal number of members of the circle is 6 people. At the preparatory stage, experimental circles are created, the leaders of which are assigned to the foremen of the production team.

The main work at the preparatory stage is teaching the organizers and leaders of the circles (on their own and with the involvement of external consultants) in the basics of statistical quality control methods, building control charts, various methods of analysis and problem solving. The focus is on exploring the “seven tools for quality control”. In addition to technical disciplines, the training program contains socio-psychological methods. This includes the rules of communication, discussions, ways to improve the ability to "listen", methods of developing creative initiative, overcoming difficulties and changing negative personal attitudes, resolving conflicts, avoiding stress, methods of motivating work. The program also includes training in administrative procedures, that is, the ability to properly conduct briefings, draw up an agenda, organize the work of a meeting, keep minutes, draw up the results of the circle's work for presentation to the management.

The indicators characterizing the readiness to introduce quality circles are organizational support of the program, the consent of top management to accept proposals from ordinary employees, the adequacy of the time devoted to the preparation of the program and financial resources for its provision, the desire of staff to participate in the circles, intensive training.

II. The stage of implementation and the stage of functioning of quality circles,

The first 4-6 months of the meeting of the circle are devoted to teaching the basics of statistical methods of quality control and various methods of solving emerging problems. In the future, the members of the circles gather on their own, without a mentor, discuss problems related to ensuring the quality of their work, find solutions and present the results for consideration by the management. Those circles that are able to acquire the mechanism of internal self-motivation turn into a stable, long-term functioning mechanism. Others go through their life cycle and either turn into a sluggish formal team, working without interest and enthusiasm, or disintegrate.

III. The stage of ensuring the long-term and successful functioning of the circles.

First of all, the circle should have a work plan for the year broken down by month. The number of simultaneously developed topics, depending on the number of its members, ranges from three to five. Each member of the circle is assigned a specific task, and in the personal plans of the members of the circle, stage-by-stage terms of its implementation are fixed. It is considered ineffective to make general commitments such as “to improve product quality, to reduce the number of rejects by 1%”. For any problem, real ways of solving it must be indicated. The specificity of the task allows the worker to focus on a narrow problem and solve it successfully.

According to a survey conducted in Japanese firms, a typical list of topics being developed looks like this. as shown in the diagram on the left.

Stages of problem solving

The organizer should diplomatically influence the work of the circle by identifying, analyzing and solving problems. At first, it only suggests the choice of the problem. As they gain experience, members of the circle will be able to identify problems on their own. In this case, the organizer uses the method of polling the members of the circle, or the method of "brainstorming". The last method gives the greatest effect if the work is done in an atmosphere of trust and friendliness, the absence of criticism of any, the most "crazy" idea, acceptance of all ideas and their subsequent discussion. As a result of the "brainstorming", a list of problems is drawn up that the members of the circle are considering until the next meeting, where the problems are sorted into those solved by the members of the circle and beyond their competence. Problems are prioritized and a problem is selected for solution, which is reported to the immediate supervisor. Problems that the circle cannot solve on its own are transferred to the organizer to attract competent persons or to the leadership. The members of the circle are regularly informed about the stage at which these problems are being considered. Work on the chosen question begins with the collection of the necessary information and its analysis.

The next step is to analyze the causes that gave rise to the problem. For this, the method of constructing cause-effect diagrams is used. Then, using Pareto charts, the reasons are distributed according to their importance and probability. Then brainstorming ideas are put forward to address the most significant problems.

The work of the circles is documented. The leaders of the circles submit reports on their activities to the organizers of the circles, report to the committee for quality circles. The committee holds conferences at which it analyzes the successes, encourages the most distinguished circles and their members.

Phase 5
A narrowing of the number of problems that can be solved at a given level, a decrease in the effectiveness of the work of the circle, a decrease in personal satisfaction from the work of the circle, a loss of interest in work in the circle, the formalization of the activities of the circle. A sharp decrease in the activity of members of the circle.

Phase 4
Expanding the number and nature of the problems to be solved, increasing creative possibilities as a result of education and training, increasing the number of implemented proposals, encouragement. Peak of activity, the formation of new circles.

Phase 3
First positive results in problem solving, approval, decision on the implementation of proposals. Increase the enthusiasm and activity of the group members.

Phase 2
Work on the first problems, mastering the methods of selection, analysis and problem solving. Low activity due to lack of knowledge and skills in such work.

Phase 1
The beginning of the work of the circle: propaganda, training. Low activity of members due to lack of knowledge and understanding of the meaning of the work of the circle.

Controlling the movement of quality circles

As a rule, the management of the activities of the circles is carried out by a council elected at a general meeting for a period of one year. The council coordinates the plans of the circles, checks their work, liaises with the administration of the company, and organizes the necessary assistance. The remarks and advice expressed by the representatives of the administration are of a recommendatory nature, and the general meeting of the circle can accept or reject them at its discretion. Management intervention is necessary when problems go beyond the shop floor. Any member of the quality circle can get advice on an issue of interest from engineers, in whose daily routine there is a time for such consultations.

In most Japanese firms, the prevailing form of moral incentives for successful work in circles. The in-house publications promote the experience of the circles and their members, the presidents of the companies institute special prizes, medals, and honorary badges that are awarded to those who distinguished themselves. The material reward received for participation in quality circles is small.

Under the current system of life-long employment, remuneration for labor in Japanese enterprises is largely determined by the length of service of the employee and the system of semi-annual and annual bonuses paid depending on the profits received by the firm. The workers are taught that the contribution to the profit of the enterprise due to the successful work of the quality circles should in itself be perceived by them as an incentive for further work, and the work, as a result of which this contribution was received, should bring satisfaction. The management system is structured in such a way that the workers practically cannot but participate in the work of the circles. It is promoted that this is the fulfillment of obligations to oneself, one's profession, group and the company as a whole.

Work life cycle

At all phases of quality circles, to one degree or another, opposing forces manifest themselves, which gradually reduce the activity of their activities. Activity is determined by the degree of manifestation of his functions by the head. The ability of the circle leader can be enhanced by training. But the quality of the work of the leader of the circle is not the only factor that determines the activity of the members of the circles. The reason for the appearance of bad quality circles is the unsatisfactory performance of department heads. Mid-level management should view the quality circles as a mirror reflecting their own work. The middle management personnel in the activities of quality circles does not take an active enough position, their instructions and advice are vague, as a result of which the organizers of the circles do not treat them with due attention. To activate the activity of quality circles, it is necessary to change the attitude of all categories of workers towards it. The revitalization of quality circles depends on how quickly the heads of departments change their attitude towards the circles and take on the main management issues. Their tasks are to carry out day-to-day concrete leadership, analyze and eliminate the reasons that hinder effective work.

Quality Circle Scenario

In the work of quality circles, various methods are used to organize the creative process.

One of them is classic brainstorming.

Consider a typical brainstorming activity.

Mutual greeting of the participants.
- Collection of urgent problems.
- Choosing a problem to solve.
- Generation of ideas on how to solve the stated problem. The most important thing at this stage is not to criticize the speakers. Any, even the most paradoxical ideas are fixed on the board.
- Brief discussion of each idea for its realism. Choosing one or two ideas for detailed consideration.
- In-depth analysis of possible methods for solving the selected problem.
- Summing up the results of the circle lesson.
- Issuing homework.

Conclusion

The Japanese experience in solving the problems of personnel management and improving the quality of products, which provided it with the highest competitiveness in the world market, is studied by managers from many countries of the world. Thus, American specialists see in the activities of quality circles "the key to the success of Japanese business." American companies are making significant efforts to develop similar groups in their businesses. Quality groups are, as it were, re-exported from Japan to the USA. Solving this "transplant" problem is a very difficult matter. For the experience of one culture to be effective in the conditions of another, it is necessary to balance the social values \u200b\u200bformed at both poles. At the same time, a number of purely technical management techniques lend themselves to borrowing without much difficulty. The activities of quality circles can be developed in any country. They don't have to be based on the Japanese model.

Russian enterprises can also learn a lot from the Japanese practice of human factor management. Effective use of human resources should be seen as a long-term management strategy.

The system of training and education of personnel in Japanese enterprises deserves careful study and application. The main task of product quality management is currently considered to be to ensure reliability, and the reliability of the production process is determined by the human factor. To ensure the reliability of a person, it is very important not only his technical training, but also his emotional education. This becomes an urgent task that can be addressed by quality circles.

The effectiveness of using the experience of Japan at enterprises in other countries will depend on how correctly managers will understand the nature and dynamics of changes in the management of the activities of Japanese quality circles.

Edition: RIGHT CAR SERVICE

 

It might be helpful to read:

• Typical instruction for an operator, elevator operator to service elevators;
• Job description of the head of the design and approval department Job description of the director for the development of project documentation;
• Who is a fundraiser: a short guide to the profession Striving for innovation and constant change;
• Helpful Memo to Assistant;
• Acting director in a budgetary institution Positions in the organization are;
• What is an official salary and its difference from the tariff rate;
• Dismissal of the CEO on a day off;
• Job description of the head of the pass bureau;