Quality circle

Quality circles are internal working groups, which will enable the experience and responsibility of the staff. This addition to the quality of products and services and the performance potential of employees and possibly the work climate can be improved.

Definition

Quality circles are created for an indefinite period small groups, bringing together members of the same (usually low ) hierarchical level with a common base of experience on a regular basis (usually every 2-3 weeks, 1-2 hours) during working hours on a voluntary basis under the guidance of a facilitator.

The aim of this small group is to analyze issues of their own work area and to work with the help of special, learned problem-solving and creativity techniques proposed solutions and present. Furthermore, it is an object of this groups, independently or in the chain of command to implement these proposals and to undertake an output control.

In the extended form of quality circles can be composed across the hierarchy. In this form of quality circles is defined by the project group in that it is used without a predetermined destination for an indefinite period. To quality circles differ from workshop circles in that, in Workshop circles employees are delegated to participation, theme and duration are given.

History

The Quality Circle (Japanese Jishu Kanri ) originally from Japan, which can be explained by the pronounced local groups and family awareness. In the 1960s, quality circles were introduced in the United States and only in the 1980s in Germany. The concept of quality circles is to be distinguished from the part autosomes groups, the learning workshop and the workshop circles.

Construction

In the medical field and office-based physicians - - In quality circles, six to nine employees meet regularly to discuss issues of daily work and make suggestions for improvement. The aim is a continuous improvement process (CIP ) for the purposes of quality management (QM ).

A facilitator takes on look out for the task to which compliance with defined times (beginning and end of the discussion ), and interpersonal processes. A protocol officer shall ensure the transcript of the questions asked and the solutions developed to make the work of the quality circle validated. The remaining members of the group are "only" creative.

As the instrumentation is usually not changed, care should be taken with the selection of employees to ensure that all sectors and occupational groups are adequately represented.

Benefits

The quality circle work brings numerous advantages. In general, employees are sent to the Quality Circles, which are particularly active and have a good understanding of group work. Therefore, results are usually not long in coming. Who uses this particular measure of quality assurance, participates in the knowledge of experienced colleagues and the expertise of qualified consultants. Unlike in a seminar individual solutions can be worked out here already.

Disadvantages

A quality circle tends sooner or later to withdraw from reality. It lacks the proposals therefore to practice nearby. And often the participating employees are considered critical of their peers.