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This made Mr. D K Srivastava, Executive Director, QCFI to evolve a new concept – Lean Quality Circle (LQC) and presented in the Board Meeting held March, 2010. After their approval, the concept was implemented in few organizations on trial basis in Units of Parle & NTPC a case study portraying the problem solving techniques using LQC methodology were presented in the Board Meeting held in September, 2010 and was well appreciated.

In short, ‘Lean’ is about “doing more with less” – less inventory, less time, less space, less movement, less man hours and with less money. Lean is speed with which one can deliver a quality product or service by ‘doing a job right first time’. ‘Quality Circles Concept’ started in 1962 in Japan as Quality Control Circles and since 1982, India is practicing

He has to his credit a few new Quality Concepts:

Jagriti Group (Awareness Group),
5-S at Home,
Integrated Approach For Modern Quality Concepts for Business Excellence
Quality Circles with an objective of ‘self and mutual development’. Needless to say, for development, we have to learn each and every aspect in a systematic way. In Quality Circles, members learn as to how to work in a team, how to conduct meeting, selection of problem through group consensus, so that team cohesiveness is maintained. For the development of a human being, development of brain is a must. To develop brain power, brain storming is required. For brain storming some specific topic is required for thinking. The best way is to think about their own work-related problems. ie. brain storming will be used to analyse and solve problems as well as to develop themselves.

For team work, if team members are from the same work area, or doing similar type of work, problems will be common and if the team selects their own work related problems, one by one, from simpler problem to tougher problem, each team member will apply their brain and by this way problem will be solved as well as development of people will be there, which would amount to knocking down two birds with one stone. If team members are from the same work area doing similar type of work as defined above in Quality Circles, then problems identified will be common, known to everyone and understood. This will enable them to select the problems one by one, analyse and solve them. It is through synergistic team work that the development of the people mutually takes place. Quality Circles are not merely problem solving groups, but a medium for people’s development and at the same time for solving problems through the application of their knowledge and experience.

The effect of such activity could be seen in many of the Quality Circle case studies. Circle members are able to take the problem, analyse and solve them. After observing the results, they prepare the case studies in 12 step method format or 7 QC step method which reflects that they know all the steps of problem solving very well. This demonstrates that they have acquired adequate knowledge, and are capable of preparing and presenting a case study in a systematic 12 steps way, by using appropriate problem solving tools and techniques. Lean Concept and Quality Circles:

The lean concept makes us to think of such cases where we are not utilizing the potential of the people, who have developed themselves to solve the problems. Ultimately, this is the outcome of the Quality Circle Concept. Hence, we decided to go for the next step, ie. ‘Lean Quality Circles’.

When we conceived Lean QC concept, we have realized and thought as to how to use the mature, highly potential people, who have acquired knowledge and experience by working in Quality Circles or other SGA group. If we have to utilize them for higher purposes, we should give them additional inputs of knowledge through education and training and put them on Lean Manufacturing projects. This brings us to the concept of “Lean Quality Circle”. It is nothing but graduating from basic Quality Circle or SGA to Lean Quality Circle. Lean Quality Circle has the option to co-opt members from other than their own work area, if the project demands, as in the case of management cross functional teams. Hence this is a cross functional team for non executives.

In Quality Circle, people are actively involved in learning the systematic way of solving problem by applying proper problem solving tools and techniques they have learnt, develop themselves as a problem solvers without having to refer to superiors every time.

• Over Production
• Defects & Rework
• Unnecessary Transportation
• Unnecessary Motion
• Excess inventory
• Waiting time
• Over processing

Then the most important eighth waste was added to this list which is “underutilized employee’s creativity”. This gave us food for thought about utilizing the creativity of employees who have developed themselves through SGA/QC/TPM Circles etc. This has inspired us to develop a new concept of ‘Meeting the higher requirements by utilizing human beings creativity’.

If Lean Quality Circle is to be defined, it could be done as follows: