Q-Force One

Our Quality circle Officially begins in January. We must not get ahead of ourselves, but there are some things we can be doing in the meantime.

First, we can get a head start on training. I will be posting several things regarding tools we need to use once we get started.

Second, we can begin to observe things at work in order to find problems. We each need to come up with at least one or two problems.

Remember, we will select our "theme" problem from the list of problems we come up with. We will use a chart that will allow us to assign values to the problems. The highest value problem will be the one we select. It also has to be approved by the TL. This is done in steps 3 and 4... More on this later.


It is possible I will print out a complete guide, but I may just post it all here.

You can use these questions to help you identify a problem.

Does the number of workers match the workload?
Is there a smooth continuous flow of work?
Is there a smooth continuous flow of materials?
Are materials and supplies available when needed?
Are there any bottlenecks?
Is there any overburden or unnecessary effort?
Is there any unevenness or inconsistencies in a process?
Is there any kind of waste? Ex: waiting, overproduction, excess inventory, defects, unused talent
Is the process mistake prone or error prone?


If you find a problem, try to think how the problem can be measured.
Think about what the ideal situation should be. (how things would be without the problem).

Example problems : Safety, Quality, Productivity, Cost, Morale, Environment

You can look on the FMDS board for ideas.