Beyond quality circles and improvement teams

Abstract

Whole enterprise worker participation is key in company competitiveness. But a new approach to participation is needed in companies where schemes to promote involvement (suggestion systems, quality circles and improvement teams, etc.) are failing because they merely act as window dressing, or token acts of keeping up with the Joneses in management fashion. In this article we explain the approach we have developed to encourage continual improvement as a tool for competition. It is outlined in an implementation plan and structured in what we call 'improvement projects'. Applying improvement projects in a company is an attempt to carry out an organizational redesign to increase current levels of productivity, quality, deadline cutting and cost reduction. This is done with regard to human resources and existing materials and always relies on involvement of all personnel (workers, middle management and top management), not only in design but also in development and implementation. Its implementation is illustrated by the striking results obtained in one particular group of Spanish companies (LOSAN GROUP).