After delivering a successful and impactful Quality Circle (QC) in Q2 2019, the Durban Automotive Cluster (DAC) invited employees from member firms to participate in the second QC of the year. The Quality Circle is a lean manufacturing tool that seeks to promote shared learning amongst industry peers.

What is a Quality Circle?

A Quality Circle (QC) is a small group of employees in the same work area, or doing a similar type of work, who meet regularly to identify, analyse and resolve work-related problems, with the objective of driving continuous improvements in their total performance, and enrichment in their work life.

The programme aimed to facilitate and encourage an improved focus on QCs as a robust mechanism supporting Kaizen principles (continuous improvement and enhanced productivity) at firms while encouraging a focus on improved processes, quality awareness and communication.

Participants left with the know-how and tools to implement and utilise a Quality Circle at their own firm

Those who attended:

• Quality practitioners/specialists and administrators
• Team leaders

A participant from a previous DAC Quality Circle had the following to say about their experience in the programme:

“Attending the DAC Quality Circle assisted my team in achieving our objectives, not only in a professional manner but also helped us cultivate a behaviour of willingness to listen and learn. With the positive feedback and results we are getting from our projects, I believe that our firm would want to participate in DAC Quality Circles in the future“.

Enrollment into the programme requires firms to commit to the following:

• Employees to attend three days of the programme, after which each participant will receive an attendance certificate.
• There should be a commitment from the participating firm to establish an operational QC programme.
• All attendees will be required to do a project prior to the third session

The programme included: