The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Quality and Productivity (SLAAQP) is planning a series of events to re-invigorate Quality Circles (QCC), in order to build up an impressive level of activity in time for the international convention to be hosted by Sri Lanka in 2014.
Currently when exporters, in particular, are experiencing difficult times with the appreciation of the Rupee the only answer is higher productivity, the professional body said in a press release. The best method is to use the creativity of all employees to boost productivity in all spheres of work and therefore QCCs are more relevant today than ever before, the association noted.
Every year an international convention is held in one of the Asian countries, and 100s of “Quality Circles” consisting non executive employees of factories, offices, schools, government establishments, military units of the member countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Thailand make presentations of their case studies. In India the National Annual Convention attracts several thousands of participants.
Sri Lanka’s QCC activity reached a peak in 1993 when over 60 persons participated in the international convention in Bangkok, and Sri Lanka last hosted the convention in 1998 in Colombo. QCCs are active in several manufacturing companies, government offices, banks and schools in Sri Lanka. “Quality Circles and Continuous Improvement Teams at Sri Lanka Telecom have contributed immensely to improving service quality and productivity at Sri Lanka Telecom,” according to Vijitha Ratnayaka, Deputy Chief Corporate Officer, Sri Lanka Telecom. Similar sentiments are echoed by other manufacturing and service establishments that have used QCCs to boost productivity, quality and improve the quality of work life of employees.
This year’s international convention is in Yokohama in September. The series of seminars being organised will be kicked off with an evening introductory seminar on QCC to be held on Friday the 5th of August at the Postgraduate Institute of Management. |
E-mail
