Tab Article
A Guide to Solving Problems and Communicating the Results
Tadashi Sugiura and Yoshiaki Yamda
Central to quality improvement is the concept of ownership-the employees feel personally involved in their work and think of it as their won. This concept played a crucial role in bringing Japanese manufacturing quality up to world-class levels.
Many people, however, find it difficult to think of work as their own and of themselves as central to it. This is where the QC Storyline comes intro play be providing methodologies for solving problems, for promoting QC circle activities, and for explaining the activity so others can understand it.
In the QC Storyline: A Guide to Solving Problems and Communicating the Results, authors Tadashi Sugiura and Yoshiaki Yamda present strategies for solving problems, methods on writing effective reports to summarize successful activities, and uses for tools to make better presentations. The QC Storyline is:
- A handbook to be used during in-house study sessions.
- A guide for multi company QC circle study seminars.
- A text that QC circle leaders and members can use for independent study.
- A reference to be used when solving problems, summarizing activities, or preparing presentations.
This introductory work on the QC Storyline is intended for QC circle leaders and members, and administrative people in a position to support QC circle activities. The book is in four parts. Part I focuses on the basics of problem solving and Part II reviews report writing and presentations in actual practice. Part III gives actual QC circle presentations with extensive commentary so one can see what other QC circles have done and learn form their experience. Part IV reviews the material in question-and-answer form, changing perspective to reinforce the concepts presented. There is also a chapter with pointers for those who judge QC circle presentations, providing the presenters with a sense of the criteria on which they may be judged.
This is a book not only for the experts, but it is an introductory work for everyone who is actively involved in the QC circle movement.