Feasibility of Adopting Quality Control Circles for Improving Productivity and Services Quality by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

摘要

This research project analyzes the practicability of implementing Quality Control (QC) Circles in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) in Washington, D.C., as an integral part of its management system for the purpose of improving its service to users and its overall productivity. A QC Circle is a small group of workers at the shop-floor level organized voluntarily to perform quality control activities within the workshop to which they belong. They share with management the responsibility for locating, analyzing, and solving problems with the quality of products, services, productivity, and coordination. QC Circles formulate solutions and make recommendations to management. QC Circles have proven to be an extremely useful method for achieving improved productivity and increased employee morale in the entire organization. The basic approach and methodology used in this project are threefold: (1) a thorough survey of the literature on cases involving the public transportation sector and other public enterprises; (2) an in-depth analysis of two to three cases which have been successful in implementing QC Circles; and (3) an analyzation of conditions existing at WMATA, with special emphasis on its operations and maintenance activities and a view to judging the practicality of adopting QC Circles in WMATA. This study found that WMATA's organizational structure and relations showed it to be ready for adopting a QC Circles program for improving its productivity and quality of services.