The QCC and Teamwork movement in Mexico

Autor: Ricardo Hirata O.

THE NEW QCC & TEAMWORK MOVEMENT IN MEXICO

Years of development and growth of the QCC in Mexico

(original presented at International Convention of QCC Circles, Oct, 2003, Tokyo Japan).

ABSTRACT:

This paper acknowledges the development and growth of QCC and other teams in Mexico in a very successful promotion that started 14 years ago in what is been called the New Movement of Mexican Teamwork activities. History of the QCC and other teams in Mexico is explained.

Mexican first QCC was created in 1976 and by 1982 around 362 QCC were operating in more than 20 companies. Unfortunately, this movement failed by late 1980´s and most of the QCC activities simply disappeared.

In 1990, Dr. Yuzuru Itoh (former QA responsible in Matsushita Electric, Advisor for United Technologies – Otis elevators and international consultant) proposes the promotion of QCC though the creation of a forum where success stories of improvements could be presented and recognized. With the support of JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization office in Mexico), other institutions and many Mexican experts (called the technical committee), the I National Contest of QCC in Mexico (Dec. 7-8, 1990) was organized.

In order to manage and assure the future of this movement, in 1992 a Non for Profit (NPO) organization called The CNCCC, A.C. (Concurso Nacional de Círculos de Control de Calidad, A.C. or National Contests of QCC) was officially born with the initiative and personal support of 4 people: Hermelinda Yamazaki (+), Carlos Gonzalez (+), Sergio Garcilazo and Ricardo Hirata. Actually this movement is managed nationwide through this NPO and with 6 regional promotion partners and regional contests called Mexican Association of Team Work (AMTE). This movement is growing, is self-financed and has a prestigious image in Mexican TQM movement.

The plan for the next 3 years will promote regional events and promotion offices (partners) in at least 4 more States to increase coverage and demonstrate that the AMTE.

AMTE currently organizes four yearly National Events in one same week in October:

1) National Contest for Quality Control Circles (CNCCC, since 1990). Traditional QCC voluntarily formed by people in the frontline with a permanent and continuous lifespan (actually they choose their own problem to solve, but in many cases the companies may suggest the themes).

2) National Forum of Work Teams (FTE, since 1995). This event is designed for all improvement teams that are not properly QC Circles (commonly known in Japan as QC Teams). These teams are commonly non-voluntary and with a temporary project based life span, improving a top down defined problem.

3) National Encounter of Strategic Methodologies for Teamwork (since 2001). This new forum is designed for all other teams that are emerging in Mexican organizations that need to be known and seen in a public event, such as 6 Sigma teams, project management teams, TPM teams, SMED teams and many others that either analytic or synthetic methods for problem solving or target achievement.

4) National Encounter of Teamwork Coordinators (ENC, since 1997). Originally designed to promote a network of all participant team’s coordinators (general facilitators) for open communication between the members, as well as to develop it as an important asset of the AMTE. This is not a contest and actually it is also the main process for updating and training these coordinators.

Besides the General Awards (Best teams of the Year), AMTE presents 2 Special Awards called THE Yuzuru Itoh Award, in honor of Dr. Itoh as the key founder of the New Mexican Teamwork Movement and the Mitsunori Nakano Award, in honor of all his support to AMTE.

Finally, the facts and trends of this New Movement are presented (available data since 1991). Some of them are as follows:

78 % of Mexican teams solve in average one case per year the rest solve 2 or more.
87% of Mexican teams have one meeting per week meeting, 10% have 2 meetings / week (3% is others).
Regarding annual savings and/or results, and analyzing 2002 finalist teams we find that a team saves an average is US $35 000 / year (minimum US $ 7 000 and max. US $ 3 000 000).
In the last 6 years we have been able to demonstrate that companies are making a better use of the problem solving methods, specially:

Quantitative and data based theme selection.
Quantitative and evidence based selection of root cause analysis.
Definition of several solution alternatives or countermeasures (not only one).
Quantitative and evidence based selection of solution alternative or countermeasure.
Standardization procedures and definition of new process control parameters.

It is difficult to have the precise data, but AMTE estimates the existence of more than 12 000 teams nationwide and an important growth in the next years (including not only QC Circles, but other kind of teams). AMTE hopes to reach a number of 50 000 by 2010.

The AMTE (Mexican Association for Teamwork) has still a long way to go. Must re structure and create a flexible organization that promotes teamwork, its techniques, methodologies and benefits through out different channels (chapters, regional offices, IT, training, conferences, networking, etc.).

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Acerca del Autor
Ricardo Hirata es experto en Modelos de Planeación Estratégica, Medición y Desarrollo de la Efectividad Organizacional, Calidad, Innovación de Procesos, Análisis y Traducción de la Voz del Cliente y Kansei Engineering, ademas de ser el Director General de Keisen Consultores

Es Cofundador de AMTE, Asociacion Mexicana de Trabajo en Equipo, desde 1990.

Como citar este artículo:: Hirata-Okamoto, Ricardo, (31 de octubre de 2003), The QCC and Teamwork movement in Mexico, Artículos y Blog de Keisen Knowledge, KEISEN Consultores, México, https://keisen.com/es/