The In-plant QC and 5S project presentation competition was inaugurated by TB Singh, Executive Director (Works) in the presence of senior GMs, HODs and a large number of members of the Quality Circles and 5S teams recently in the Conference hall of HRDC, a BSP press release informed.

Speaking on the occasion, ED (Works), Bhilai Steel Plant,  TB Singh said that Quality Circles Promote the creativity and innovation of people.

Stressing on the need to form more and more Quality Circles, he said that the Current Situation demand that we use the QC tools to solve our day-to-day problems. Citing the example of Rail Mill, he encourage the people to visit the new upcoming units in MODEX so as to get triggers for improvement in existing units.

Announcing the reward scheme for QC, he said that the rewards for completing a QC project are being restarted from the current financial year.

lauding the new initiative of Problem Solving Group taken by SMS-I – the PSGs (Problem Solving Groups), he said that the joint effort of SMS-I and Business Excellence has brought the awareness regarding Problem solving tools at the shop floor and it is very much required in the current context.

He further said that the number of QCs from plant needs improvement. Expressing his belief in creative potential of people and added that the target should be to involve atleast 50% of people in the QC Movement.

Associating orderliness and cleanliness with effectiveness and efficiency, he remarked that the sites which appear and look clean and orderly are also efficient and safe.

Singh enthused all present to adopt the simple principle of 5-S so that the overall housekeeping of the plant can be enhanced.

Appreciating the progress because of 5-S in Foundry and Pattern Shop and Rail Mill, he said  that all the shops need to adopt 5-S.

He also said that while shops like Blast Furnace have started the 5-S implementation with Works Building the same need to be done at Cast House levels.

He said that if some groups in Coke Ovens and Refractory Stores can implement 5-S then every shop must be able to implement it. If we want it, he said, we can do it and wished success to all the participants and expressed hope that QC teams learn from each other in the competition.

Kamalendu Das, GM(SMS-1) also spoke on the occasion. While appreciating the various steps being taken by Business Excellence department to strengthen the QC movement, like Problem Solving Groups, Quality Circle, he said, has been one of the cultural aspects of SMS-I and the torch is now handed over to new people.

He expressed delight on the number of new QC teams participating in the event.

This competition – ‘Gunvatta’ is a forum to promote voluntary employee participation in improvement activities and to provide them a forum to showcase and share their achievements. In the past, teams so selected have always gone on to win accolades at the National level. In Gunvatta-2017, teams from different departments of works and non-works areas of BSP, are participating in four streams- Manufacturing, Manufacturing Support, Pure Services and 5-S. In all, 35 teams participated in the competition.The participating teams were evaluated by a three member Panel of Judges for each stream. The competition was spread over two days, with presentations by teams in Manufacturing, Pure Services and 5S streams scheduled for the first day, and Manufacturing Support stream scheduled for the second day.

Since last year, separate merit lists have been prepared for old and new teams. A team is considered New, if at least four of out of 6 members are new, i.e, they have not participated in chapter conventions in last two years. The purpose of making separate streams was also to encourage involvement of new employees.

Prior to this competition, a Knowledge test was also organized for the participants, in line with the Chapter and National Conventions of Quality Circles.

During the Inaugural program, Business Excellence threw light on the various steps being taken to move the Quality Circle movement forward to a new level through new QC procedure and the  new QC concept of Problem Solving Group being started since this year. Business Excellence also appreciated the HODs, GMs, for supporting and cooperating with Business Excellence department in its endeavours.