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If you think of quality circles as a relic of management fads gone by or an impossibility in tough union settings you haven't talked to Carlos Hernandez. A Teamster and 16-year veteran of DKS in Boston. Carlos helped launch a quality circle group that has shaken long held attitudes of both union and management in the supermarket chain in the North East, USA.
With the consulting help of Moravec and Associates, the drive of Carlos and 'give it a try' attitude of Operations Manager Owain Smith, the quality circle has become an unofficial vehicle for both managers and drivers to get things done. It has made hundreds of operational enhancements in DKS's distribution centers, improved driver safety, saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Three years ago, after a dispute with management that cost him a weeks pay, Carlos pushed for a worker/management roundtable that could suggest workplace improvements. The original team of six drivers fought a long "uphill battle" for acceptance, says Hernandez. Soon after the Facilitation resources of Moravec and Associates were made available to the team, the team undertook a survey of more than 550 drivers about the most troublesome work issues. The "winners" all involved safety.
Using the '7 Management and Planning Tools' and the team researched the costs and benefits of improving loading dock ramps, lighting and unloading equipment, leading DKS to install hydraulic lifts at 225 stores.
Store managers and corporate managers soon were lining up to participate in a quality circle "ride-along" program. Don Flynn the CEO for one, spent a recent day riding in and unloading by himself a 50-foot truck. Such 'mind, hands and legs' experiences have had "incredible impact" on management, says Don Flynn, and show why it's important to thoughtfully listen to employees. "People say you can't do such things in a union setting," says Owain Smith. "We're living proof that you can do it in a union setting and sound ideas are always in fashion"