What performance measurement is applicable for QA Inspectors?

What performance measurement is applicable for QA Inspectors?

Before you start measuring anything, you should first make sure that there's a good reason to be measuring. What are you trying to find out? If the job the inspectors is doing is getting done satisfactorily and no one's complaining, why bother?

JBG,

Posibilities:

--Verification inspections performed through another source.
--Utilization of standard inspection times
--Uncovering incorrect processes (staged nonconformances???)

As above, identify the reason and cost benefits etc... before initiation.

Al...

I believe that it is in the Third Edition of Juran's Handbook that he defines "Inspector Effectiveness Audits". I have used these as a tool several years ago, to determine where training needs existed for inspectors; but I caution that they must be used in such a fashion that the inspectors are not threatened by them (i.e. they cannot be used as the basis for disciplinary actions).

I am using it for performance appraisal. I have about 20 QA Inspectors.

I am using it for performance appraisal. I have about 20 QA Inspectors.

If at present you're faced with doing performance appraisals and there are no performance standards, you're looking for trouble. On the other hand, if you're looking for standards to be used in the future, you need to determine exactly what it is you expect from the inspectors and make sure they understand it and that the expectations are reasonable. Be aware that performance standards are by nature idealistic and there will always be justifiable exceptions. Part of being a good manager consists in being able to understand and when possible mitigate the obstacles that stand between workers and doing a better job.

What performance measurement is applicable for QA Inspectors?

What is your overall manpower requirement per program? In other words when the project or program or job was quoted the tender should have included a percentage for inspection time. I have seen a lot of 10%. So if your inspector is taking longer then 10 % then his performance is down but if less then his performance is up. How else would you plan your inspection manpower needs? So if the job was quoted at 1000 hrs and the inspection was set at 10% then you have 100 hrs total inspection time allocated to the program. Obviously then if the program calls for 20 complete units then each unit should be inspected in 5.0 hrs total.
That having been said, If it is taking longer then 10% then it could be that the job is more complicated then first thought and this needs to be communicated back to the program management to seek relief and update the standard for the next quote.
This would be my first priority. Then we could look at % of failures attributed to inspection, etc. :2cents: