I am the Quality Manager for a small manufacturing company in the Eastern US. Our Quality system is ISO9001-1994 compliant but we are not registered (maybe someday). Due to current economic conditions and a few other issues we face, I may in the near future be asked to shoulder some Prodution responsibilities -- possibly even be Production Manager - in addition to Quality Manager. Of course, this immediately brings to mind the visions of the fox guarding the hen house. I have been in Quality for over 10 years and I am confident in my own ability to be objective in my quality responsibilities despite any production responsibilities, but I wonder how this might look to outsiders and, especially our current and potential customers. Long-time customers know and trust me, but...

Does anyone have any experience with this type of situation or any comments or insight that may be of help to me should this situation arise? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Mike

Hello Mike,

Welcome to the Cove!!

I really don't see a problem with this, especially if the company is focused properly on satifying the customer. Very often in small manufacturing companies, people have to wear multiple hats. I work for a small job shop and when I started at this company, we were about half the size we are now. I reported to the production manager and was a lowly (translate - only) inspector. Growth has mandated a little more formalized structure here, but not by much. In my situation I was never forced to accept defective product. Anytime I questioned a concern over a part, and the production manager felt it was not an issue, he would say "Let me sign it off, I'll take the heat if I am wrong". I can't even remeber a case where he was wrong....but I ramble.

So I say go for it, do what you must to stay afloat in todays economy. May be months before we see any real turn around.

Regards,
CarolX

Hello Mike,
I agree with Carolx, I work for the Manufacturing VP as QS Manager. We butt heads every now and then but we do alright. Ive worked for worse Qual Mgrs.
Welcome
:bigwave:

Mike S.

With a previous employer, I was both Plant Manager and Manager of Quality. As long as your records can withstand both customer scrutiny and audits and it does not violate any customer contracts, I see no problem

Best Regards,
Hank Fowler

:)

A Production Manager with a sound Quality background - Can you ask for anything better? It is production that has to be responsible for quality because 'you cannot inspect quality into a product'. With the two roles combined into one, I think you should be able to work wonders!
All the Best!

Bottom line is don't sell out your ethics... :thedeal:

Hi Mike - welcome to the Cove!!

Gotta agree with everyone on this. You've got the best of both worlds and you may be in a positions to REALLY make quality work from the production standpoint.

As Marc (aka. the Big Cheese) urges...don't sacrafice your ethics and never give in to the pressure to "ship it" when there is a question of quality. (I've been there - I know how Upper Management can be when they ask... "Is it really THAT bad?" :frust: )

Good luck!!!! :bigwave:

Mike

As already said in other posts, this may be theoretically uncomfortable to an auditor but he would have to find reason to question this structure. So long as you are confident that quality is not jeapordised by your dual roles I am sure you will stand up to audit, and more importantly satisfy your customers.

Been there, done that. After 8 years at a manufacturing company as QM the owner gave me Production too. Production was in BAD shape (average late 45 days, 70% late, I'm not going to mention floor rejections). One year later, 97% on time, average days <3, and I was fired. Didn't compromise my ethics, I was Quality first, and had the chance to implement a quality culture on the floor. However there was some friction with the owner regarding management styles, he didn't like me standing between him and the floor personnel (he was a screamer).

Some notes:
1. My replacement held both positions too. The company proceded to flunk the yearly ISO audit, one of the majors was the two hat situation, along with a lot of stuff he didn't keep up with. They gave up and are no longer registered.
2. If I were the type that liked revenge I could be satisfied that two years after I left sales were dowm from 12 mil. to about 4 mil.

Wow.. Some people just can't read the writing on the wall...1. My replacement held both positions too. The company proceded to flunk the yearly ISO audit, one of the majors was the two hat situation, along with a lot of stuff he didn't keep up with. They gave up and are no longer registered.

2. If I were the type that liked revenge I could be satisfied that two years after I left sales were dowm from 12 mil. to about 4 mil.
... and when are they going out of buissness?

I don't know who said it, but: "Quality is not necessary. All companys don't have to survive".

/Claes

Thanks to all who have responded. (This is a really great forum. I wish I had more time to browse.) I'm encouraged by the responses as I think I can offer alot to the Production area and maybe they can teach me a few things as well. I just don't want to get overwhelmed such that I can't do either job well, so I plan to not try to take on too much at once.

I appreciate the warnings about ethics. I am used to the pressure -- over 10 years with a few different companies I've gotten pushed hard from Sales, Production, my Manager, even company Vice-Presidents and Presidents to compromise my ethics and "ship it". (I could tell you some stories....) I would state my reasons for refusing to do so and give them my standard line that the President is my boss, if he wants to override me and sign it he can. Sometimes the President would do that, sometimes not, but I always managed to maintain my ethics and some of those who "went to war" against me eventually found a little room for respect. The technicians who worked under me also had the same authority to tell VP's that they refused to sign off on bad product and often did so.

One of the things that made me proudest was when our #1 customer, a major international telecom, told me I was the best QM they worked with. It ain't because I'm the smartest guy in the world (by a long shot!) or have the most letters after my name, it was straight talk, applied common sense, and a refusal to try to pull the wool over their eyes.

Again, thanks to all who wrote and who might write in the future.

Mike