Process Owner vs. Job Descriptions

[andy1ouok]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this, so here it goes.
We are currently ISO 13485 certified, but redoing the system due to several Quality Managers in the past year. My boss wants to replace the job descriptions with process owners titles. What are your takes on this? As I have never seen this done.

[SteelMaiden]

That's like replacing apples with artichokes

A process owner is someone who is responsible (and has the authority to follow through) for a process. A job description is a list of things a person has to do in a job function.

[andy1ouok]

Thanks Steelmaiden,
I understand that,but my boss does not. I will try and pass that definition along to them.

[SteelMaiden]

Good luck. The only thing that I can think of to help is the fact that not every employee is a process owner. I guess the best thing to do is agree on what your definition of a job description is, and work from there.

[JRKH]

Steel has it pretty well nailed.
A Job description helps to define process steps, and competancies required by whoever does the task. What Job descriptions do not do is say "so-and-so" is reponsible for this.

The Process owner is saying "Who" is responsible for the job description(s).

Perhaps that is what is being proposed. That the Job descriptions be organized under whomever has responsibility for them. Could that be what your boss is looking for?

Peace
James

[qualitytrec]

I would say it a little different. A job description defines the processes and responsibilities of a given position or function while a process owner only defines which employee is responsible for the given process (and that employee is likely responsible for many others as well). Everywhere I have worked you need to define both ways and tie them together.
I think to define the process owner and not the job description is more like defining the grape and excluding the cluster. Who ever manages HR is going to have a lot of sheets for each person if you track responsibility through employee files.

fwiw,
Mark

[andy1ouok]

Thanks JRKH
But what they are wanting to do is do away with Job description. I think we are setting ourselves up for an audit finding.

[SteveK]

In Reply to Parent Post by andy1ouok

Thanks JRKH
But what they are wanting to do is do away with Job description. I think we are setting ourselves up for an audit finding.

I have a good example where I nearly got a NC. I had a "discusion" with my auditor on who ultimately released a product from site. My original take was QC, however he disagreed and indicated it must be a production function. Fortunately the Production Manager's job description did actually indicate this - not strongly but enough to satisfy the auditor. After the audit I tightened up his JB and updated the appropriate procedure.

Steve