Andy Rittie said:
G'day
I've very recently started work as a QMS Analyst for a software development company.
To help the management review meetings become a useful tool for managing quality (rather than something that happens because of ISO) I am looking into what we discuss and where I can get useful input from management.
The one item I need clarification on is the agenda item "Process Performance and product conformity"
What sort of things do your organisations talk about under this item.
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards
Andy
Ignore for the moment whether we are talking about making software programs or widgets.
The management review function is relatively straightforward.
In an orderly fashion, the management team reviews each process under its domain -
- a process may be as all-encompassing as the entire supply chain process from procuring raw material to putting goods out the door onto a customer's dock
or
- a process may be as narrow as writing a line of code and checking that line backward through previous versions of the software to assure there are no conflicts.
The management team (or its delegate auditors) notes in its review whether the process is working smoothly (according to the plan) or not. Based on the results of the review, the management team has three possible actions:
- do nothing because everything is working smoothly
- decide actions to fix perceived problems
- prepare designs of experiments for improving a currently smoothly running process
Similarly, when the topic is product conformity, the issue is whether the product conforms to the customer specifications
(internal or external customers) which were decided when the project began. This is a pretty objective activity. It may be done in stages
(for a long-term project, organizations usually establish "plateaus" or check points as part of the original set of customer specifications.) The review of conformance then is limited to whether the project achieved the plateau or not.
The beauty and beast nature of an ISO Standard today is the freedom it allows an organization to conform a QMS to its needs. Some folks, raised in a era of strict adherence to a prescribed method, are hesitant to step out and actually be free.