The Top Quality Questions

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ccochran

Howdy,

This should be fun. I'm assembling a list of the most common quality-related questions. I would like to get a nice round number of 50 or 100 questions. What would you add to this list?--

1. What documents require control?
2. How do we improve our root cause analysis?
3. How can I get Top Management to see the value of our quality system?
4. How do I begin implementing a management system?
5. How do we develop a customer survey?
6. Our top management jumps from one management fad to another. How can I get them to focus on what we’re already doing?
7. What measuring instruments must be calibrated?
8. How do you control forms?
9. How can we control memos, printed emails, and sticky notes that people insist on posting?
10. How do you calibrate tape measures, rulers, and similar gauges?
11. What is the most effective format for job procedures?
12. How do we determine if a corrective action was effective?
13. How can I get employees more excited about our quality system?
14. How can we reinvigorate our internal audit process?
15. Do we have to inspect or verify everything we purchase?
16. Do we have to keep records of receiving inspection?
17. How do we get people to use our corrective action system?
18. What should we do if we fail to achieve our objectives?
19. Should all customer complaints become corrective actions?
20. How do we control nonconforming products when the product is a service?
21. How do we define exactly what is considered a nonconforming product?
22. Should all nonconforming products be submitted to corrective action?
23. Does our Quality Manual have to repeat all the requirements from the standard we’re implementing?
24. How can we add value to our Quality Manual?
25. What should we do about repeat product defects?
26. What should we do about customer feedback?
27. What is the most effective way to choose organizational objectives?
28. Should we combine our quality system with our system for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance?
29. We just lost a key customer. What can we do to get them back?
30. One of our key customers has a specification/tolerance/requirement that we simply can not meet. What can we do?
31. How do I plan for an internal audit?
32. Should we use checklists during internal audits? If so, what kind?
33. How do we innovate our products?
34. What’s the best way to educate people on our company’s objectives?
35. Whenever I say ISO 9001 (or TS 16949 or ISO 14001 or any other standard), people in my company get turned off. What should I do?
36. Our management review takes forever and managers hate participating. What should we do about this?
37. We would like to cherry pick requirements from ISO 9001, instead of implementing the entire standard. Is this a good idea?

Fire away!
Craig
 

amjadrana

Involved - Posts
The questions that have been posted are interesting. However I would suggest to add catogories to those questions. That would enable others to easily identify questions that have already been addressed. The categorization can also be according to the clauses of the quality management system like ISO 9001:2000
 
C

ccochran

Resorted

Amjadrana,

Good idea. I resorted them into categories and added a few new items:

Document control / Documentation
1. What documents require control?
2. How do you control forms?
3. How can we control memos, printed emails, and sticky notes that people insist on posting?
4. What is the most effective format for job procedures?
5. Who should approve documents?
6. What’s the most efficient form of document control?
7. Does our Quality Manual have to repeat all the requirements from the standard we’re implementing?
8. How can we add value to our Quality Manual?

Problem Solving / Corrective Action
9. How do we improve our root cause analysis?
10. How do we determine if a corrective action was effective?
11. How do we get people to use our corrective action system?
12. Should all customer complaints become corrective actions?
13. What should we do about repeat product defects?

Management Responsibility / Leadership
14. How can I get Top Management to see the value of our quality system?
15. Our top management jumps from one management fad to another. How can I get them to focus on what we’re already doing?
16. What should we do if we fail to achieve our objectives?
17. What is the most effective way to choose organizational objectives?
18. Our management review takes forever and managers hate participating. What should we do about this?

Implementation
19. How do I begin implementing a management system?
20. Should we combine our quality system with our system for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance?
21. We would like to cherry pick requirements from ISO 9001, instead of implementing the entire standard. Is this a good idea?

Customer Satisfaction
22. How do we develop a customer survey?
23. What should we do about customer feedback?
24. We just lost a key customer. What can we do to get them back?

Calibration
25. What measuring instruments must be calibrated?
26. How do you calibrate tape measures, rulers, and similar gauges?
27. What happens if something is found to be out of calibration?
28. Can people be calibrated?

Organizational Culture
29. How can I get employees more excited about our quality system?
30. Whenever I say ISO 9001 (or TS 16949 or ISO 14001 or any other standard), people in my company get turned off. What should I do?

Auditing
31. How can we reinvigorate our internal audit process?
32. How do I plan for an internal audit?
33. Should we use checklists during internal audits? If so, what kind?

Inspection
34. Do we have to inspect or verify everything we purchase?
35. Do we have to keep records of receiving inspection?

Control of Nonconforming Products
36. How do we control nonconforming products when the product is a service?
37. How do we define exactly what is considered a nonconforming product?
38. Should all nonconforming products be submitted to corrective action?
39. One of our key customers has a specification/tolerance/requirement that we simply can not meet. What can we do?

Innovation / Design
40. How do we innovate our products?

Training
41. What’s the best way to educate people on our company’s objectives?
42. Does top management have to be included in our training process?
43. How can we verify whether training has been effective?

Craig
 

Howard Atkins

Forum Administrator
Leader
Admin
Here are a a few that I would like to know the answer,

Do we do anything with the graphs we display?

If top management do not care why should I?

To who does the QMS belong?
 

amjadrana

Involved - Posts
Some additional questions:

Management:

How is internal communication carried out. Is this effective?

How often is management review carried out? Is it sufficient?

Design:

How can design and development function be integrated with production function?

Production:

What are the means by which production instructions are conveyed to the persons doing the work?

How do we ensure that the persons doing the work have understood the instructions?
 
C

ccochran

Howard,

Very good questions. I especially like the first and third one; they're applicable to nearly every organization I deal with. The second question, "If top management do not care why should I?" is a tough one. I think the answer might be: Update your resume. Let me know of any other interesting questions you think of. I'm going to add these to my list.

Amjadrana,

Also very good questions. You phrased these almost as audit questions, but they're clear and relevant nontheless. My two favorite ones are "How often should management review take place," and "How do we better integrate our design functions with our production functions?" Thanks for these ideas which I will add to my list.

Keep thinking of additional questions you hear or remember from your past...

CRaig
 

RoxaneB

Change Agent and Data Storyteller
Super Moderator
Okay, Craig...you tossed out the line and I'm taking the bait....here goes...sorry if they repeat anything in your list or the lists provided by those who have already replied...

Records
  1. What is a "record" and how does it differ from a "form" or a "document"?
  2. How do you control records?
  3. How do you determine how long you need to keep a record?

Management
  1. What is the difference between TS16949 and ISO9001, and how do we know what is right for us?
  2. How do we select a Registrar that is right for us?
  3. How often do we need to do Management Review and why?
  4. How do we create a meaningful Quality Policy and effective Quality Objectives?

Training
  1. What is the difference between "qualified" and "competent"?
  2. We are a unionized environment. How do we demonstrate "competency" without rocking the boat?
  3. What other method(s) - besides performance appraisals and job observations - can be used to demonstrate competency?

Management Systems
  1. What are the common elements between ISO 9001 and ISO 14001?
  2. What are the pros and cons to having an integrated Business Management System?

That's all I've got this point. My break is over. :)
 
C

ccochran

Roxane,

HOME RUN! It went over the right field wall and landed in someone's car in the parking lot. Terrific ideas. Would you be so kind as to keep thinking of these questions? I'll start the coffee pot for your next break...

Craig
 
Q

qualitygoddess - 2010

More Q's

Fun post. One other thought -- big companies will answer these questions differently than little companies.

Org Culture:

When middle management doesn't support the quality system, what should the quality manager do?
How can we get people interested in supporting the quality system without resorting to "do it or else'?

Problem-solving:

How can we learn to prevent problems?

Implementation:

We are just a small company, and only want to be ISO compliant. What are the pros and cons to being compliant vs. registered?

Audit:

How often should we audit the quality system to be sure it is effective?

Innovation:

How can I learn more about design for manufacturability concepts?
How can I learn more about design for six sigma concepts?
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
So far, we're only on questions. I agree the answers may be much more difficult to reach consensus on.
 
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