I have a question that relates to this. Our AS9100 company has recently started a Continuous Improvement dept along with our Quality dept. The CI dept reports to production. Their systems do not feed into the current Quality Management System. The AS9100 auditor has not observed the new dept since it started after our last audit. This hasn't been sitting well with me but I am low in the food chain. I am not sure if this is correct. It seems to go against Canadian regulations and AS9100 regulations but I am not sure. Is Continuous Improvement separate from Quality? Thoughts?
Illek,
I think you'll find that your organization is one system. Your organization's departments serve several processes and invariably these processes are cross-functional in that several departments are involved in their success.
The only way the "CI Department" can secure improvements is to work on the organization as a whole and with its processes, products and services. In reporting the Production Department it seems to me that the CI Section is focused on improving production processes. It is unlikely to achieve much success until it also improves the processes that serve production such as purchasing and designing products and processes. That would then leave the rest of the system to improve such as the recruiting and training process.
I suggest you consider reassigning ownership of your management system's process "investing in improvement" to the person who is the expert in CI. The System Manager (aka Management Rep) should work with this person to redefine the process for securing all types of improvement (instead of just CI) of the system, its processes and its products and services.
You cannot leave the work of the CI Section outside of the QMS. BTW, I call it a section because it operates within the Production Department.
Good luck,
John