What makes a person "qualified" to be the Management Representative?

[ScottK]

One of the guys here thinks that we should have to provide hard proof of qualification - like third party certification - for someone to be MR.

I dispute that and told him if an auditor really questioned it he could show the auditor the MR's resume and/or training records.

At one of our plants the MR "grew into" the position and doesn't have any paper saying he knows his stuff (and he does).

[Randy]

Qualification?

Breathing and not at room temperature?

Other than that the MR doesn't really have to be anything more than a project manager or someone capable of managing a project(a 9001 based QMS requires this to be a member of management)

[SteelMaiden]

I grew into my job...or was I forced into the mold? It is so hard to remember anymore

For what the standard requires, the biggest qualifications are someone who gives a rat's hiney, someone who can get others to follow direction, someone who can take information and put it together in a way that makes sense to a wide range of managers, someone who is willing to be a responsible person (if something goes wrong, they will be held responsible). Now, I know that all of us at the Cove are the cream of the crop with several other outstanding characteristics, such as incredible intelligence, charming personalities, and charming modesty, but I seriously doubt that any of us woke up one morning in fourth grade and said, hey! I want to be a management representative for an ISO 9001 quality management system when I grow up!.

What would the third party assessment consist of? Does this person have dellusions of grandeur? or maybe MR envy?

[ScottK]

In Reply to Parent Post by SteelMaiden

I grew into my job...or was I forced into the mold? It is so hard to remember anymore

For what the standard requires, the biggest qualifications are someone who gives a rat's hiney, someone who can get others to follow direction, someone who can take information and put it together in a way that makes sense to a wide range of managers, someone who is willing to be a responsible person (if something goes wrong, they will be held responsible). Now, I know that all of us at the Cove are the cream of the crop with several other outstanding characteristics, such as incredible intelligence, charming personalities, and charming modesty, but I seriously doubt that any of us woke up one morning in fourth grade and said, hey! I want to be a management representative for an ISO 9001 quality management system when I grow up!.

What would the third party assessment consist of? Does this person have dellusions of grandeur? or maybe MR envy?

Nah - he was looking at the ASQ certs on my wall and started asking if those would qualify someone to be an MR.
I said "well - they're pieces of paper hanging on a wall. The value is in the eye of the beholder."

Expanding on this - he then came back and started asking if there are certifications to be an ISO trainer.

My answer - send the guy to a "train the trainer" class at the local community college if you're so concerned that a registrar would question it.

[Al Rosen]

I agree with Randy. There are no qualifications.

[Cari Spears]

In Reply to Parent Post by Discordian

One of the guys here thinks that we should have to provide hard proof of qualification - like third party certification - for someone to be MR.

Why does he think that?

[Neil V.]

As someone new to Management "Repping" (I'm taking on some MR responsibilities as we speak) I can see how someone would think there must be a certification, or at least expensive offsite training. It's a difficult job with lots of moving parts. Where I work the MR is the beginning and end of our QMS. I'm sure this varies from place to place. There are requirements that must be met for everything else, why not for the person who is going to manage (or least play a major role) your QMS and deal face to face with the external auditor?

[Jim Wynne]

In Reply to Parent Post by Randy

Qualification?

Breathing and not at room temperature?

Other than that the MR doesn't really have to be anything more than a project manager or someone capable of managing a project(a 9001 based QMS requires this to be a member of management)

I agree that a pulse and ability to sit up and take nourishment are the only requirements, but the "member of management" thing can be satisfied tautologically--I can make the janitor the MR, and proclaim that by merit of his ascension to that lofty position, he is a member of management.