Non-Conformances

[Tidge]

I ask a variation of this question of job candidates, to gauge their internal sense of prioritization as well as how they approach "doing a job".

I don't tie it to the processing of non-conformances (I think that is generally "too systematic" for outside candidates, i.e. it is too easy for them to turn the question back on me seeking clarification) and I would never rephrase it as @Randy did, unless of course I was interviewing candidates for a private mercenary outfit.

I seriously dislike completely abstract questions during job interviews (at least for the jobs I have applied for!) and I really dislike those "insightful questions of candidates" that rely on peculiar, esoteric or otherwise trivial knowledge. One of the dumbest I felt I was ever asked: "How many pairs of boots can be made from a slaughtered cow?" This was for neither a position at a slaughterhouse nor with a cordwainer. The interviewer was completely baffled when I turned it back on him and asked (twisting a famous punchline from a physics joke) "Can I can consider it to be a spherical cow?"

 

[Ed Panek]

At my job I was asked "what would cause to immediately put a stop on a shipment" I responded a safety issue to anyone. Lets imagine you have three pallets of NC and customers are demanding product. Sales is breathing down you neck. One pallet the color in our logo is using a slightly different color green. The second has the CE Mark labeling at 6mm where 5 mm is the spec. The last pallet has leaky batteries causing product failure and possible skin reaction injury.

The leaky battery pallet isn't going anywhere; lots to do there. The CE Mark pallet is going to the USA end users only so I would create a CAPA for that but allow it for use. For the color issue, I would get a signoff from sales and marketing and ship it and write up a SCAR. after checking our SQA with the printer. Risk determines everything.

 

[Randy]

One of the dumbest I felt I was ever asked: "How many pairs of boots can be made from a slaughtered cow?"

I ask dumb stuff occasionally but not that dumb. However asking "how many hamburgers" might be more in line.

Seriously, when part of the mandate is to use "risk based thinking" the highest or most serious just jumps out. Why correct something with a potential for very littel harm 1st over something that could be catastrophic?

 

[Matt's Quality Handle]

If this was in context of a job interview, they're looking for prioritization skills. And how you evaulate risk (which I hear is a big deal) I'd answer something like this:

"The first thing I would look for is safety - either to the end user or our associates. That would be my absolute top priority. Next, I would look to any defect that is a 'walk-home', that is that a customer is walking home instead of driving [automotive context]. Finally, I would look at what's impacting our direct customer score card the most.

But that's based on my instinctual priorities. As I immerse in the company further, I make it a point to learn the nuances of the product, the business, and the customer.

For example, I had a Quality Manager who took no action on a non-conformance that was discovered in one of my parts. In an extreme improbability, 3 pieces went through a heat treating process multiple times, but were caught for being out of spec long. His reasoning was that the chance that more are out there + the chance that we didn't detect the resulting length increase + the difficulty in actually checking for the issue. As such, he was comfortable with the risk that we may have to warranty 3 engines.

But I would like to see how these types of risks are weighed here..."

So in a job interview setting, they're not looking for a "right" answer, but more of a thought process.

 

[Michael_M]

If this was a job interview question, I would ask a return question "why are there 3 different non-conformances that need to be prioritized, what system failed that allowed that many--that is my priority". Please note: I don't work for huge companies. The highest employee count while doing audits had 55 people. Currently I work were there are 20.

 

[normzone]

Address those risks in the order of apparent readiness to act, not the weapon type.

Alternatively, there's the "I shoot my partner in the thigh and run away" movie meme approach.

Also, from Men In Black, " May I ask why you felt little Tiffany deserved to die? "

 

[Tidge]

Not picking on anyone in particular...

A question imposed on police trainees many yeasrs ago.......You're facing 3 threats 20 feet away intending to kill you, 1 with a shotgun, 1 with a pistol, 1 with a knife...........Who do you take out 1st? 2nd? Last?

Address those risks in the order of apparent readiness to act, not the weapon type.

The presumption of the necessary use of lethal force by police may be a reason why we can't have nice things.

 

[Randy]

The presumption of the necessary use of lethal force by police may be a reason why we can't have nice things.

Yeah, but seeing as I've been shotgunned, stabbed and pistol shot the question was reasonable.

 

[Ed Panek]

If this was a job interview question, I would ask a return question "why are there 3 different non-conformances that need to be prioritized, what system failed that allowed that many--that is my priority". Please note: I don't work for huge companies. The highest employee count while doing audits had 55 people. Currently, I work where there are 20.

Yes, but with a Just in Time manufacturing process this is a reality. You sacrifice something to get things just in time. Even not JIT things fail.

Asking why it happened at all is valid but Ill ask another question; If there are three fires ongoing at the same time, I could ask why did three fires start? but fires do start and they need prioritization and attention right now.

If we have perfection in all areas the entire section of NC material regulation is not relevant. People fail, equipment ages and breaks, Employees are hung over, or lost their glasses, or used the wrong equipment and are new to the job, not to mention corruption in business and crime.

 

[Michael_M]

Asking why it happened at all is valid but Ill ask another question; If there are three fires ongoing at the same time, I could ask why did three fires start? but fires do start and they need prioritization and attention right now.

I was answering the question from a job interview stance (you need to be memorable and not answer in the same way as everyone else) and I do agree that things happen. What I do in reality vs. what I answer in a theoretical job interview will be different based on company policy and requirements, but at the time of answering that question, I do not know those.

I really like the 3 fires analogy, if it's arson, you need to determine that so you can 'try' to put a stop to it before there are more.