Hired to Improve Quality but Company does not care about Quality

[quality1]

Hello,

I was hired a year ago to improve product quality and the QMS, this was emphasized by my manager who's the company president. After a year of implementing processes and training, I was blind sided by the VP of Engineering who informed us that a new shipment of a new product line was coming in and QA needs to inspect it 100%.

I questioned his overall plans including where design and development documentation were and how these products were made wihout any documented processes or procedures including engineering spec.

He told me don't worry, we will produced necessary documentation later include first article to satisfy ISO/TS requirements. I told him this was not how the process was set up to work.

My manager also told me to give engineering a 90 days pass to get the product in. I guess my time is up with this company right? Any suggestions?

thank you

 

[John Nabors - 2009]

Re: Company does not care about quality

Quality1-

I just got out of that boat myself, was working for a company that initially was very enthusiastic about implementing a robust QMS but top management lost that enthusiasm when they learned that -gasp- folks would actually be expected to follow these cute little policies and procedures we were implementing. I got while the going was good. Just a good thing I don't have a wife and thirteen kids to support so I can act on my righteous indignation and leave a bad situation before it gets worse.

Regards -John

 

[fireonce]

Re: Company does not care about quality

Imho,I think so.If you wanna get success in quality field, you'd better leave.

 

[Yew Jin]

Re: Company does not care about quality

Where ever you go please think on this:
"How to eat an elephant?
One time at once?
You will got the problem!"

Then let us eat it bit by bit.
Same as the quality improvement,
We need to improve it project by project.

Senior management is very important to support on the quality initiative.
That's why we have the leadership in inr BNQP criteria.

Good Luck!

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Company does not care about quality

Hello,

I was hired a year ago to improve product quality and the QMS, this was emphasized by my manager who's the company president. After a year of implementing processes and training, I was blind sided by the VP of Engineering who informed us that a new shipment of a new product line was coming in and QA needs to inspect it 100%.

I questioned his overall plans including where design and development documentation were and how these products were made wihout any documented processes or procedures including engineering spec.

He told me don't worry, we will produced necessary documentation later include first article to satisfy ISO/TS requirements. I told him this was not how the process was set up to work.

My manager also told me to give engineering a 90 days pass to get the product in. I guess my time is up with this company right? Any suggestions?

thank you

Well . . . maybe.

A lot depends on your own knowledge and confidence in being able to persuade folks to do the right things for the right reasons. The first question you have to ask yourself is
"Is this job [and any potential promotion] worth the trouble and effort?"

If you can answer that in the affirmative, then come back to us and ask how to motivate the management to "do the right things for the right reasons."

If not, then I refer you to our job threads:

As always, I suggest folks start their job quests by reading through the tips offered in these threads :

Candidates:
Thinking about a New Job for New Year?
http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=19619
Resume and cover letter - How good are yours?
http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=10169
The Job Hunt - Care and feeding of references
http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=19094
Tips to get past the "gatekeeper" when job hunting
http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=9325

 

[Jen Kirley]

Such good responses so far.

You haven't described what your options are.

I remember when I was about five, I suffered some unfair punishment at home. I packed a kerchief with a couple of canned goods and a change of clothes, tied it on a stick (yes really) then set off for liberation and justice.

I got to the end of the block and realized there was no place to go that I knew of. So I went around the block and came home.

Now one might feel depressed at such a story, but my point is we have to make choices. We all make choices. Your VP does too.

So, you can help your VP make choices. There is an attached quality cost calculator, and a link to a second one, in this thread. Here's what you do:

1. Time yourself making an inspection of one part and recording its results.
2. Use the calculator to figure the cost, based on the inspector's cost per that time frame and the number of pieces.
3. Use the calculator to enter in the comparative time to review prints and otherwise qualify a supplier.
4. Depending on the number of parts that fail, count up and valuate a reasonable time period to deal with phone calls, tagging and shipping back to supplier, etc.
5. Make a little chart and present it to your VP along with a budget request for added personnel to meet this new operational paradigm.

If your VP is not an egotist or fool, he will see the logic in your math, and of course you can share the calculations. If he's an egotist but not a fool, he will demand you do this thing now but he will refrain from repeating it in the future because your math is the Patriot Missile of arguments. If this fellow is both an egotist and a fool, this will possibly be an unfortunate end to your career there. Keeping that in mind, I want to advise you to use my method only with the sense that you can prevail. If you choose to keep your cards closer to the chest, you can be ready to pull out your figures when the time is right. Meanwhile, you'd be employed.

I hope this helps! My heart is with you.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Such good responses so far.

You haven't described what your options are.

I remember when I was about five, I suffered some unfair punishment at home. I packed a kerchief with a couple of canned goods and a change of clothes, tied it on a stick (yes really) then set off for liberation and justice.

I got to the end of the block and realized there was no place to go that I knew of. So I went around the block and came home.

Now one might feel depressed at such a story, but my point is we have to make choices. We all make choices. Your VP does too.

So, you can help your VP make choices. There is an attached quality cost calculator, and a link to a second one, in this thread. Here's what you do:

1. Time yourself making an inspection of one part and recording its results.
2. Use the calculator to figure the cost, based on the inspector's cost per that time frame and the number of pieces.
3. Use the calculator to enter in the comparative time to review prints and otherwise qualify a supplier.
4. Depending on the number of parts that fail, count up and valuate a reasonable time period to deal with phone calls, tagging and shipping back to supplier, etc.
5. Make a little chart and present it to your VP along with a budget request for added personnel to meet this new operational paradigm.

If your VP is not an egotist or fool, he will see the logic in your math, and of course you can share the calculations. If he's an egotist but not a fool, he will demand you do this thing now but he will refrain from repeating it in the future because your math is the Patriot Missile of arguments. If this fellow is both an egotist and a fool, this will possibly be an unfortunate end to your career there. Keeping that in mind, I want to advise you to use my method only with the sense that you can prevail. If you choose to keep your cards closer to the chest, you can be ready to pull out your figures when the time is right. Meanwhile, you'd be employed.

I hope this helps! My heart is with you.

Jennfer makes excellent points. If it is any comfort to you, enough other people in Quality are wearing the same shoes as you. So many, in fact, ASQ has set up a special focus on "making the case for Quality."

If you really have the stamina and fortitude to tackle this, it can be done, but we want to stress it is an uphill battle and the satisfactions will be mostly your own internal ones because the Jeremiahs of the Quality world are seldom compensated for their true worth to an out-of-control organization.

Jennifer's template is sound and workable. In the words of the original Henry Ford, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are correct!"

The ball is in your court. Are you ready to serve?

 

[nickh - 2011]

I truly believe that quality systems need a strong advocate at the C-level or they will never succeed. If a technique such as Jennifer's doesn't convince someone at the top*, then I agree that you're probably better checking out the local job market.

I don't believe in being a quitter, but I turned down a very good job prospect once because I wanted to 'stick it out" and finish a big project. In the aftermath, I really regretted that decision. Ultimately, the only one that can control your career satisfaction is you.

(* For some reason this gave me a flashback to an old Bloom County cartoon with Opus standing on a hilltop shouting "Entropy Rules!")

 

[atitheya]

Quality 1,

Excellent points by Jennifer Kirley and advice by Wes Bucey. Here are my 2 cents too:

Show them (VP Engineering and President) that it is the 'Lack of Quality' which is more expensive than 'Ensuring and Managing Quality'.

1. Go ahead and do what they want. Do a 100% inspection. Record Non-Conforming-Product. Analyse the cost of action taken (re-make, repair or alternative use, scrap etc). Compare with the cost of implementation of QMS (including time used to establish and implement if required) for that particular process (take into account the acceptance level you expect if the QMS as now was implemented)

2. If the inspection shows positive results i.e. the product acceptance is good, then in all probability they are following the QMS in some way or the other.

3. Include the process in your next internal audit or conduct a special audit if you can. Present the findings, be prepared for the results yourself too. For all you know, there may be only a few implementation deviations (not non-conformance against ISO 9001 requirements, just different way of working than your documented procedures) and format differences which may be handled easily.

4. Determine the cost/effort of corrective action and compare it with that of corrections (which may be needed repeatedly in absence of CA).

5. See and show the effect on business and business relations, reputation etc if the current practice in question is followed.

Don't be in a hurry to leave. Give yourself and the company some space and time. See results and then decide. It may be a good challange to deal with and a learning experience. After all, how frequently do you want to go job hunting?

 

[tony wardle]

Re: Company does not care about quality

Where ever you go please think on this:
"How to eat an elephant?
One time at once?
You will got the problem!"

Then let us eat it bit by bit.
Same as the quality improvement,
We need to improve it project by project.

Senior management is very important to support on the quality initiative.
That's why we have the leadership in inr BNQP criteria.

Good Luck!

Yew has it right. I took over from our old QA fellow. He was fed up because of a similar problem. As a change agent, getting people to accept that quality is everyones job, he failed. Why? Simply because his expectations and top managements actions did not meet.
Taking over, I started slowly. First, we spoke about what quality meant to everyone, what everyone expected, what was expected of everyone etc. We did regular training and info seminars. (The indoctrination phase I called it). Then we slowly took a small step - minor reporting, then the next step more reporting, then some minor involvement and so on. Today, our we hold "business meetings" hosted by QA. Everyone attends, inputs and actions what is discussed. Our incentive scheme is based more on quality rather than sheer productivity. But to get this utopia, took me over 3 years. Today we are ISO TS16949 and 14000 company, and EVERYONE is involved. The magic ingredient some Situational Leadership and TIME.

Like Yew says - one piece at a time!