Candidates for the most "Rube Goldberg" award in Documentation

[JRKH]

For those unfamilliar with "Rube Goldberg" he was a cartoonist reknown for his fanciful and highly over-complex methods for doing simple tasks. If anyone is familiar with the childs game, "Mousetrap", you have an idea of a "rube Goldberg device.

So my question is - What was the most "Rube Goldberg" document, or system that you have run across in your days of auditing or consulting?
Have you (and I'm sure you have) seen a document / instruction that was so complex, so many steps, too much detail that it just made you roll your eyes?

Don't need specifics of course but......

Just curious.... A chance to vent.... Share a hoot.

Peace
James

 

[Stijloor]

For those unfamilliar with "Rube Goldberg" he was a cartoonist reknown for his fanciful and highly over-complex methods for doing simple tasks. If anyone is familiar with the childs game, "Mousetrap", you have an idea of a "rube Goldberg device.

So my question is - What was the most "Rube Goldberg" document, or system that you have run across in your days of auditing or consulting?
Have you (and I'm sure you have) seen a document / instruction that was so complex, so many steps, too much detail that it just made you roll your eyes?

Don't need specifics of course but......

Just curious.... A chance to vent.... Share a hoot.

Peace
James

A workinstruction to write a workinstruction for filling out a form.

Stijloor.

 

[Ron Rompen]

Back in the 'old days' when QS was still new, the company I worked for at the time started a suggestion program for any ideas that would be useful in the implementation of the QMS.

One of the suggestions of mine that was approved (and given a cash award, no less) was a form to request the creation of new forms; I had done it more as a joke than anything else, but it went all the way through the review process (no, I wasn't involved in the review) and was approved and implemented.

The other 'worst case' that I can think of right off the top of my head was in the creation of some of our quality-related procedures; it was still the old school mentality of 'more is better'....our procedure for PPAP submission, as an example, quoted, word for word (in italics no less) page after page of the PPAP manual. The initial documentation for our system, as I recall, ended up being 7 or 8 4" binders worth of paper.........ack!

 

[SteelMaiden]

Actually, I've run across a procedure that I wrote during start-up, when I was working 15-17 hours a day. The scope and objective is so convoluted that it makes me laugh. Sleep deprivation causes meandering sentences.

 

[somerqc]

My best one so far is dealing with our H&S people. It isn't exactly QS, but, we are working towards combining the 2 systems so it will soon be my problem.

I was asked to review some new procedures in H&S that were about to be released to the people. I figured OK - take a look and see what it says and help. Ya - I learned 2 things.

1 - ALWAYS look at the size of the file before you print (the 5 procedures were over 100 pages total)
2 - NEVER review procedures when sleepy

The classic one was the 17 pg procedure for First Aid that even our government was able to reduce to 1 page!!! I got it down to 2 then they expanded it to 6. Yes, we have a 6 page procedure for First Aid!!! I am going to buy stock in paper companies just to supply H&S systems. I will make a mint!

 

[SteelMaiden]

The classic one was the 17 pg procedure for First Aid that even our government was able to reduce to 1 page!!! I got it down to 2 then they expanded it to 6. Yes, we have a 6 page procedure for First Aid!!! I am going to buy stock in paper companies just to supply H&S systems. I will make a mint!

:mg:Isn't first aid something better done with someone with training and qualification than someone reading a procedure?

 

[Craig H.]

Maybe print the procedure on cloth so it can be used to stop the bleeding? 6 pages would be better than 2.

 

[SteelMaiden]

Rule #1 in emergency medicine: All bleeding eventually stops.

 

[hogheavenfarm]

We have a procedure concerning how to create a procedure, but thats as close as I get.

 

[JRKH]

Actually, I've run across a procedure that I wrote during start-up, when I was working 15-17 hours a day. The scope and objective is so convoluted that it makes me laugh. Sleep deprivation causes meandering sentences.

Yup - When we are in that "learning curve" too, things can get pretty out of hand.

Peace
James