CAPA Operating Procedure - Flow Chart or Written Out?

[MNCountry]

Hello all! I am new to the Cove and am excited to learn from everyone. I have recently gone from a Quality Rep at a company that shut down my division, but was fortunate enough to find a job and become the Quality Manager.
As Quality Manager I have been tasked with getting the company ISO9001:2008 certified.
My first question (of what I am sure will be many!) is: In your opinions, for the required CA/PA action procedure(s), is it best to go with a Flowchart (of which I have found a few examples) or have it written out (of which I have not found any YET)?

Thanks for your help, advice, opinions!

 

[Jim Wynne]

Hello all! I am new to the Cove and am excited to learn from everyone. I have recently gone from a Quality Rep at a company that shut down my division, but was fortunate enough to find a job and become the Quality Manager.
As Quality Manager I have been tasked with getting the company ISO9001:2008 certified.
My first question (of what I am sure will be many!) is: In your opinions, for the required CA/PA action procedure(s), is it best to go with a Flowchart (of which I have found a few examples) or have it written out (of which I have not found any YET)?

Thanks for your help, advice, opinions!

Welcome to the Cove
How you describe any process is generally a matter of what you think will work best in your situation. In general, simpler is better, but simplistic isn't. Some people prefer written formats because (among other reasons) they feel that flowcharts don't offer the required level of detail. Others use both--a written description and a flowchart.

 

[qusys]

Hello all! I am new to the Cove and am excited to learn from everyone. I have recently gone from a Quality Rep at a company that shut down my division, but was fortunate enough to find a job and become the Quality Manager.
As Quality Manager I have been tasked with getting the company ISO9001:2008 certified.
My first question (of what I am sure will be many!) is: In your opinions, for the required CA/PA action procedure(s), is it best to go with a Flowchart (of which I have found a few examples) or have it written out (of which I have not found any YET)?

Thanks for your help, advice, opinions!

Hi MnCountry,
Merry Xmas and good luck for new job.
As to your question, you could pursue both the alternatives or also describe the procedure and then provide the flow chart as well.
It depends on the level of experience of your company: in this phase you could be very detailed.
Anyway CAPA procedures are two of mandatory six for certification.
If you need other info, we can write.

 

[Martin IT]

Ciao MNContry,

welcome to the cove and good luck for your new job!

Personally I prefer a flow chart, is more direct and you can see all the steps immediatly. Of course the problem is that the flow chart isn't very informative and often you need to add more and more notes.

 

[harry]

.........Of course the problem is that the flow chart isn't very informative and often you need to add more and more notes.

A swim lane type of flowchart takes care of these.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Ciao MNContry,

welcome to the cove and good luck for your new job!

Personally I prefer a flow chart, is more direct and you can see all the steps immediatly. Of course the problem is that the flow chart isn't very informative and often you need to add more and more notes.

If you find that a flowchart doesn't include enough information, you're either expecting too much from the flowchart or a flowchart is inappropriate as a standalone document.

 

[Peter Fraser]

If you find that a flowchart doesn't include enough information, you're either expecting too much from the flowchart or a flowchart is inappropriate as a standalone document.

... or perhaps you are using a flowcharting tool like Visio which restricts you to a single page for an entire process description, and limits the amount of text you can show, since the words have to fit inside the symbols - or be "pasted on" somewhere they can fit...

 

[Martin IT]

... a flowchart is inappropriate as a standalone document.

Often is an inappropriate standalone document !
( I don't know Visio, I'll try it! Thanks Peter )

 

[Jim Wynne]

If you find that a flowchart doesn't include enough information, you're either expecting too much from the flowchart or a flowchart is inappropriate as a standalone document.

Often is an inappropriate standalone document !
( I don't know Visio, I'll try it! Thanks Peter )

I think you must have misunderstood. What I meant was that if you find that a flowchart doesn't include enough information, it could mean that a flowchart is inappropriate for that particular application.

 

[JaneB]

Jim's advice is sound:

How you describe any process is generally a matter of what you think will work best in your situation. In general, simpler is better, but simplistic isn't.

So - entirely your choice.

I'd only add: don't forget that it's a system - ie, something in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and something in which there are various components, all of which are important. So often, people add more and more and more detail to procedures which could or should be taken care of by having competent people involved in doing the corrective and/or preventive action. In other words: don't fall into the trap of loading up procedures with far too many words, where you really should be training people so they acquire the required competencies.

Processes/procedures can often be kept simpler and shorter if used in a system with a context that includes competent people.