Considering a Time Limit for Document Approval

Pancho

wikineer
Super Moderator
#11
I am the document control coordinator for my company and I've had a lot of issues with documents being held up in pending status for too long. I've got one document that has been in pending status since October! When a document is rejected by any one approver the rejection response and document goes back to the originator, but we have nothing written about non-response. Of course, I email multiple reminders that documents are awaiting their approval, but that does nothing if the approver is unwilling to take decisive action.

I am considering a revision to our document control procedure that approvals or rejections shall be received within two weeks (or possibly longer if circumstances warrant). Documents that are not approved by all required approvers after that period shall be returned to the originator.

Then it will be the responsibility of the originator to meet with the other approvers to see what the hold-up was about, rather than me holding an archive of orphaned revisions.

Does anyone here have a process for handling non-responses or other recommendations?
Think about instituting default approvals.

You have knowledgeable folks editing the documents, right? They take the time to research an issue, talk to the parties affected by a change, and then edit a document, right? Chances are overwhelmingly high that the change is an improvement, right? If so, you could simply deem a change approved unless there is a specific reply from the designated reviewer within a short time period. Whoosh. Your documents will start to improve quickly.

To take it even further, you may want to empower, say, any of a process's participants to approve edits to that process's documents. Or, if you really want to get bold, empower everyone to edit anything in your system. With good version control (such as what you get with any wiki), this is not only practical, but desirable. Process owners should be charged with monitoring their documents, and, for the rare occasions when a change does prove misguided, reverse.

With empowerment comes ownership, responsibility, employee satisfaction and a rapidly improving system.

Good luck!
Pancho
 
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P

PE-2011

#12
Absolutely, company's management culture needs improvement.

I feel, your polite approach to get it done personally, can only improve the situation slowely. Maheswari
 
K

Ka Pilo

#13
Re: Considering a time limit for approval

In your document control procedure you can say that failure to respond with a given amount of time will be interpreted as approval.
Stating that in your document control procedure won't address the issue of delays on approval.
ISO 9001 4.2.3.a) and b) says ...
define the controls needed to approve documents for adequacy prior to issue,
define the controls needed to review and update as necessary and re-approve documents,
If the approved documents would carry respond within a period of time, non-response indicates that the document is not approved. Why document controller be bothered not to issue unapproved document?
 
J

JaneB

#14
Re: Considering a time limit for approval

We had that issue also, mainly with the program managers. We tried lots of things but now if someone at our company revises a document and the document effects other departments a document review board (DRB) is scheduled. The stake holders of the effecetd areas are sent copies of the revised document and invited to the DRB. It is stated that if the invited person cannot attend then a representative should be sent. We have in our procedure that if you are invited to the DRB and choose not to attend and do not send a representative or coordinate someway with doc. control the people who do attend review/decide/approve/disapprove and thats it. After a couple of things were posted it got attention and we now have very good attendence and input.
That sounds like an intelligent and pragmatic approach. Which is working well for you:yes:.
 
J

JaneB

#15
Re: Considering a time limit for approval

Stating that in your document control procedure won't address the issue of delays on approval.
ISO 9001 4.2.3.a) and b) says ...
define the controls needed to approve documents for adequacy prior to issue,
define the controls needed to review and update as necessary and re-approve documents,
If the approved documents would carry respond within a period of time, non-response indicates that the document is not approved. Why document controller be bothered not to issue unapproved document?
Err... I don't actually understand at all what you are saying here.

I believe Jim's idea was simply one possible suggestion, though you are right that it might not address the issue of delays. But as an idea, it's quite acceptable and definitely not contradicted by any of ISO 9001, if you are saying that.
 
K

keres

#16
I am considering a revision to our document control procedure that approvals or rejections shall be received within two weeks (or possibly longer if circumstances warrant). Documents that are not approved by all required approvers after that period shall be returned to the originator.
I'll suggest you the opposite. Try with silent agreement. If there is not a rejection in duration of 2 weeks the document is approved.
 
K

Ka Pilo

#17
Re: Considering a time limit for approval

Err... I don't actually understand at all what you are saying here.

I believe Jim's idea was simply one possible suggestion, though you are right that it might not address the issue of delays. But as an idea, it's quite acceptable and definitely not contradicted by any of ISO 9001, if you are saying that.
Right, that's what I mean. Jim's suggestion conforms to ISO 9001 as far as control of document is concerned. My concern is that it doesn't address the issue of delays which is main concern of the OP in this instance.
 

Solinas

Involved In Discussions
#18
I worked at a company which had a widespread problem with getting documents reviewed and approved.

The CEO made a mandate:
1) You have 3 days to review and approve or reject.
2) If 3 days pass, and you haven't acted, then you have approved the document.
3) Anyone who has a document approved by 3 days of non-response, and it later turns out to cause a problem, will be fired.

Brutal, but it worked.

Your solution of returning back to the originator, in my opinion, doesn't put the pressure where it belongs. Whatever you do should squeeze the people who are causing the long pending times, not the originator.
 
A

AliInMo

#19
I worked at a company which had a widespread problem with getting documents reviewed and approved.

The CEO made a mandate:
1) You have 3 days to review and approve or reject.
2) If 3 days pass, and you haven't acted, then you have approved the document.
3) Anyone who has a document approved by 3 days of non-response, and it later turns out to cause a problem, will be fired.

Brutal, but it worked.

Your solution of returning back to the originator, in my opinion, doesn't put the pressure where it belongs. Whatever you do should squeeze the people who are causing the long pending times, not the originator.
Wow...that is brutal! :whip:
But good to work in a company where the CEO would support the QMS so strongly I would think.
 
V

vpandora

#20
Re: Considering a time limit for approval

Right, that's what I mean. Jim's suggestion conforms to ISO 9001 as far as control of document is concerned. My concern is that it doesn't address the issue of delays which is main concern of the OP in this instance.
No, you are quite right that it doesn't address the delay at all. However, sending the document back to the originator saying that it was rejected by default serves as notice that something is not working and they need to discuss with the other approvers how to correct it.

The alternative is that a document languishes in "pending" status until everyone forgets about it. When someone does notice a problem later down the road, they either ask me what happened to the revision they sent me, or they make another revision (which will not get approved either).
 
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