Controlling Flow Charts that are hung in workplace.

[MARGEHURSH]

My question is how do you control flowcharts that are hung in the work place? These flows also have written work instructions. I believe that all need controlled. My management is asking, can't we just hang for awareness? If both documents need controlled what would the best way to control them? Having a difficult time explaining that these are quality documents (flow charts) and there needs to be some type of control. Can someone please advice me. Thanks

 

[lokeky1]

Hi Margehursh,

If a flow chart has instructions that is needed so that quality of work or product produced is consistent, then yes it needs to be controlled. The reason is simple as people need to follow the latest instructions. An out of date and wrong instruction is like a salesman giving a wrong number to his potential client.

One way to control flow charts or instructions is to stamp it "Controlled Copy" and use of revision numbers. Have a register to list out what is the most current revision of the flow chart or instructions. Depending on the size of the organization, keeping track of the number of copies in distribution will ensure that every flow chart gets updated.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bev D]

defaulting to the common "controlled document" scheme is the safest course as it is easy for an auditor to understand and determine if you are in compliance.

however, your business is most likely in existence to give auditors something to do...

what value does the control provide to the business?

Section 4.2.3 of ISO9001 contains the primary document control requirements. the relavant portions are that:
a-c you need to have a system for review, update and approve procedures and changes to procedures and the current revision status and any changes are identified (this is a tough one as most systems do a poor job of identifying changes to the users and even the approvers)

d) "ensure that releavent versions of applicable documents are available at points of use". Your hanging of the flow charts achieves this!

g) "prevent the unintended use of obsolete documents..."

it is d and g that are of direct help to your organization. Documents that are used are typically maintained at the current status. Documents that aren't referred to on a continual basis tend to become outdated fairly quickly - the process improves and changes but no one remembers to update the document squirreled away in some doc control vault. Then prople get punished becasue they aren't following the document. How can we encourage support and grow our continual improvement efferts if we make it hard?

our challenge is to make the 'instructions' as useful and used as possible; they need to be living breathing organic things, not boat anchors. Your manager is on the right path...

 

[Freddyfred]

Hi there,
I usually explain this way:
If you are going to share the information with someone else, then its best to control it. If I was the person who made the document and is the only person using the document and not sharing it with anyone, then it may not need to be controlled.

 

[Marc]

Criteria for what documents must be controlled are not dependent upon whether only 1 person is using the document and it is the person who authored the document. It is often the case where one person authors a document, but it is not shared, that the document is controlled by that one person.

Whether a document must be controlled depends upon the type and use of the document whether it is "shared" or not.

 

[kgott]

My question is how do you control flowcharts that are hung in the work place? These flows also have written work instructions. I believe that all need controlled. My management is asking, can't we just hang for awareness? If both documents need controlled what would the best way to control them? Having a difficult time explaining that these are quality documents (flow charts) and there needs to be some type of control. Can someone please advice me. Thanks

All ISO 9001 requires for a document to be controlled is a revision status, nothing else.

Adding a title or name and company logo are additional controls that can be added. A title makes the document immediately distinguishable from any other document and a company logo ties it to the business.

Stamping a document 'controlled copy' does not of itself make it controlled.

 

[Marc]

And this is how easy it is for a small company with Excel: https://Elsmar.com/pdf_files/Doc_Matrix.pdf