Covering Quality Manager/QMR JD (Job Description) with QMR Roles in Manual?

[beh anderson - 2010]

Thanks for the advice, Steel. Cause I just need to more understand on the stituation due to some of the senior auditor (internal) was keep saying why I don't prepare the QMR JD although I have present the role of QMR with appointment letter & the Quality Manual also which is stated the role of QMR.

Any way, thanks a lot for the advice from you all that confident me.

 

[Randy]

I'd accept a "Post-it" note if the org stated it was appropriate

 

[joshua_sx1]

Re: Quality Manager JD can cover with QMR JD?

OK, One of my pet peeves is auditors thinking that you have to have an appointment letter. I think this is just so bogus. If you were hired to be the janitor, did you get an appointment letter? If you were hired to perform the duties of the MR do you need an appointment letter? Why does it matter if you have a non-value added piece of paper if you know you are the MR, the management knows and accepts you as an MR, and everyone else knows you are the MR (or at least that you are the ISO person if they don't understand MR)? Arghghghgh..My role as MR is defined in the quality manual and is accepted as proof by my quality registrar. We did the same thing for our Environmental MR, and the EMS Registrar auditor insisted that we do a letter! How stupid is that?

OK, I will step down from the now, but the mention of an appointment letter is like a red cape in front of a bull to me. Why have an appointment letter for one position in the company, but everyone else has jobs without an appointment letter?

On my POV, an appointment letter clarifying who has been appointed by the top management as to be their Management Representative is not a bogus… it may be redundant to other, but very effective to others and definitely clarify so many uncertainties….. specifically if your MR job descriptions are not incorporated to the person who was assigned as MR… (in your case, and in many cases I have seen, it is already incorporated to their job descriptions that is why an appointment letter would become a non-value added piece of paper)…

…if you are going to appoint your janitor as your MR, the more you will be needing an appointment letter for him as the top management designated MR – since “janitor” would have different job descriptions than MR… even ISO standard specifies the requirement of appointed person as MR who, irrespective of other responsibilities shall have responsibility and authority as stated in the standards… this will help your appointed janitor to perform his duty as MR… and moreover, receive respect from others as having an authority toward quality management system…

…I never mentioned that an appointment letter is a red carpet… that idea is BS, I totally agree!... but then again, I would stand to the point that you have to have an evidence that the organization top management has appointed someone else, irrespective of his other duties, specifically if the MR duties & responsibilities are not incorporated on his hierarchy job descriptions…

 

[Raffy]

Hi anderson,
In our company the QMR was appointed by the Top Management, likewise the QMR is also our QA Manager. A letter was prepared and approved by one of our top management and we kept it as evidence. As long as he or she can show competence and what standard requires, I don’t think the auditor will raise a major nonconformity.
Raffy

 

[CliffK]

Re: Quality Manager JD can cover with QMR JD?

…if you are going to appoint your janitor as your MR, the more you will be needing an appointment letter for him as the top management designated MR – since “janitor” would have different job descriptions than MR… even ISO standard specifies the requirement of appointed person as MR who, irrespective of other responsibilities shall have responsibility and authority as stated in the standards… this will help your appointed janitor to perform his duty as MR… and moreover, receive respect from others as having an authority toward quality management system…

I would stand to the point that you have to have an evidence that the organization top management has appointed someone else, irrespective of his other duties, specifically if the MR duties & responsibilities are not incorporated on his hierarchy job descriptions…

A document is one form of evidence, but not the only form. I would be less concerned about documents and more concerned about what's actually happening in the company. Looking for an appointment letter or words in a job description is a waste of audit time, in my opinion.

The time would be better spent verifying, for example, that:
- the person is well versed in the issues presented at the management review and knows the status of the action items arising from it,
- personnel are aware of the importance of meeting requirements,
- the person has good knowledge of the operation and status of the QMS and how the QMS processes are established, implemented and maintained,
- the QMS processes are actually implemented and maintained.

If any of those ingredients are missing, the MR position is only a paper tiger, regardless of the words in the appointment letter or job description. If these requirements are effectively implemented, why worry about a document?

 

[CliffK]

I'd accept a "Post-it" note if the org stated it was appropriate

Would you accept the word of top management?

 

[howste]

Would you accept the word of top management?

I would for ISO 9001, TS 16949, and AS9100. For ISO 13485 it needs to be documented.

 

[KateE]

Hi,

This is slightly off topic, but having just attended and passed a lead auditor's course, I have come back to our QMS with my eyes wide open! Firstly I'm gobsmacked that we were given ISO 9001:2000 registration in the first place and secondly how we have maintained it through 4 surveillance audits including a full re-audit.

Anyway, I have, in the past, looked at re-doing much of our QMS, and now I'm determined to do it - starting with actually writing a job description for a Quality Manager / Management Representative! I've been doing it for 4 years, but with no kind of job spec.

Anyway, what do you guys think of this...

Key responsibilities and accountabilities:
1. Ensure that the processes needed for the quality management system are established and implemented.
2. Maintenance of the quality management system.
3. Report to top management on the performance of the quality management system.
4. Report to top management regarding any need for improvement to the quality management system.
5. Ensure the promotion of the awareness of customer requirements throughout the organisation.
6. Chair of the management review meeting.
7. Production and delivery of the management review meeting minutes.
8. Production of audit programme.
9. Internal auditing of the processes in the quality management system.
10. Management of Corrective Action plans
11. Management of Preventative action plans.


Can you think of anything else to add? Please note that I do perform the internal audits (not of my dept as i'm aslo a project manager) and i have pretty much sole responsibility for the whole system (we are a small company of 30 staff).