Documenting an outsourced process - Distribution company with some manufacturing

[mproszkow]

Greetings! My company currently has manufacturing and distribution departments. We're looking to seperate them more definitively (for various reasons.) However, the manufacturing "division" will always be closely linked to the distribution "division" since manufacturing obtains most of the material it uses from the distribution department, not to mention things like Purchasing, Shipping, HR/Training, etc.

The company was first (and still foremost) a distribution company with little manufacturing experience. They brought in myself and a few other folks with mfg experience to run this side of the business. Although we are ISO 9001 certified, its more of a show piece than a tool which we live by. The QMS of the company (and staff even) generally ignore the Mfg. division.

I however fully intend to use ISO 9001 for its intended purpose in our Mfg. division. With that said, mgmt has tasked me to essentially re-certify this division independently, as if we are a secondary branch to the main company.

With that said, in my process turtles, Purchasing for example is one of our processes, but it is performed by the Distribution department and technically not by any part of our division.

My question is, how do I document this? Do I just not have a purchasing process in this division? Do I have a purchasing process, but just document it simply as an outsourced process?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Jen Kirley]

Re: Documenting an outsourced process

This sounds like some kind of spider web. I applaud your intent to bring your division up to standards.

If you don't do purchasing, it wouldn't be one of your processes. It's not unheard of for sister sites to cover certain processes. It's not outsourcing, just a design of the business: This division does ABC, and that division does XYZ. I would only include processes your division is responsible for when making process maps.

Eventually I forsee some problem could arise by the Mfg. division getting "generally ignored". But that is not your concern - you have enough to worry about.

 

[Marc]

Re: Documenting an outsourced process

The key to this is how you document what part you DO play in the whole process. For example, how do you get information to purchasing when you have to purchase something? You may define purchasing as an outsourced process, but just as if you are sending something out to be plated or machined you have to identify what information is communicated to the plater or machine shop and how. And... The other end has to be covered as well (receipt of what was outsourced).