Engineering Process - Drafting a turtle diagram - Seeking examples

[sweetmeg]

Hi

Im currently drafting a turtle diagram for engineering process.can you give an example or what will be my outputs for engineering process.I can't start yet my diagram since i still dont know yet my outputs..Pls help


Sweetmeg

 

[D.Scott]

Hello Sweetmeg,

One of the beauties of using a turtle diagram is that the concept doesn't change. The outputs from your process should always be equal to the expectation of the inputs. The format of the turtle and the logic used in its development are pretty much the same from turtle to turtle.

I notice from previous posts you have been given example turtles for Internal Audits, Shipping, Receiving, Quality Assurance and Employee Motivation. Each of those should illustrate the format and logic employed in using this tool. I would guess there is some area of designing a turtle you aren't comfortable with. Possibly we should be helping you in other ways to give you a better understanding. Maybe for this turtle you could post a turtle diagram showing what you have so far and let the people here help you walk through it a step at a time.

I wonder if a discussion of the thinking that goes into each section of the turtle would help. Others may be able to benefit and/or help still more understand this tool. Any thoughts?

Dave

 

[engjane]

Heres a turtle....perhaps this might help?

A picture paints a thousand words and all that

Jane

 

[baosheng liu]

Thank the #3 for the better document!
Do you have any other turtle diagram?

 

[Patricia Ravanello]

Product Design, Development & Verification Flow Chart

Hi SweetMeg

I think people have misinterpreted the "Turtle Diagram" - there is not "one" turtle diagram for a process such as "Engineering Design"...there are many sub-processes, each with their own input and output.

Doing it the way I see most companies do this, i.e., just dumping all the input and output onto one turtle is not adequate, and adds little value, since a new employee would be hard-pressed to understand his/her responsibilities, and the flow of activities based on one turtle. Further...what is input at one stage, could well be output at another stage, so it becomes a very confusing and counter-productive exercise, trying to decide what box to assign input or output to.

The answer is to flowchart all the steps, and to identify the unique input and output at each stage, along with the associated responsibilities. Where there is a need for more details...it usually appears in the form of a reference to a Work Instruction or another procedure.

Sorry, I don't have time to go into more detail. The attached "Product Realization - Phase 3 - Engineering Design, Development and Verification" flow chart should help...just add you input and output for your facility and product...

Hope this helps,
Patricia

 

[WALLACE]

An alternative visual approach

Here's another alternative approach to visualizing the inputs and outputs to master processes in a turtle type of graphical communication.
The attached image file is a mere representation of what can be done using a great program called "Mind Genius" www.mindgenius.com I'm not associated with the program yet, I have used it for almost 5 years now and, it does a great job of communicating business processes and associated functions in a turtle type format called Mind mapping.
The contained info is kind of rough but, I hope it gives you the big picture.
Wallace.

 

[Patricia Ravanello]

Hi Wallace,

The software looks interesting, but I don't see the value of it. You can't train a person to a new process using it, and I can't imagine how you could begin to audit to this "map", or even create a flow chart from it. It's just not enough to make up for a written procedure or a proper flow chart. It's too cryptic. It's a lot of work, and I can't imagine that the average employee could explain it.

It seems that arrows are indiscriminately used to connect activities and there's no sense of where to begin or end.

Sorry, I give it a thumbs down.

Patricia

 

[WALLACE]

Patricia,
I didn't attach the visual for approval
I said: it was a ""mere representation of what can be done using a great program called "Mind Genius"".

You said; "It seems that arrows are indiscriminately used to connect activities and there's no sense of where to begin or end." Of course they are, I said: "The contained info is kind of rough but, I hope it gives you the big picture."

I do however respect your right to a professional opinion.
Regardless of your particular understanding and use of Turtle maps, I use the said program and other Mind mapping software programs extremely effectively for communicating processes associated with Business and corporate organizational communications.
Wallace.

 

[WALLACE]

Just a FYI Patricia,
Attached is a work instruction the operators of a work process authored using Mind Genius. The program allows for many formats fo use. I believe it took almost 20 minutes to compile and, it was adopted by two shifts.
Wallace.

 

[Patricia Ravanello]

Hi Wallace,

Re: "The contained info is kind of rough but, I hope it gives you the big picture."

I apologize for the unsolicited critique...I'm not in a position to berate the software, but, the problem lies exactly in what you said re:..."I hope it gives you the big picture." Most people don't carry it beyond the "turtle diagram", and so it's value is compromised and the big picture never materializes.

I can see you have gone beyond the turtle, and the software has other applications, such as the operator instructions you've posted.

I think tools like this are excellent for providing consistency and standardization in system documentation.

Thanks for the repartee.
Patricia