Evidence of Continual Improvement

[C Emmons]

During the last couple of audits our auditor has pushed for evidence of continual improvement suggesting that he would like to see some kind of log with ongoing progress notes, dates etc. The problem I have is trying to control 20 different managers at 20 different facilities into keeping the logs/notes. Just does not happen. I am looking for suggestions and or input as far as how other companies are handling this?

 

[Icy Mountain]

Quality Objectives

This is in the ISO9001:2000 forum so you must have Quality Objectives. (At the risk of sounding like Jim Wade, you should have Quality Objectives whether you are ISO or not). Read 8.5.1. Present your positive trends for the measurables in your Quality Objectives to show you are observant of your Quality Policy. Show your audit results (Findings, corrective action, finding of acceptable corrective action). You must have a documented procedure for CA/PA. Show your actions that support 8.5.2 a-f and 8.5.3 a-e. Finally, show your management review I/O (evidence of 5.6.2 and 5.6.3). Hopefully, there are objectives, responsibilities and due dates set here. If you are meeting the intent of the sections listed above the answers to your auditors questions are in the standard. Show them the standard and how you meet it. Do not create yet another paperwork system to show an auditor and depress your 20 managers. (Now I really sound like JW!).

 

[BadgerMan]

I would suggest some type of simple database (we use Access) that could be used by all the different managers to record their CI activities. This would standardize the reporting and help facilitate the sharing of best practices.

 

[Groo3]

I can't say that our system is anything like yours, but hopefully this will help by showing you another perspective. Only our Site and one manufacturing building down the road are covered under our registration. We use a "canned" software package (IBS / QSI System 9000A / System 14000 Integrated) at my facility which helps us with compliance to the ISO-9001 / 16949 / 14000 requirements (though we are not yet registered to 16949 nor 14000), and helps us centralize, manage and control a lot of information in a few locations.

To document continuous improvements, we review the efforts of all our Departments at our Management Review meetings. Improvement efforts as well as measures against our goals and objectives, and any resulting Actions... these efforts are recorded in our Management Review database (MR meeting minutes and Actions).

Other continuous improvement efforts are recorded in our Change Management and Preventive Actions databases.

As for suggestions? with 20 managers at 20 locations, you may want to have a central system that each of those 20 managers can enter their notes in... Either make it easier for these individuals to provide you with information, or find the information elsewhere? Are they not providing you with information because they don't understand why you need to have it? If so, further explaination / training may help to get that information flowing? Periodically, we provide our Leadership Team with a full day or two of training on the ISO-9000 Standards. We typically see more cooperation as a result of that training.

One last thing which may ensure they would update their logs / notes would depend on who the boss is? have you / can you make it part of their jobs to provide you with that information? are their raises / reviews conditional on how well they communicated their logs / notes? When faced with that brick wall - if all else fails, I either go above the wall or around it...

 

[howste]

8.5.1 only specifies what "tools" should be used for continual improvement. There is no requirement to have logs of notes showing activities and such (other than records of corrective & preventive actions). To me, evidence of continual improvement is not shown by tracking use of the tools, but by the results.

If it's been done right, top management has determined objectives that are key to the success of the business. The best evidence of continual improvement is a trend in the right direction for the objectives showing that the business is improving.

 

[Wes Bucey]

During the last couple of audits our auditor has pushed for evidence of continual improvement suggesting that he would like to see some kind of log with ongoing progress notes, dates etc. The problem I have is trying to control 20 different managers at 20 different facilities into keeping the logs/notes. Just does not happen. I am looking for suggestions and or input as far as how other companies are handling this?

I'm not quite sure what you define as "continual improvement" in your organization. Here's what my Quality Manual says on the subject:
8.5.1 Continual improvement

We have documented procedures to define the activities involved in improvement of any process including corrective and preventive actions which apply to actual or potential nonconformance.

We implement elimination of causes to the degree appropriate to the magnitude of problems and proportionate with the risks encountered.
(This simply means we sometimes make a value judgement whether the scope of the project is small enough to make it cost effective to simply screen out non-conforming parts rather than invest a large capital amount in equipment or facilities to cure the root problem.)

We maintain records of these activities and notify customers as required.


Are we talking apples and apples or apples and oranges? Perhaps if you have a clear definition of what your organization terms continual improvement activities, the logs might not be so voluminous or burdensome for staff to maintain. If you don't keep a record of the activity, how do you evaluate what worked or didn't work in the past?

 

[Icy Mountain]

8.5.1 only specifies what "tools" should be used for continual improvement. There is no requirement to have logs of notes showing activities and such (other than records of corrective & preventive actions). To me, evidence of continual improvement is not shown by tracking use of the tools, but by the results.

If it's been done right, top management has determined objectives that are key to the success of the business. The best evidence of continual improvement is a trend in the right direction for the objectives showing that the business is improving.

My point exactly (only better stated). Don't create a new process (a logbook) to prove this to an auditor. The positive RESULTS and TRENDS are your best evidence of continal improvement. You should have them already!

 

[Jay Sturgeon]

I agree with Icy.

 

[M Greenaway]

Our external auditor merely asked to name a couple of improvment intitiatives that had been done over the past year !

Could have been anything, from re-carpeting reception to buying a piece of plant.

I find a lot of people see these requirements of ISO9001 in isolation to each other. For example they set objectives, they measure process performance but not against objectives, they then quote examples of continuous improvement not related to process measures or quality objectives - is it me or is this bleedin daft !!