Feedback on Quality Objectives

[imwilliam]

Hello All,

Keeping in mind I’m a one-man shop, I’m looking for some thoughts/feedback on the following quality objectives:

Acme widgets will engage in activity it considers likely to decrease risk and increase efficiency from year to year

Acme widgets will engage in activity it considers likely to increase competence from year to year.


In the first, I see this activity occurring in the form of projects that decrease risk and increase efficiency. An example might be project where I un-silo some information or audit some files for completeness/accuracy. Might be a project to decide on and gather an inventory of spare parts that lessen the risk/mitigate the impact of a machines breaking down

In the second, I see this activity as continuing education in whatever form that might take, online classes for example. Also, might be some sort of research project.

The projects would be planed, monitored and evaluated through short periodic reports. A wrap up report of sorts at the end of the year would be written to evaluate the overall work undertaken under each objective.

Again, it’s a small shop, many common data sets are likewise small and that limits the value of statistical evaluation and therefore some of the value inherent in quantitative measurements. These objectives are qualitatively measurable and some of the projects that take place under them might have include some quantitative measurements.

I really like these, the more time I spend with them the more I like them, but don't hold back. I'd rather hash out any problems here rather than in a cert audit.

Appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you might have.

Thanks

 

[Steve Prevette]

Seems to me a first step is to define, for your case, what do you mean by risk, efficiency, and competence. How would you "know" and "see" changes in those three things. You have listed some specific initiatives that you expect will favorably affect these things. However, how will you know and see that the activities had an effect?

 

[Funboi]

Quality objectives should be based around product/customer needs. So, doing things on time and to specification can be cascaded to nearly all your processes. Talking about risk and such is a complication which is, IMHO, entirely unnecessary.
Quotes: right first time, delivered on time (whatever you commit to)
Product made: right first time, delivered on time.
Eqiupment maintained: on time, to maintenance required (spec)

 

[geoffairey]

Objectives should be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relative and Time Bound. This helps you know if you’ve achieved them.

So while the above are great aims, you need to go further e.g. for your third aim, the objective
could be Complete a course about X by March 2023 where X could help you improve the quality of your product or your knowledge of appropriate rules, laws, regulation in your industry.

you then need to create a plan to achieve each objective.

 

[imwilliam]

Thanks for your reply Steve.

Seems to me a first step is to define, for your case, what do you mean by risk, efficiency, and competence. How would you "know" and "see" changes in those three things. You have listed some specific initiatives that you expect will favorably affect these things. However, how will you know and see that the activities had an effect?

I think the definition of efficiency found in ISO 9000 2015 works for me here, "relationship between the result achieved and the resources used". If through experience I'm aware of inefficiencies here, and I am, and I eliminate or ameliorate to some degree those inefficiencies then I'd say I'd increased efficiency.

For some reason, I don't care for the bit about "ability to apply" when defining competence. I'd just define competence as knowledge or skills necessary to complete a task. But If as a result of the referenced activities, I can answer yes to any of the following:

Can I do a task I couldn't do before?
Can I do a task with less effort?
Can I produce a better part?

I'd say that's an increase in competence. That's how I'd "recognize" an increase in competence.

Risk I'd define as exposure to bad outcomes, non-conformance, if you like. If I'm shutting down opportunities for non-conformity to occur, I'm decreasing risk. So, have the activities referenced in the objective shut down opportunities for non-conformity? If the answer is yes than I'd say they've decreased risk.

 

[Steve Prevette]

Sounds like a good analysis. With efficiency you are primarily looking at "goes-ins" and "goes-outs". I do usually recommend looking at what "goes-ins" went out as waste, or required re-work. A lot of folks don't track re-work.

A key thing I'd look at with competencies is - how many tasks are you "single point safe" in terms of only one person can possibly to do it, and how many times do you have the outcome of either not accepting work or delays in work due to critical person(s) not being available.

"Risk" is perhaps the hardest to cover, but starting with at least tracking bad outcomes can help, and you may be able to identify causes of those bad outcomes.

 

[imwilliam]

Hey Funboi,

Quality objectives should be based around product/customer needs. So, doing things on time and to specification can be cascaded to nearly all your processes. Talking about risk and such is a complication which is, IMHO, entirely unnecessary.
Quotes: right first time, delivered on time (whatever you commit to)
Product made: right first time, delivered on time.
Eqiupment maintained: on time, to maintenance required (spec)

You're right.

I considered objectives similar to on time and to spec and they are absolutely critical KPI's here, as I imagine they are in most businesses. Here, in my situation, they would have required very little from me as objectives and I imagine would have met the requirements of the standard.

But I'm hoping to use the objectives to accomplish some things here I've wanted to accomplish for some time, drive some action and change and because we don't have any serious issues with timely deliveries, parts to spec, or the like I don't think objectives directly related to those will accomplish what I'd like to.

These will be more work than absolutely necessary, but in this case, I see value in the added work.

Thanks Fun

 

[imwilliam]

Hello Geoffairey,

Objectives should be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relative and Time Bound. This helps you know if you’ve achieved them.

So while the above are great aims, you need to go further e.g. for your third aim, the objective
could be Complete a course about X by March 2023 where X could help you improve the quality of your product or your knowledge of appropriate rules, laws, regulation in your industry.

you then need to create a plan to achieve each objective.

One of the activities under the competency objective is almost exactly what you describe above, a course completed by a given date.

But I wanted the "official objectives" to be more strategic than tactical, so a bit broader a bit more flexible. I'd like them to drive change, maybe channel it in an overall direction, give that change a theme maybe. I think the standard allows for this.

Thanks Geoffairey

 

[Funboi]

But I'm hoping to use the objectives to accomplish some things here I've wanted to accomplish for some time, drive some action

Isn’t that called “improvement”? Once you know - objectively - you are meeting the (SMART) objectives?

 

[imwilliam]

Isn’t that called “improvement”? Once you know - objectively - you are meeting the (SMART) objectives?

Not sure I'm following you, Fun. Can you elaborate?