Help explaining the need for the Process Approach

[WNQuality]

I’ve recently been given the responsibility of the QMS at the company where I work. Although we are an AS9100 registered company the way the QMS operates is very procedure and clause based. During our last audit the registrar made it very clear that if this didn’t change to a process based system by the next audit it would result in a NC. I don’t disagree with the assessment of our QMS. We don’t have any clearly defined processes or corresponding KPIs. That’s not to say we don’t measure a lot of things, as a manufacturing company we track all of the typical stuff, but it’s not well organized.

I explained the situation to our president and he would like me to give a presentation to the senior staff at the next QMR why we should transition to a process based system (an overall concept of the process approach, how the company would benefit, etc). I obviously need to make the right pitch, since without their buy-in; I’m sunk before I can start.

I would appreciate any advice you may have if you’ve done this type of thing before.

Many thanks in advance

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Ok, Let's see here...

I know little about AS9100, but a little more about processes, and the benefits of a process approach. The major benefit, as I see it, is that it provides you with a good overview of what you do and what makes you tick.

Processes often span through several departments, and in the old days we typically wrote procedures departmentwise rather than processwise, thereby chopping them up into pieces. I.e, we described what happened to a certain process within a certain department, largely ignoring what other departments did. As a result trouble often brewed in the interface between departments where things could become rather confused.

The same problem occurs if you focus too much on (standard?) clauses. You may cover them very nicely, one at the time while, while still losing track of your processes.

Using the process approach, on the other hand, allows you to follow the flow and see the inputs required to achieve the required outputs much more clearly.

 

[John Broomfield]

WolfNiesing,

Your process-based management system more naturally reflects the way your company does business.

It focuses everyone on converting the needs of customers into cash in the bank. It highlights any blockage or impediment for removal by preventive action or corrective action.

It makes full use of your process experts as process owners instead of someone who has studied the standard. It has everyone working for the good of the company and its customers instead of keeping a certificate.

And do not worry about your certificate, by focusing on your processes instead of the standard your natural management system will more readily conform to the standard.

I wish you well in moving from artificial ISO System to appreciating your natural process-based organizational management system; name it for your company.

Let us know how it goes,

John

 

[harry]

........................ I explained the situation to our president and he would like me to give a presentation to the senior staff at the next QMR why we should transition to a process based system (an overall concept of the process approach, how the company would benefit, etc). I obviously need to make the right pitch, since without their buy-in; I’m sunk before I can start. .........................

Use this document as reference - ISO 9000 Introduction and Support Package:
Guidance on the Concept and Use of the Process Approach for management systems

 

[kgott]

You have been given some excellent advice so all there is for me to add it that helps to see things in terms of processes not procedures. Think of it this way. Work gets done in processes. Individual descrete activities constitute a process.

A process is a series of interconnected activities and a series of interconnected processes is a system.

Your organisation leadership needs to plan and design how they want those process and systems to work. You then document them and ensure everyone knows what the relevant parts of those processes are that apply to the work they do and that they are applying those parts of the process and system to their work.

You then audit how well its working or 'how close is the fit' between the theory and the practice. You point out to management where things are not right and management fixes it.