Help me understand how to define Processes

[thira7]

Hi i am an intern in an NGO and we are trying to implement a quality system. Can you please help me to understand how i can define processes shall i include in the quality manual.

 

[John Broomfield]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

Hi i am an intern in an NGO and we are trying to implement a quality system. Can you please help me to understand how i can define processes shall i include in the quality manual.

thira,

I recommend you use deployment flowcharts so everyone can see how their system works.

Have you analyzed the NGO's core process for converting the needs of its customers into ongoing funding?

From this you will see how your NGO interacts with its customers and the other agencies that are essential to the fulfillment of its mission.

You will also see the sequence and interaction of the key processes in your core process. Each of these key processes should be owned by the person who knows it. Work with that person to analyze and capture that process as it actually works to fulfill its objectives. Again, if you use a deployment flowchart you will see the steps (as tasks) in the process, who is involved with each step and the interactions of process team members as they work to fulfill the process objective.

The deployment flowchart for each key process (no longer than one page) can also be used as the documented procedure. Do not delve into detail of how a task is completed unless absolutely necessary. Then use a single-page word-processed instruction.

You'll need to design your document coding scheme before you start documenting your management system. A-B-C (D) could show the doc type, responsible function and number with the issue status in the parentheses. Issue status could be "draft review comments requested" indicated by a letter and "issued for use and improvement" indicated by a number. Use these codes to cross-link your system documents where the processes interact and where a procedure refers to an instruction or a form.

I hope this gets you started.

John

 

[Ajit Basrur]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

Hi i am an intern in an NGO and we are trying to implement a quality system. Can you please help me to understand how i can define processes shall i include in the quality manual.

Welcome to the Cove

Refer to my earlier response for a related thread - http://Elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=504306&postcount=7

 

[kgott]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

Hi i am an intern in an NGO and we are trying to implement a quality system. Can you please help me to understand how i can define processes shall i include in the quality manual.

A series of interconnected actions is a process. A series of processes is a system.

Everything we do is a process. Driving a car, cooking a meal, using software, doing the things that consistitute our work, playing sport, using a remote control, shopping, making beds etc, are all processes.

 

[Rashmi001]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

Hi i am an intern in an NGO and we are trying to implement a quality system. Can you please help me to understand how i can define processes shall i include in the quality manual.

When I had to learn this "quality stuff" it really helped me to sit down with a large piece of paper and coloured pens and draw a sort of mind map of our processes and how these interacted with each other. I found our QI (incidents/improvements) system was the central part of the QMS.

You may have relevant ISO standards for your business- buy a copy and cross-ref your quality manual against these too.

 

[Colin]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

This subject has been covered many times before so a search will reveal lots of good stuff. Here is 1 example http://Elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?p=431913#post431913

I hope that I am not causing further confusion but I try to differentiate between those processes which are specifically related to making/delivering the product/service (inelegantly called realisation processes in ISO 9001) and those which support the achievement of them.

 

[thira7]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

Yes this is what i need . How i can specify the processes which will be part of the quality manual based on ISO 9001.

 

[John Broomfield]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

Yes this is what i need . How i can specify the processes which will be part of the quality manual based on ISO 9001.

thira7,

Study ISO 9001, particularly clauses 4.1 and clause 7 and you will understand that your processes are unique to your organization. We cannot tell you what they are. But you can work with top management to capture what your organization does to fulfill its mission.

As to the processes explicitly specified by ISO 9001, you will see that you have:

1. Controlling documented information (includes filing, archiving and back-up of electronic information)
2. Setting objectives and managing performance (including continual improvement and reviewing performance)
3. Training (and recruiting is implied for obtaining competent people)
4. Maintaining facilities and equipment
5. Reviewing customer requirements (for opportunities and risks)
6. Designing and changing NGO services (includes risk assessment)
7. Planning to fulfill customer requirements
8. Analyzing data and preventing nonconformity (may be included in 2. above)
9. Selecting suppliers and purchasing conforming goods and services (outsourcing processes?)
10. Controlling nonconforming goods and services
11. Caring for each customer's (and funder's) property
12. Measuring customer satisfaction (may be included in 2. above)
13. Monitoring processes for their effectiveness
14. Auditing the system and its processes for effectiveness
15. Stopping recurrence of nonconformity

You may be able to exclude clause 7.6 per clause 1.2.

But all this depends on how the NGO actually works. Be prepared to learn from the NGO as a system instead of blindly imposing ISO 9001.

Good luck,

John

 

[thira7]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

OK thank you very much . Your response help me a lot

 

[Mazoku]

Re: Help me to understand how I can define Processes

Thira,

I feel your pain. I am currently just a technician/internal auditor for my company and it rests on me to define our processes as we never have before. It is extremely difficult to do this when you are not upper management and do not have access to all business operations and are receiving minimal, if any, help. Unfortunately, many companies management do not realize the importance of defining their processes and how they interact and leave it in the hands of those that really should not be doing the work, i.e... an intern or a tech.