How to know how many procedures are too many?

J

jenrl16

#1
I have started putting together a QMS for a very small company. They want a good QMS in place and they also want to get ISO certification.
I know that ISO requires documenting the six required procedures, but I was wondering if I should go into detail about all the procedures of the company (since there aren't many). And should these procedures all be written up separately?
I have already finished the flow chart, but was wondering if I should go into detail for procedures such as sales, shipping, receiving, etc...or should I put these under job descriptions??
Thank you.
 
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Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Staff member
Admin
#2
Re: Procedures question....too many?

Welcome to The Cove! :bigwave:

I think the consensus here will be to not overdo it: to create just enough procedures with enough detail to define, guide, understand the success of and improve whatever it is that has a significant impact on what you do that makes your customers happy. This involves both making stuff and necessary service, and could include things that aren't specifically called for by the standard - as your organization sees fit.

Keeping it simple is usually better than going to a lot of unneeded detail, which I call "audit traps." Your procedures can take the form of mostly flow charts or they can be written out as text. What's right depends on what would work best for the people using them to successfully do their jobs.

I hope this helps!
 

Colin

Quite Involved in Discussions
#3
Re: Procedures question....too many?

I often ask the question "would having a documented procedure provide any benefits to the process?" when trying to decide the answer to this question.

I agree with Jennifer that there is no need to complicate things but on the other hand, there needs to be control over the processes and a documented procedure is often effective in providing this control.

I recently put in a system for a small company (9 people) where sales, purchasing and production was addressed in 1 flowchart and the company are really please because it outlines the process but does not make things unwieldy.
 

Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#4
Re: Procedures question....too many?

If the person needs something written to do something, then document it. If a person can do a task or job without an 'instruction', don't write one. There are only a few *documented* procedures required by the standard.

One of the most common problems has for years (there's a Dilbert cartoon on it somewhere here) been companies that over document.
 
J

jenrl16

#5
Thank you for your responses! Would a simple flow chart for each procedure balance overdoing it and not doing enough?
This company has a very specific way of doing things and a new employee coming in would definitely benefit from explained procedures.
 

Colin

Quite Involved in Discussions
#6
Flowcharts are fine - as long as the people who use them can work with them OK. What I mean is that just because we like them does not mean that everyone does.
 

Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#7
Would a simple flow chart for each procedure balance overdoing it and not doing enough?
There are a lot of different examples people have posted here. Make sure you look at some and decide on a format which will include enough information.
 
S

Sam4Quality

#8
Originally Posted by jenrl16


Thank you for your responses! Would a simple flow chart for each procedure balance overdoing it and not doing enough?
This company has a very specific way of doing things and a new employee coming in would definitely benefit from explained procedures.
I think your main concern should be (which you are already concerned about!:D) to develop a 'good QMS' that will benefit the organization's processes, in line with the standards requirements.

Flowcharts can be detailed as well as simple (in your case the latter), and are tools to help understand a single process or a set of internlinked processes visually. However, simple flowcharts do not, in most cases, explain the process in detail (Who, What, Why, When etc), and detailed ones that do, can screw with an employee's grey cells :confused:, trying to figure out inter-connected complex zig-zag lines and boxes often frustating them. I personally love flowcharts, because I love visual explanations than something to have to read.

But again, like you mentioned, your company has a specific way of doing things, so be it. Document procedures, in specific detail, detailed only enough to justify the adequacy of the processes. Don't forget, like Jennifer and others have emphasized, to keep it simple and avoid overdoing it.

All in all, a simple and adequate concoction of flowcharts and documented procedures is what I recommend. Bon Appetite!

Ciao.:cool:

__________________________
Sincerely, SAM

"To achieve the impossible, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought!"
 
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