Implementing ISO 9001 - Problems - Opposition all around

[michelle8075]

Thanks to everyone for very helpful advice. I truly apprecite it. There are just some days that you need to know that you are not in it alone!

I am definatly going to try many of your techniques that are posted.

 

[Phil P]

Hi Michelle,

If you're already QS-9000 then ISO 9001:2000 should be a breeze. The company that I worked for looked at QS and found the requirements too stringent for us so we introduced 9001 (with no real problems).

I also found many people thought that the introduction would make extra work for no good reason, but I won them round either through identfiying ways in which the changes would help them (such as automating simple tasks) or by emphasising the positives (in extreme cases by holding meeting in which directors were present - I did have backing of directors and this is essential).

Look for ways to reduce workload through increased efficiency (for example I posted all docs, registers, appropiate records etc) on an Intranet, this reduced time spent chasing people for information and automated a load of simple time-consuming tasks.

Lastly, there may be many things that each department would like to change, so give them a chance by going through each process. Try and make them see that change is not always a negative.

 

[michelle8075]

Hi Michelle,

If you're already QS-9000 then ISO 9001:2000 should be a breeze. The company that I worked for looked at QS and found the requirements too stringent for us so we introduced 9001 (with no real problems).

I also found many people thought that the introduction would make extra work for no good reason, but I won them round either through identfiying ways in which the changes would help them (such as automating simple tasks) or by emphasising the positives (in extreme cases by holding meeting in which directors were present - I did have backing of directors and this is essential).

Look for ways to reduce workload through increased efficiency (for example I posted all docs, registers, appropiate records etc) on an Intranet, this reduced time spent chasing people for information and automated a load of simple time-consuming tasks.

Lastly, there may be many things that each department would like to change, so give them a chance by going through each process. Try and make them see that change is not always a negative.

Hi Phil,

I have presented to the Executive Committee and all the Managers that many things we have in place now, we can move to ISO. I have also told them that it would be easier than starting from the beginning. They still fight it. For example, we are reviewing the current processes to see if there is anything that we are missing from the new Standard. In a meeting, I am presenting it as "this is your time to let us know what is not working for you and to improve it". It is so sad, but there are meetings where we come up with lots and lots of useful information, and how people here want the processes to improve, but we have no real "authority" around here. It is a very different company I work for. I have never worked for a company that like this.

I think too, for a long time, they thought of Quality as their other job. I know this is going to be a struggle, but I would like them to have a sense that this is just good business, and that we are leading the way for new, innovative ideas because we don't have to focus on how to operate our business. It is like Herbert Maslows Higharcy of Needs, ISO is the base, you have to do this in order for your business to move up.

 

[vanputten]

Have the President and Owner describe their reasoning for requiring an ISO 9001 system. And I don't mean the "Becasue I said so." Direction, including justification for the program, needs to come from the top. Awareness and compentency of the benfits of a management system is attained through training and education. Awareness leads to understanding which can lead to knowledge.

Good luck, Dirk

 

[RoxaneB]

For example, we are reviewing the current processes to see if there is anything that we are missing from the new Standard. In a meeting, I am presenting it as "this is your time to let us know what is not working for you and to improve it". It is so sad, but there are meetings where we come up with lots and lots of useful information, and how people here want the processes to improve...

Not to sound like I'm disagreeing with your approach, Michelle, but how can you focus on improvement if you still have gaps in the processes? How can you improve the system, when you having missing items? I would find it frustrating, as well. I mean, how can we improve how we treat Nonconforming Product if we do not have a solid system in place, already?

...but we have no real "authority" around here.

So who does have this "authority" and why are they not involved in this process?

 

[qualeety]

a gap analysis

disclaimer....hi michelle, if you done a gap analysis, please ignore the following

hat did you present to the excutive committee and managers?....did you show the results of a gap analysis?.....if not, why don't you start over.......first and foremost, you must know what you are up against (if you follow sun tzu's art of war)...then you must divide and conquer.....a bad choice of words maybe but i found people behave better one on one, rather than as a group (although others might disagree).......pick and choose individuals who are responsible for the missing gaps and work with them.....try to help them...when you filled all the gaps......only then, as suggested by rcb, you can try to improve....btw, just for fun, try the attached gap analysis checklist and tell us how well you did.... .....who knows you may not be facing a goliath....


Gap Analysis Grading System

Grade Meaning
0 Not aware
1 Established (awareness and all verbal)
2 Documented (procedure)
3 Implemented (records 0 - 6 months)
4 Maintained (records more than 6 months)
5 Improved (change in procedure & revised records)

 

[qualitygoddess - 2010]

I have presented to the Executive Committee and all the Managers that many things we have in place now, we can move to ISO. I have also told them that it would be easier than starting from the beginning. They still fight it.

I think too, for a long time, they thought of Quality as their other job. I know this is going to be a struggle, but I would like them to have a sense that this is just good business, and that we are leading the way for new, innovative ideas because we don't have to focus on how to operate our business.

Michelle:

Maybe I am misinterpreting some of this, but is management really supporting the transition? What are they fighting? Why do they think quality is "their other job"? Is it senior management or middle management that seems to be blocking the progress? You mentioned in another post that people had good ideas for improving processes, but without authority to affect change. Why?

Not to be so negative here, but it seems that the roadblocks are not only wide, but high! :truce: Maybe everyone needs to read the ISO guidance document on the IOS website and really embrace the management principles! If management is really blocking progress, and not doling out authority, the president might need to do a "quality intervention" and get everyone on the same page. You are working hard, but the hill is really steep! Bring in the heavy mining equipment and good luck!

http://www.iso.org/iso/en/iso9000-14000/iso9000/qmp.html

--QG

 

[Paul Simpson]

Managing change - historically difficult

I can only agree with all of the above. Managing change is one of the most difficult skills in business today. There is much doctorate level research about change implementation out there. Three key themes (IMHO) appear

• Senior management involvement
• Communication of the reason for and process for change
• Involvement of all levels in the change process

If all of the above is not in place it will be impossible, even with all three it will be a struggle. That is our challenge.

As has already been mentioned ISO implementation is just another change. The down side is that there is already a poor perception of ISO out there.

 

[jyngers]

. Managing change is one of the most difficult skills in business today.

Its really hard to introduce change specially if the top management is not that firm on their decision. The things is, when we introduce change and the top management approved. When its time for implementation, and there's a manager who eventually didnt feel like following the change or improvement, then the top management will change their mind and will tell us that we should not impose anything or probably we're too strict about it.... HELLO!!!!!! IMPROVEMENT.... we need that!!!!

You're also right that after the audit, people would think...Its finally over... Over!?

Thanks for this forum... at least there are REAL people who shares my predicament.

 

[Cari Spears]

Managing change is one of the most difficult skills in business today.

To some degree, most people resist change - even the most open minded. I am still in a tizzy because the gal in the office bought white out with the sponge applicator instead of the brush!!

Where I work now is by far the best job I've ever had in a lot of respects, but it didn't really start out that way. One of the reasons - I believe - that I have managed to be an effective "change agent" (here and elsewhere), is that I always try to tie our efforts in to a dollar amount - increased profit or decreased spending - and I rarely use the word ISO (as has been stated above already); when I hear someone say something like "We have to get that corrective action done for the ISO", I say "No sir - we have to do this corrective action because we don't want this to happen again because the rework or scrap cost this much money and because our customer is not happy."

When someone says something like "ISO is just a bunch of red tape - it's going to make all this extra work"; I say "The standard tells us what we have to do - we decide how to do it. We decide whether it's simple or complex." I don't make mountains out of molehills and I don't implement things that are not value added or just to make an auditor happy.

Some things I do that don't usually show up in other peoples lists:

*I insist to all prospective employers that I am exempt from any dress code - visual barrier. I know when customers or auditors are coming in and I will dress appropriately; any other day I want to be able to run out to the floor and blend right in. The fact that I started out sweeping floors and running machines and moved up through the ranks carries a lot of weight with the guys I work with - they don't consider me a "suit". (This one is based entirely on my experiences and the fact that I'm frequently the only girl. The kind of places I like to work - a girl in a skirt is, at best, distracting - at worst, not taken seriously.)

*I always say that 50% of my success at a job is my knowledge and my ability to research (if I don't know the answer, I know where to find it), and 50% is my personality. I am friendly and likeable - I treat everyone the same - from the guy who signs my paycheck to the guy who empties my garbage everyday. I say good morning to everyone with a smile; I'm quick with a compliment and I always pass the kudos on to their supervisor(s); I listen to whatever anyone has to say - if I disagree, we discuss - I don't argue.

*If I'm not able to get someone to do something, I don't have a fit. I document, document, document my efforts and I continually bring the matter up in management review - when it comes back to bite someone in the butt, my butt's covered and my stomach is ulser-free.

Lastly - if I don't have management support, even with all of my best efforts, I go work somewhere else. Not always easy, I know - I've had to hold on to a crappy job long enough to find something else - but I reach a certain point and I make up my mind to look elsewhere.