Internal Customer Satisfaction - Objective Evaluation

[Andrews]

Internal customer satisfaction

How can you determine internal customer satisfaction objectively? A sample format will help a great deal.

 

[Marc]

That's a good question. I know of no form. Maybe someone does have one in connection with a complaint box or something.

How about it folks, any thoughts on measuring Internal Customer satisfaction?

 

[Howard Atkins]

One of the basic ways are the normal motivation type , absenteism, accidents etc.
Here one can use a questionaire far more effectively than with customer satisfaction.
Relationships between supervisors and staff,
Satisfaction with facilities, cleanliness , food, etc.
Each plant should have an idea of the sort of problems that exist and how to improve them.
Hope this helps.

 

[Al Dyer]

I think we might be mixing apples and oranges.

"Internal Customer Satisfaction" is a requirements of both QS-9000 (4.1.6) and TS-16949 (4.1.1.3) while the tone of this thread seems to refer to employee satisfaction which is required only by TS-16949 section 4.1.6.

Basically, TS-16949 differentiates between the two requirements.

Am I off line here?

 

[Kevin Mader]

Here is my take go along with Howard’s comments:

Who are the internal customers? How have they been identified? What is critical to their satisfaction (critical factors)? How do you monitor these critical factors (by what means)? How do you do at improving their satisfaction of these critical factors?

Many ways, I suppose, including a survey. However, how objective is a survey therefore how good is the data you collect from it? I would think that other means to monitor this might be more objective (absenteeism rates offered by Howard is an excellent example). However, a combination of objective and subjective means might prove to be the best balanced approach.

Regards,

Kevin

 

[Howard Atkins]

I agree that there is a slight difference between the

I think we might be mixing apples and oranges.

"Internal Customer Satisfaction" is a requirements of both QS-9000 (4.1.6) and TS-16949 (4.1.1.3) while the tone of this thread seems to refer to employee satisfaction which is required only by TS-16949 section 4.1.6.

Basically, TS-16949 differentiates between the two requirements.

Am I off line here?

But acording to TS-16949 :2002

6.2.2.5 Employee motivation and empowerment
The organization shall have a process for motivation of employees to achieve quality objectives, to make continual improvements, and create an environment to promote innovation. The process shall include promotion of quality and technological awareness through the whole organization.
The organization shall have a process for measurement to ensure that its personnel are aware of the relevance and importance of their activities and how they contribute to the achievement of the quality objectives (see 6.2.2 d).

This appears to be measuring the commitment to quality not for satisfaction. :truce:
As I understand it internal customer satisfaction is measuring the same criteria as you would measure for external customers. All employees are internal customers so that their expectations from their internal suppliers and the organisation that employes them should be measured.

 

[Unregistered]

Internal Customer Satisfaction

Ok - lets redress....

Internal Customer Satisfaction as a requirement of QS is to do with Product flow and is measured simply by monitoring each stage of a process. There are various methods which we utilise here on site (Reject, Reworks, internal non-Conformances etc).

Is about recognising each stage of a process as the next ones supplier - the Micro system of a business.......

Process control and Partol inspections are the day to day monitor events but all information is gathered and analysed for Management review.

Thanks

J C W

 

[Kevin Mader]

JCW,

Are measures of nonconformance really measures of satisfaction?

Regards,

Kevin

 

[Martijn TVM]

Just some input

I think I agree with whoever wrote surveys might not be as objective, I think that measuring other things are much more usefull like carreer possibilities, abcense, but also efficiency trends, an unhappy employee will work less fast, so if you have an employee with normal 98%efficiency performance dropping down to 80% on the same process, you know that something is wrong, doesn't necessary mean that he/she is having difficulties at work but it could be an indication.

but still if you want to know your satisfaction internally, you will just have to spent time with the people, it might not get you your desired measurement but for improving your numbers it is a great tool.

 

[Monte]

RE:Nonconformances and Satisfaction

Originally posted by Kevin Mader
JCW,

Are measures of nonconformance really measures of satisfaction?

Regards,

Kevin

So Kevin, it's OK with you (external customer) to receive product that has quality issues? Quality and Service are both valid measures of External Customer Satisfaction. The more nonconformance issues exist between internal customers the lower the internal customer satisfaction and the lower the "receiving " departments' motivation when struggling to meet production demands with inferior quality components!