Re: Lost Cause for Understanding and Implementing ISO9001
Ouch! Ok, as you can see at the bottom of my posts I am of the opinion that one should never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity (Hanlon). This is clearly a case where that little rule can be applied: There is no reason to believe that resources are being withheld due to malice. It is more likely a case of ... shall we call it ignorance (stupidity is such an unpleasent word, but that was the way the quote was written)? Ignorance can be cured, however. The message to get across to your peers is that the fees alone will not be enough. Nor will your effort alone. It takes a team effort (backed up and led by the management) to launch a management system if it is supposed to be of any particular use, and knowing what needs to be done is obviously a major factor if the investments in time and money are to pay off.
As a matter of fact you could probably get away with something relatively uncomplicated: As many here already know, one of my favourite parts of the standard is this one......, which allows us to build reasonable systems adapted to our respective needs.
/Claes
What you write is all very well and good, reasonable, even. BUT the fact remains:
Somebody has to do the following:
- Find a way to get the top dog to sit down and share a tête à tête session to hear the whys and wherefores
- Prepare and practice all the talking points [that we "experts" would use if WE were in the tête à tête]
- Follow through if the top dog is convinced to "back and lead" the process
I'm very good at doing something like that, but I didn't learn how to be that "somebody" from reading a few posts in an online forum. Like most other consultants, I learned a lot through some of my failures to find the right "hook" to capture the imagination of a top manager. Today,of course, I, like countless other business consultants, have enough knowledge and experience that I can recognize when one ploy isn't working and switch seamlessly into another. Beginners and first timers are usually stuck with one script.
However, Claes, you do give one clue for a possible route to success when you introduced the word "peers" into the dialog. If the hypothetical "someone" can rally a committee of his peers to join and back him in the tête à tête with the boss, the added impetus of the "group mind" may keep the boss's attention long enough to sway him toward more involvement, leadership, and loosening of the purse strings.
It's important to know that every ISO implementation does not need high-priced consultants. With a little ingenuity, inexpensive, but effective help can be found at places like suppliers, customers, neighboring companies which have already gone through the process successfully.
(there is one little caveat - was that company's transition actually successful?)
A little more expensive route, but still not burdensome is searching out a local ASQ Section to ask for one or more members to help shepherd the company through an inexpensive, but effective transition.
Ah, well! We are all trying to make lemonade out of lemons here, but the process DOES need a little "sugar" (money) to complete the process.
)
