Material Review Boards - Are Material Review Boards necessary?

B

bobert - 2010

#1
My company (manufacturing) is currently implimenting ISO standards in hopes of becoming certified. We have a consultant who is assisting in this regard. There was a Material Review Board (MRB) system in use for determining disposition of nonconforming material, however, our consultant advised that the MRB process was for larger companies and we were too small (15-20 employees) and didn't need it. So my company discontinued the process. I can't figure out why the size of a company has anything to do with the process and I don't believe discontinuing it helped our program. Has anyone ever heard of this before? Does it make any sense?

Thanks for any help!
 
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Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#2
Re: Material Review Boards-are they necessary?

My company (manufacturing) is currently implimenting ISO standards in hopes of becoming certified. We have a consultant who is assisting in this regard. There was a Material Review Board (MRB) system in use for determining disposition of nonconforming material, however, our consultant advised that the MRB process was for larger companies and we were too small (15-20 employees) and didn't need it. So my company discontinued the process. I can't figure out why the size of a company has anything to do with the process and I don't believe discontinuing it helped our program. Has anyone ever heard of this before? Does it make any sense?

Thanks for any help!
You should do whatever you feel is necessary to assure that correct dispositions are made. How formal it is, and who's included depends on what you need. You have a difference of opinion with the consultant, so you should talk it over with him/her.
 

Sidney Vianna

Post Responsibly
Staff member
Admin
#3
Re: Material Review Boards-are they necessary?

Thanks for any help!
Several years ago, I participated in an exercise which proved that collective wisdom is generally higher than any individual (much to my dismay :tg:). So, there could be benefits for a "team" to review and disposition nonconforming products. On the other hand you want to have an agile process as well. Over the years, I have seen many dysfunctional MRB teams, comprised of individuals who could not add anything to the review process, but were "required" to participate, because the procedure stated as such.

It is always a trade-off between a single individual making the call, versus a team. My main concern over a process which requires only one person to be involved is if s/he would be able to think of all the implications and risks when ruling on the NC.

At the end of the day, you want to have a process that adds value to the system. One thing that many organizations fail to realize is the need for the disposition activity to trigger, when appropriate/justified, a corrective action request. Not all nonconforming product situations will justify a formal corrective action request, but some might. It should be part of the process an evaluation for a C.A.R. initiation, or not.
 
Last edited:

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#4
Re: Material Review Boards-are they necessary?

My company (manufacturing) is currently implimenting ISO standards in hopes of becoming certified. We have a consultant who is assisting in this regard. There was a Material Review Board (MRB) system in use for determining disposition of nonconforming material, however, our consultant advised that the MRB process was for larger companies and we were too small (15-20 employees) and didn't need it. So my company discontinued the process. I can't figure out why the size of a company has anything to do with the process and I don't believe discontinuing it helped our program. Has anyone ever heard of this before? Does it make any sense?

Thanks for any help!
The standard tells us what to do and not how to do. Please keep this in your thoughts when ever you put your systems in place. If you have a MRB working in your company, please refer to it in your system documents as and where necessary. A good consultant will never thrust anything, rather he must identify the processes and help the client map the processes and its interactions. I have worked in a small company too and effectively handled MRB operations in review and disposition.
 

Ajit Basrur

Staff member
Admin
#5
Re: Material Review Boards-are they necessary?

MRBs are definitely very good but its purely your business choice. If you feel its no value add - drop it :)
 

Coury Ferguson

Moderator here to help
Staff member
Super Moderator
#6
My company (manufacturing) is currently implimenting ISO standards in hopes of becoming certified. We have a consultant who is assisting in this regard. There was a Material Review Board (MRB) system in use for determining disposition of nonconforming material, however, our consultant advised that the MRB process was for larger companies and we were too small (15-20 employees) and didn't need it. So my company discontinued the process. I can't figure out why the size of a company has anything to do with the process and I don't believe discontinuing it helped our program. Has anyone ever heard of this before? Does it make any sense?

Thanks for any help!
MRB is a good tool to have in any size of a company, in my opinion. There are a couple of things that need to be considered:

1. Are you the design authority of the product?

2. If you are not design authority, than you would need to submit all nonconformances to your customer.

3. The criticality of the nonconformance needs to be considered. It could some minor nonconformity that will not affect the next assembly, fit, function, form, and weight.

4. The Group would need to be familiar with the end use of the product, to assure that 3 above, is not affected.

Just some comments based upon my opinion and experience.
 

Wes Bucey

Quite Involved in Discussions
#7
I think the MRB function is necessary.
I see it as two subjective choices, the decision left up to each top management:

  1. Have a formal subset of individuals within your organization who comprise such a board and handle EVERY suspected material discrepancy,
    or
  2. It is just a function overseen by one individual who has the power and authority to include others as he sees fit on an ad hoc basis to consider material questions of varying complexity, but the one individual can handle most issues himself in a routine manner.
The crux of the matter is how consistently and uniformly the organization deals with suppliers and customers when issues of suspected nonconforming material arise.
 
B

Bob the QE

#8
Its been pointed out in couple of different ways in pasts posts that material review whatevers are needed and can be an asset to an orginazation. What I find helpful in regards to the title is get a feel for what this body, individual or department likes to be called and keep it consistant. Whether it is ISO or As the need to review and disposition non-conformining material is a requirement who does it and what the hats says means little. :topic:I have ran in to several instance where the major hold up on progress was getting past the "board" title whether it was MRB or Management Review Board.
So get back to the review and disposition of the process and you will be fine.

Good luck.
 
B

bobert - 2010

#9
Thank you all for your quick response and helpful comments. I am for having a review board, provided it operates properly. What troubled me is that the consultant connected the size of the company to the decision to have (or not have) an MRB. I see no correlation between the two and I believe the consultant didn't do us any favors here. (I am the QA Manager but don't have final say on the issue)

Thanks again!
:)
 
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