Personal Notes on Production Floor vs. Documented Work Instructions

Wes Bucey

Quite Involved in Discussions
#21
Re: Personal Notes on Production Floor

Hehe...that's like one of the 10th commandments of Quality in any system....too bad for those who did not make that clear from the start.
So I guess every operator who starts his machine using his memory without referring to the official WI is in nonconformance? Tsk tsk to all those fork lift operators who don't open up and refer to the WI before moving a skid.
 
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JoCam

Trusted Information Resource
#22
To me this is quite simple. A handwritten work instruction does not form a part of the quality management system, and is therefore uncontrolled. It would probably not be reviewed or updated, and could therefore lead to a task being performed incorrectly.

The policy at my Organisation is that uncontrolled documents are not to be referred to and therefore shouldn't exist, meaning that on this occassion a non-conformance would ensue.

Having said this, each Organisation has different ways of doing things, and if there are no policies stating that uncontrolled documents should not be used, then this would not create a non-conformance, just perhaps an opportunity for improvement.

Jo
 

bobdoering

Stop X-bar/R Madness!!
Trusted Information Resource
#23
Re: Personal Notes on Production Floor

So I guess every operator who starts his machine using his memory without referring to the official WI is in nonconformance? Tsk tsk to all those fork lift operators who don't open up and refer to the WI before moving a skid.
That's right, they may have found that there is an OSHA required checklist to complete prior to jumping in the seat! Do they have to read it every time? No, not if you have documented training for any of the document changes. Somehow, they must be able to answer the question correctly: "How do you know the current procedure?" or, yes, there is a nonconformance.
 

Pancho

wikineer
Super Moderator
#24
Fascinating thread to read right after the one on the new iPad.

I think if we could make access to the electronic documents at points of use, for read, markup or write, convenient enough and the paper personal notes will disappear.
 

hogheavenfarm

Quite Involved in Discussions
#25
I think JoCam is on the money. The bottom line is "does the note/memo/whatever" affect product quality, therefore requireing control. My experience is that most notes I see DO affect product quality. Extrusion temperatures, packing notes, bend angles, etc. and yes, different notes by different operators. Frequently changes do occur, and must flow down to the operator. When the operator ignores the intsructions and runs off his own notes, he breaks the chain of communication. We go from a controlled document to an uncontrolled one. Here, every operator has a binder with specific instructions for each job. Every page of that binder is a controlled document, directly affecting product quality. Every process needed to complete the product is spelled out in this binder, (there is a binder for every job). To add personal notes to this circumvents the control, and leaves us wondering what went wrong with the process, when really nothing went wrong, the process wasnt followed.
 
S

Sorin

#26
Re: Personal Notes on Production Floor

So I guess every operator who starts his machine using his memory without referring to the official WI is in nonconformance? Tsk tsk to all those fork lift operators who don't open up and refer to the WI before moving a skid.
If there is a potential for an impact of the quality of the product/service then the operator shall check the available documentation.

O/c we can go and search for (im)plausible situations and waste our time back and forth, I am right and you are not situations, but the bottom line is that every procedure/instruction with a demonstrated quality impact shall be controlled.

Unfortunately, memory/handwritten notes are not yet controlled.
 
J
#27
Howdy folks. I've referenced The Cove many times, but this is a first-timer post.
I performed an internal audit of my production floor the other day. I found some personnel referencing personal notes to do some jobs (such as starting a machine, mixing marking ink, etc.). My company has documented work instructions for these tasks, and the instructions are readily available. Interestingly, the notes were right on track with the documented instructions. Is this a nonconformance?

Thanks, and I look forward to the responses and discussion.
So many good responses already. As usual.

I'm going to just address for a minute the specific items listed above because they are quite different items in my view.
The First, "starting a machine", is something that is "Documented" in the operations manual which may or may not be kept by the machine. In addition, operations manuals can be devilishly hard to use sometimes, especially if they are translations from aonther language.
This instruction is not likely to change during the life of the machine and so crib notes at the machine are probably not a problem.
The next one, "mixing marking ink", can be a bit more problematic. I assume that the mixing instructions for this are on the container the items come in and, again, are unlikely to change. However in this case, a change in supplier, or a change in formula of the ink could cause a change in the instructions that could be missed in the "notes". This certainly could cause a problem and the "notes" should be should be controlled.

Auditing, particularly internal auditing should look at these potentialities, ask questions and then make a rationaljudgement based on the answers received.

Peace
James
 
B

BadgerMan

#29
I am surprised that no one has mentioned this yet but.......how about involving the operator in the creation of the work instructions, in accordance with the organization's document control procedure?
 

SteelMaiden

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
#30
I am surprised that no one has mentioned this yet but.......how about involving the operator in the creation of the work instructions, in accordance with the organization's document control procedure?
Oh, how very interesting, you mean that some people don't? If you wait for me to write the work instruction to do your job, you will be waiting for a long, long time.
 
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