Informational Please help this newbie understand ISO 9001 Work Instructions

[Shannon S]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

Northwoods, thank you so much for the response! I'm so glad to hear from someone who is also in the printing industry! I did tackle gathering and assigning part #'s to all of forms when I worked on our document control procedure! You're right, we have a ton of forms! I really like your idea of to go about getting started....I will definitely be trying that!

 

[AndyN]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

Shannon:You wrote "The owner doesn't believe I need WI because he was told that during the certification to the 1994 standards. He was told that IF he puts them in black and white and someone does it in a different order, than it could lead to a finding during an audit, even if it didn't affect the outcome. Aside from that, he does seem to be very supportive in allowing me the freedom to put a quality system in place and implement. He's held a company wide meeting to inform everyone of my new position, the importance of it, and that he wants and expects everyone to give me complete cooperation with it."

If the owner has formed an opinion based on something like this (from 1994) then he's going to need some help. I read this as he's giving YOU the responsibility for deciding - it's going to be your system, for sure. He supports you (of course) but HE needs to understand and participate in understanding WHY some WIs might be needed, be informed of the benefits etc and then LEAD by example with these veterans. If you don't do this, it will be your system...forever!

 

[Northwoods]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

Shannon,

I did try to send you a PMs not sure if they made it to you or not (It said I had to post (5) times. If not I will keep checking this post & we can figure out a way to directly correspond if you have questions. This is my 2nd system I have built for a commercial printer.

Glad you have a great jump on the forms. That is the biggest job of it all. Then when you start getting duplicates you know you are almost done

 

[John Broomfield]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

Shannon,

What makes you think the your organization needs one more document telling employees how to do something?

Surely it has all the work instructions it needs to help employees to run their processes effectively.

These instructions may be badly organized and but do you really need more?

Organizations that do not evolve their own ways of meeting customer requirements usually go out of business fairly quickly. So please understand how your organization already works as a system.

Do not impose "how to" documents where none is needed.

John

 

[Shannon S]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

Thank you, Ninja! I don't feel that any improvement is "drastically needed". This business has been here for 50+ years, so it is obviously doing a lot, if not most, things just right! However, there probably isn't one owner, employee, or customer related to this business that wouldn't tell you there are some things we can do better. That is a definitely a company wide attitude and all of us are hopeful we obtain it. I understand that changes can annoy people, and I'm not looking to be the person to make the changes. I want people to see benefit in us having a bona fide quality system in place, not be frustrated with me. So far, there has been a great reaction (believe it or not)! The only reason I reference making improvements, is because I know that it is an objective is Continual Improvement, and I think we are hopeful that by developing a good, solid system and working together to achieve some measurable goals, then improvement is going to be a natural side effect.

 

[Shannon S]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

Andy, Yes, he has definitely given me the responsibility for deciding! He merely told me that as his input and sharing with me the limited knowledge he had. Him and I both need to be informed and understand the benefits, which is the reason behind my posting here and going to my registrar for input. I can't say that I'm not still conflicted as to whether I should worry with WI or not. It felt as though my registrar was suggesting that I should, and it feels as though some here believe I do while others believe I don't. I'm thinking some very simple, broad WI with the freedoms built in may be the way to go?

 

[Miner]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

Also, remember that your WIs do not need to be strictly in written form. They may also be graphical, pictorial or even in video format. In some cases the process itself may assure that the correct sequence is followed (e.g., using SmartBins in an assembly operation).

The level of detail may vary from step by step to just the critical information necessary to assure the quality.

 

[John Broomfield]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 work instructions

I am a firm believer we can fix most of them if we can implement some changes and standardize our processes. I am pushing for us to actually do this right this time!

Shannon,

Please do not rob your colleagues of the chance to use their management system (or teamwork system) to achieve standardization where they see standardization as helpful.

You seem to have jumped from the six (or so) mandatory document procedures to work instructions.

Other procedures may be documented where helpful to show what your colleagues do to fulfill process objectives. Have you already documented the sequence and interaction of the processes needed for your management system to work effectively.

Rely on the process owners to help you to document these processes as procedures and to identify where how to reminders (aka work instructions) are used.

Do too much and you will end up owning the management system instead of your colleagues.

John

 

[Shannon S]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 Work Instructions

I must've given the wrong impression. I am not looking to own this system, take credit for it, or overhaul my company in any way with it. I am looking to completely understand how to effectively put a quality system in place and relay the benefits of such to my bosses and colleagues. I am being given full support in doing so by upper management and coworkers (so far). I definitely do not want to lose the cooperativeness that is happening here. The company wide idea that we needed to standardize and improve is a big part of feeling like we needed to put some systems in place (those weren't just my own personal objectives). I am highly detail oriented, very organized, and I've established great working relationships with all of my coworkers which is why I was charged with this. Again, I want to set this up, do it correctly, and keep the team-centered focus in place so that we all benefit from this (management, employees, and customers).:

 

[Tara Monson]

Re: Pls help this newbie understanding ISO 9001 Work Instructions

Sounds like you have a great plan!!

Way to go into this with an open mind!