Preventive Action (PA) and Corrective Action (CA) - One or Two Procedures?

[Patricia Ravanello]

Patricia,

This sounds like an excellent system - intelligent and practical, well done!

:

Thanks Jane:,
Yes, the Metrics DASHBOARD is an online system (but it is also documented and linked in applicable key processes, namely "SOP-0003 Business Plannning & Management Review", "SOP-0004 - Monitoring, Measurement and Analysis" and SOP-0005 Corrective & Preventive Action & Continual Improvement").
Some companies have it on a common server, and some companies use it in an "Intranet" environment.

Either way, it's readily accessible, simple, yet comprehensive, effective and efficient....No more rummaging through binders and files at audit time...or more importantly, at regular Management Review.

Actually, the scope of the "DASHBOARD" is much broader than just managing Corr/Prev/Cont'l Improvment Actions. It begins with the Policy Statement, linking it to the Business Plan objectives ("deployment of the Policy Statement), associating objectives with key processes (helping to answer audit questions such as "How do you ensure that this aspect of the Policy Statement is deployed?", and "How do you know that this process is effective and efficient?", or "Where have your objectives been defined?"...more squirm generators), and then linking objectives to the metrics which support the Business Plan. The Corr/Prev/C.I. actions (which is where this discussion started), are the last "phase" of the database and help to manage the results of Management's review of the process performance. confused: Does this help??...its hard to describe a database in a paragraph).

Thanks again, Jane
Patricia

 

[Manix]

That does indeed sound like an excellent system, especially eliminating the need for binders full of paperwork.

I am interested in how it was developed. Did you buy it off the shelf or was it developed in house. I ask because I am looking into moving a lot of our QMS over to electronic methods of reporting and data storage. Currently we work from paper almost exclusively on nearly all of our KPi recording and reporting.

It sounds like heaven compared to what I currently work with!

 

[Patricia Ravanello]

I am interested in how it was developed. Did you buy it off the shelf or was it developed in house. I ask because I am looking into moving a lot of our QMS over to electronic methods of reporting and data storage. Currently we work from paper almost exclusively on nearly all of our KPi recording and reporting.

Hi Manix ,
Thanks for your comments...actually, I developed it myself, using Microsoft Access, so most companies don't have to buy any additional software to run it. Since I'm not a computer/programmer, and some companies wanted to use it in an Intranet environment, I've allowed them (since it's copyrighted) to recreate the program in SQL , using Crystal Report for the Reporting side of it. I designed and created a basic data collection form and designed all the reports (about 20 different reports). I've attached some of the reports herewith to give you an idea of what the reports look like. Managers just have to update 4 or 5 fields every month, and voila!

Each Report has an explanation in "red" text at the beginning, describing the purpose of the Report.

Thanks again for your comments,
Patricia

 

[Manix]

Hi Manix ,
Thanks for your comments...actually, I developed it myself, using Microsoft Access, so most companies don't have to buy any additional software to run it. Since I'm not a computer/programmer, and some companies wanted to use it in an Intranet environment, I've allowed them (since it's copyrighted) to recreate the program in SQL , using Crystal Report for the Reporting side of it. I designed and created a basic data collection form and designed all the reports (about 20 different reports). I've attached some of the reports herewith to give you an idea of what the reports look like. Managers just have to update 4 or 5 fields every month, and voila!

Each Report has an explanation in "red" text at the beginning, describing the purpose of the Report.

Thanks again for your comments,
Patricia

Pretty good, I like it. I am looking at taking over the forms and procedures we use and want to to a database, but it sooooo time consuming, I was thinking of going for some kind of off the shelf template and adapting it.....but that's a whole new thread! Thanks Patricia.

 

[JaneB]

I've attached some of the reports herewith to give you an idea of what the reports look like. Managers just have to update 4 or 5 fields every month, and voila!

Thanks for posting sample reports layouts, Patricia - this really is an excellent thing you've created.

I'm very impressed by the thinking and planning behind it. You've achieved the result of making something relatively complex look deceptively simple - not always easy to do! And I liked the guidance information you've provided, to make it relatively easy for managers to fill it in well & consistently. And making it in this kind of format (ie, hyperlinks etc) presumably means that each manager can access / update their own stuff easily, as well as viewing others if & when they want to.

Looking at Bullet Point Summary, I'm assuming that if, say, the trend is 'Unfavorable' or 'Needs Improving', that the final column wouldn't read Yes (still suitable/& effective) & that there would be notes in the Summary column that would summarise what the plan was to improve? And does the colour key summary chart at the head of the report 'automagically' populate & update for each selected metric? (I'm just trying visualise how it all works - and yes, I realise it's hard to explain in words what takes seconds to demonstrate online!

Am I right in assuming that this is for a medium-large organisation rather than a small one?

 

[Helmut Jilling]

Hi Manix ,
Thanks for your comments...actually, I developed it myself, using Microsoft Access, so most companies don't have to buy any additional software to run it. Since I'm not a computer/programmer, and some companies wanted to use it in an Intranet environment, I've allowed them (since it's copyrighted) to recreate the program in SQL , using Crystal Report for the Reporting side of it. I designed and created a basic data collection form and designed all the reports (about 20 different reports). I've attached some of the reports herewith to give you an idea of what the reports look like. Managers just have to update 4 or 5 fields every month, and voila!

Each Report has an explanation in "red" text at the beginning, describing the purpose of the Report.

Thanks again for your comments,
Patricia

This looks pretty useful, once you get used to working it. I would be more comfortable if it lined up more with your QMS processes, not just departments.

 

[Patricia Ravanello]

Thanks Jane

Looking at Bullet Point Summary, I'm assuming that if, say, the trend is 'Unfavorable' or 'Needs Improving', that the final column wouldn't read Yes (still suitable/& effective) & that there would be notes in the Summary column that would summarise what the plan was to improve? And does the colour key summary chart at the head of the report 'automagically' populate & update for each selected metric? (I'm just trying visualise how it all works - and yes, I realise it's hard to explain in words what takes seconds to demonstrate online!

Am I right in assuming that this is for a medium-large organisation rather than a small one?

To answer your questions:

1) Yes, the Bullet Point Summary would include a comment, or possibly a hyperlink to the Corrective Action Database. This particular report is intended as an input to Management Review, to help Sr. Mgmt focus on
"marginal- or under-performing" metrics. It has a huge impact on meeting "time/duration", since the Report is printed before the meeting, and rather than a free-for-all dealing with "hot issues", the Metric Champions have to come to the meeting prepared, and with Corrective Actions already identified (so many meetings I've witnessed are more like "brainstorming for solutions", or fire-fighting exercises...which I think, is quite a testosterone rush for those who are accustomed to that Management style.)

2) Yes, the colorkey is "automagically" set, based on data input by the metric champion. As mentioned earlier, the champion only has to update a few fields every month, and of course, the Reports are self-populating from the data entered.

3) This tool has been utilized in companies ranging from 35 to 900 employees (with varying degrees of success...It's most impactful and effective when Sr. Management assumes ownership for it, and uses it as a company-wide discipline/methodology. Those that use it, love it!).​

Thanks again,
Patricia

 

[Patricia Ravanello]

This looks pretty useful, once you get used to working it. I would be more comfortable if it lined up more with your QMS processes, not just departments.

I couldn't agree more. That's why I designed several Reports...The Bullet Point Summary is just one of about 20 Reports that are spontaneously generated by the "Metrics DASHBOARD" (typically used by Sr. Mgmt when they want to meet with a Dept Mgr. and focus on his/her department's performance).
The Metrics can be sorted, or filtered any way you want...so there is a Report sorting by "Metrics Hierarchy" (corporate, divisional, departmental, etc.), by Metrics Champion, by Key Process (called Key Process Performance Report), by Policy Statement element, by Performance (Favorable vs Unfavorable), etc.

Additionally, it generates Reports called:

-Metrics Glossary (Metric definitions and formulae)
-Monthly Operations Reports (filters "Key Metrics" as requested by corporate - typically financial metrics)
-Cost of Non-Conformance Report
-Non-conformance Frequency and Distribution Report
-Problem and Solution Report (posted for Employee information)
-Action Items - sorted by Problem Classification​

I even created one called "How Many Metrics do we have?"...Not that it's important, but it was a question that came up at an audit, so I created a Report that just lists all the Metrics, and assigns a number. The Report Header includes the following preface:
"Are we monitoring too many processes? There is no correct number of processes to be monitoring, however, once a process becomes capable and stable, it may not be necessary to continue the monitoring process. Additionally, new metrics may be necessary if performance parameters become unfavorable, or customer satisfaction is less than optimal..

Databases are wonderful - there are so many ways to filter and sort the data to address the needs of varying organizational levels, teams, individuals, etc. This one also helps Management and employees to understand how the "System" works.

Patricia

 

[jgossett]

How wonderfully simple. Just a / between the CA & PA. I have had trouble getting preventive action documented unless a corrective action occurred. I have been trying to improve my form and this is a good answer.

Thank you.

 

[Umang Vidyarthi]

Hi Manix ,
Thanks for your comments...actually, I developed it myself, using Microsoft Access, so most companies don't have to buy any additional software to run it. Since I'm not a computer/programmer, and some companies wanted to use it in an Intranet environment, I've allowed them (since it's copyrighted) to recreate the program in SQL , using Crystal Report for the Reporting side of it. I designed and created a basic data collection form and designed all the reports (about 20 different reports). I've attached some of the reports herewith to give you an idea of what the reports look like. Managers just have to update 4 or 5 fields every month, and voila!

Each Report has an explanation in "red" text at the beginning, describing the purpose of the Report.

Thanks again for your comments,
Patricia

Great Job Patricia!!Simply remarkable!!It needs full clarity and painstaking effort to pack this all in small capsules.Very useful templates for one and all.