Does anyone have a formal definition of what a "process" is in relation to ISO 9001:2008. There's a bit of a debate going on here and I value your opinions. Thanks!!!
ERO0316,
The official definition tells us that processes are bigger than activities. If, when determining the processes necessary for your system to succeed, you fly too high you may link everything the organization does into one process:
Creating customers who create customers.
This may be a mission for the system of interacting processes but it is not deep enough to analyze the system in order to determine ithe processes that are essential to fulfill its mission.
So, we fly a little lower and we see the organization's processes for getting work, doing work and getting paid. These three processes convert the needs of customers into cash in the bank. But normally, organizations fly just a little lower to see the processes with traditional names like: marketing, designing, selling, purchasing, manufacturing, shipping and invoicing. They comprise the core process. Everything else the organization does should improve the rate at which the core process adds value.
That brings us to the support processes. These are the processes that direct and sustain the core process. Many of them are mentioned by the standard such as controlling documented information, purchasing (note how this process may be part of the core process or not), training, managing continual improvement and auditing. But you may have to dig deeper for other essential support processes such as recruiting.
Fly too low and you will crash and burn in the weeds (aka, activities).
You know you are flying at the right height when you see the processes involving several departments or functions interacting and working (adding value, enabling value and preventing loss) to fulfill a shared process objective.
Processes may exist that neither add value or prevent loss. They are not needed for the system to be successful. You can safely ignore these processes. This is confused by some text books that tend to say a process must be doing good. It is the job of procedures (documented and undocumented) to determine the value of a process.
The process is the work and the procedure is the specified way of carrying out the work.
Enjoy your discussion and let us know what you agree or even if you agree.
John