Process Interaction Chart - Graphical representation of top level business processes

[Chris May]

Process Interaction Chart

Guys,

I have been struggling for some time to come up with a graphical representation of our top level business processes.

I have no-one here really to bounce ideas off of, so I would value your opinions.

By the way, if you think it's a crock......be polite about it.

Thanks in advance,

Chris May

 

[M Greenaway]

Chris

Some of the key performance indicators seem 'odd'.

For example 'tally charts' or 'pareto charts' in themselves are not key performance indicators, they are methods perhaps of measuring performance, but the key performance indicators would be the actual attribute being measured by these methods - for example customer complaints would be a key performance indicator (possibly) which you might analyse via a pareto chart.

Also preventive maintenance as a key performance indicator I struggle to understand. I can understand machine downtime due to breakdown being a key performance indicator for the preventative maintenance process, but do not understand prevetative maintenance by itself as a key performance indicator.

Also as a thought the diagram doesnt represent the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. I know it doesnt have to, but representing your process in this way might have greater relevance to ISO9001.

My personal concept (which is just a concept) is to use the process model given in ISO9001 as the opening page to an organisations process map, and drilling down through the ISO9001 model to show the organisations processes and how they fit the ISO9001 model. Now this tact is based soley on the premise that making it look like ISO9001 is good for external audit, which as Jim would point out is no good reason to do anything. But there you go, it sits neatly in my mind that way.

Just some of my opinions which are not based on any experience of actually going through the ISO9001:2000 upgrade !

 

[Chris May]

Guys,

Thanks for the feedback............

This is very much a "work-in-progress" at the moment. I did it primarily for my own understanding with the view to rolling it out later, when it is ready for release.

Jim,
Yes I did knick the main idea from the PCF as you mentioned. I have been researching a lot on the web and the cove and the PCF seems to be a great "template" to start with, and yes it will evolve into reality.

The refs to clauses is to help me find my way around, but would it be a problem to leave them in??

I take your points about the extra labels. I will do that. Hopefully I won't clutter it too much...I don't really want to go to A3 size.

I will probably take you up on your offer to phone next week if thats OK?

I realise that "de management" are there to bounce ideas off of, but I fancied a more informal exchange at the moment.

Martin,

Well spotted.........

It seems odd to me now you have pointed it out. Time to rethink those. I "knew" what I meant, but it does need tweeking.

I have another sheet which does indeed show the PDCA cycle. This one is entitled "Continual Improvement of the QMS".

It is the one that Lucinda posted and she very kindly e-mailed me an updated version.

I had been staring at both of these, side by side, pondering if (how?) they could be merged......not sure if they can or indeed need to be, so at present they are two seperate docs. One showing the continually improvement of the QMS (PDCA) and the other (will) showing the identified processes and their interaction.

Thanks again gentleman, for your observations.

When it (they) are finalised, I will post them again.

Cheers for now,

Chris

 

[M Greenaway]

Jim

I would see a predicitive maintenance activity, such as monitoring machine oils, a good indicator of machinery performance, and as you say a good way to predict future problems. But this is getting down to a very detailed level isnt it ?

I would see as the KPI on the top level business diagram as somethings like delivery performance and product conformance. Now both of these two business KPI's are affected by the preventive maintenance process, i.e. if that process fails chances are you will adversely affect delivery performance, and would possibly affect product conformance. As such when I drill down from my top level general process map showing company wide business KPI's I would expect to see, when I came to the specific maintenance process, related KPI's.

But even at the maintenance process level the KPI's should be specific, such as machinery downtime due to breakdown, mean time between failures, maintenance costs, etc.

 

[Chris May]

Martin,

Any chance you could post up your top level chart just for reference ??

Regards,

Chris

 

[M Greenaway]

Chris

I had no invlolvement in our top level diagram, and it is utter rubbish and I would be embarassed to post it here. Far far worse then anything I have seen in the cove !

I will post my concept when I get around to doing it.

 

[M Greenaway]

Certainly some artistic flair is required for these diagrams eh !

Personally I liked the first example as it did show the feedback loop into business planning.

 

[David Mullins]

All well and good Chris, however you seem to have left the adding value bit out. What does the organisation actually produce?

The diagram reminds me of the too numerous examples of procedures and flowcharts where there is all this preparation and review, with one box dedicated to make the thing/do it.

Otherwise very pretty.

 

[C Emmons]

Process Interaction

To show the interaction of processes I completed somewhat of a process flow chart in visio which follows our internal processes from Marketing, Contract Review, Pick up request, Dock Flow, Billing, Delivery to the customer - On a legal size overhead I recreated the process flow in ISO 9001:2000 but outlined around it the PDCA cycle with specfics such as, Gather data, report data, determine training, provide training. It is my intent to do an overlay of the overhead over top of the key processes for my company.

Any opionions as to if this approach will satisfy an auditor?

 

[Michael T]

Re: Process Interaction

C Emmons said:

To show the interaction of processes I completed somewhat of a process flow chart in visio which follows our internal processes from Marketing, Contract Review, Pick up request, Dock Flow, Billing, Delivery to the customer - On a legal size overhead I recreated the process flow in ISO 9001:2000 but outlined around it the PDCA cycle with specfics such as, Gather data, report data, determine training, provide training. It is my intent to do an overlay of the overhead over top of the key processes for my company.

Any opionions as to if this approach will satisfy an auditor?

Interesting concept... it sounds like it should work... I think a lot depends on how detailed your auditor wants to get.

We just had our pre-assessment consult with our registrar. I layed out our process flow similar to what you described. Our auditor wanted a bit more detail with respect to the manufacturing processes - so I'm adding those to the process map. I really had no idea how detailed or general to make the process map... so I was rather pleased that he only wanted minor additions.

Hope that helps!!!

Cheers!!

Mike