Process Required - NC for not including HR and Maintenance in our Processes Sequence

[shyso]

We recently had our TS 16949 Pre-Assessment and the auditor wrote a non-conformance for not including HR and Maintenance in our Sequence of Processes (not identifying all critical processes of the QMS). For everyone that has been through an audit, should we?

Preventative Maintenacne is already covered by a measurable system with objectives. We currently montior them every month.

Training is addressed by the Doc. Procedure Required by the Standard and controlled by the HR department.

In our current system, all other processes (Planning, Production, Quality, Logistics) are broken down into their own flow chart with inputs, outputs and criteria for measurement. By creating additional flow charts we would be adding paper work and not value (due to duplicating something that is already in place). But, if we don't add the individual flow charts then we would have a system that isn't uniform across the board.

 

[ISOPete]

In my opinion and what we have done is include them as processes. Maintenence is the process with (in simple terms) broken equipment / equipment up time needs for an input and repaired and properly maintained equipment as an output.
HR would have training needs and employee needs for input and trained employees and filled positions as an output.
Both have clear defined inputs/outputs so yes they are a process.
Pete

 

[Wes Bucey]

The bottom line is what really happens in YOUR operation.

Do folks from HR do anything more than shuffle employee records (hours, wages, insurance, education and training history)? This "more" might mean creating, staffing, and producing training sessions for work processes. It might mean conducting competency evaluations (different from job supervisor's comments.) If yes, the HR folk need to be mentioned in those places in the process flow. If not (most companies are "not"), then they should be omitted.

Maintenance is definitely a factor in any product-making machinery and needs to be included, even as a little balloon in a flow chart. (Maintenance of production equipment is different in my mind from housekeeping like building maintenance [changing light bulbs, clearing clogged toilets, repairing roof leaks, etc.] and normal cleaning of floors and windows.)

My guess is a good auditor recognized these two functions (training, production machine maintenance) WERE part of your operation and reacted accordingly. I'd have to see the operation, your flow charts, AND the auditor's report to make an accurate or definitive judgment.