Project Decision Trees Recommended by Auditor - Seeking Examples

[mshell]

Hi All,

Our auditor has recommended the use of a decision tree for helping us to decide whether a project is a process engineering program or a product engineering task. Any examples out there???

Thanks,

mshell

 

[D.Scott]

Hi All,

Our auditor has recommended the use of a decision tree for helping us to decide whether a project is a process engineering program or a product engineering task. Any examples out there???

Thanks,

mshell

Sounds like you are looking for an example of a decision tree rather than ideas on the projects themselves? I have a chart sellection tree which should give you the idea of how they work but it has nothing to do with engineering. I hope it at least gives you a start.

Dave

 

[mshell]

I am looking for examples. Thanks Dave this will help me with the task at hand.

 

[WALLACE]

Our auditor has recommended the use of a decision tree for helping us to decide whether a project is a process engineering program or a product engineering task. Any examples out there???

mshell,
Has your auditor defined the expected criteria for deciding if a project is a process engineering program or a product engineering task?
The key words here are process and task (Or procedure).
Wallace.

 

[mshell]

We currently receive drawings from our customer. Upon receipt, our engineering team reviews the drawing with the customer and they make any required changes. The customer updates the drawing and forwards the final approved copy to us. Upon receipt of the approved drawing, we begin to develop the processes required to manufacture the part. All of this is handled as defined in our design & development procedure. Our auditor has suggested that we are not actually designing the product we are designing the process needed to achieve the product hence the recommendation for a decision tree. We have only recently implemented the design & development procedure and began to gain control over that area of the organization. Before, things we accomplished with little or no record of how we managed to achieve the requirements of the drawing. We may be going a little overboard for the process design function but it is helping us to maintain more accurate records of action taken.

Basically, we treat any product drawing as if it were designed internally and I am a little hesitant about changing this practice.

I hope that this answers your question.

 

[Bill Pflanz]

mshell,

In other threads, Covers have discussed the issue of auditors making recommendations and potential conflict of interest. Maybe the auditor was just making a suggestion on an approach to solve a problem but was not necessarily requesting that it be done.

A decision tree is a tool used to choose between multiple paths of action. Usually it is set up like a flow chart with yes/no as shown in Dave's example or it can look more like a tree with branches showing each possible action as you move through the process.

If you can show your process as a series of decisions that need to be made than a decision tree may help simplify what needs to be done in your process. With the limited information provided, it is difficult to determine if you have a decision process. It is not relevant whether you are designing the product or designing the process, the decision tree can be used for either.

If you don't believe it is a value added tool, then you do not have to do it just because of the auditor's suggestion.

Bill

 

[WALLACE]

I agree with Bill,
Your auditor merely made a recommendation.
It's your call whether you believe his advice is relevant to your internal business needs or not.
Wallace.

 

[mshell]

That is exactly what I am trying to do. I have no intention of implementing a tool if it is not going to add value to our process. My main concern is that we will relapse into past practices and abandon the improvements that have been made.

For us, treating everything as a design works (for now).

 

[qualitygoddess - 2010]

Sources for Information

I am looking for examples. Thanks Dave this will help me with the task at hand.

I have some sources for information about decision trees.

First is a good explanation of how to do them by hand and what is in for the user: http ://www. mindtools. com/dectree.html - LONG DEAD LINK

Second is an add-in for Excel -- and it adds a few levels of sophistication to the process: http: // hallogram .com/precisiontree/ - LONG DEAD LINK

Third is a source to buy the Memory Jogger II, which has an explanation of how to make them by hand. You can also but the Coach's Guide, which as I recall has extra examples of decision trees. I would also venture a guess that the Six Sigma Memory Jogger has them, too.

GOAL/QPC – Home of the quality driven Memory Joggers

--Jodi

 

[WALLACE]

I often use Mind mapping to get through the decision making process.
Search the Cove for Mind mapping and you'll come up with lots of examples.
Wallace