Starting a Quality Department from Scratch and Implementing ISO 9001

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Controls666

Good morning everybody,

as this is my first post/question on this forum, I will try to keep it simple:bigwave:

As an employee of a small service company in turbomachinery (14 employees from which 9 service mechanics), I was given the task to start a new department ( Quality Control) with an ISO 9001 certification. Normally I am one of the guys "in the field", so this is a whole new thing for me. To make things easy, the management have given me very clear and simple view how they want me to fix this: fast and cheap. In other words, I have no budget at all untill the start of 2014 ( I heard people talking about a global crisis or something?:rolleyes:) . Another problem is, we don't have an existing QMS or system comparable. So I have to start from scratch. Normally I don't mind a challenge, but as this is something I have never have to deal with before, I could use some help/advise.

Thanks in advance
 
C

Controls666

Re: Start from scratch

A bit more info on the question asked above:

We are part of a large group (+6000 employees worldwide), but the only "service" company within this group. Due to internal politics, which I'm not going to bore you with, it was decided that all companies had to be ISO certified. To make it as simple as possible for ourselves, it was decided to start with a new department for certification instead of the whole company.
Because there's is no budget available for this year, I can't hire help from outside. Therefore I became member of this forum, so I could get some help/tips. My plan is to start writing down a very simplified QMS and start from there. The problem is, I have never had anything to do with this kind of work, so a bit of guidance would be appreciated.

:thanx:
 

John Broomfield

Leader
Super Moderator
Re: Start from scratch

Good morning everybody,

as this is my first post/question on this forum, I will try to keep it simple:bigwave:

As an employee of a small service company in turbomachinery (14 employees from which 9 service mechanics), I was given the task to start a new department ( Quality Control) with an ISO 9001 certification. Normally I am one of the guys "in the field", so this is a whole new thing for me. To make things easy, the management have given me very clear and simple view how they want me to fix this: fast and cheap. In other words, I have no budget at all untill the start of 2014 ( I heard people talking about a global crisis or something?:rolleyes:) . Another problem is, we don't have an existing QMS or system comparable. So I have to start from scratch. Normally I don't mind a challenge, but as this is something I have never have to deal with before, I could use some help/advise.

Thanks in advance

Controls666,

But your organization already is a system for determining and meeting requirements. Otherwise it would be out of business.

So, first understand what the organization does to understand customer requirements and to fulfill those requirements. This is the basis for your management system.

With your leaders analyze what your organization does to convert customer needs into cash in the bank (search: "developing a process-based management system"). Also engage them in defining the organization's mission and evaluating the factors that help or hinder the fulfillment of the mission (search:"SWOT analysis").

From this work you should be able to see what processes are critical to the fulfillment of your organization's mission management system (core process and the processes that sustain the core). Ensure that you have a way of uniquely identifying each process in the system.

Then you can work with the process experts to analyze each of their processes and the interactions with other processes in the system starting with the process objective and risks of not meeting the objective, suppliers and their inputs, work done to add value and manage risk, outputs and the customers or stakeholders.

If you use deployment flowcharts to capture the results of the process analysis you may also have a set of one page procedures that describe the management system as it is.

You may need to design a few new processes for auditing and problem solving for example. Whomever is expected to make these new processes work effectively must be made competent in accordance with your procedure for recruiting and training.

Lastly, avoid calling your department QC or QA. Your fledgling department is responsible for the management system not quality. The responsibility for quality remains with the people doing the work and supervising the work. Try not to take that responsibility away from them.

Good luck,

John
 

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
The above is a good post. However coming from a small organization myself I reckon a lot of those people you need to see will be you or perhaps the odd other person, IF they can be spared.
 
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Controls666

Thanks for the response,

another problem is that our management consist of 1 employee of the firm and 2 "hired guns" (as they like to call themselves:lmao:). Both of them disagreed with the upcoming certification and I don't see them giving much co-operation to get through this. As far as I can tell, it's like TPMB4 says, it will mostly be my job, as we have nobody at this moment to help.
At least I was able to sign up for several introduction courses starting in January. It's a start
 

John Broomfield

Leader
Super Moderator
Thanks for the response,

another problem is that our management consist of 1 employee of the firm and 2 "hired guns" (as they like to call themselves:lmao:). Both of them disagreed with the upcoming certification and I don't see them giving much co-operation to get through this. As far as I can tell, it's like TPMB4 says, it will mostly be my job, as we have nobody at this moment to help.
At least I was able to sign up for several introduction courses starting in January. It's a start

Control666,

Even with leaders who initially think they have no responsibility for quality I find that switching the focus from ISO and certification to their management system for converting customer needs into cash in the bank (faster!) can engage their interest.

Keep the faith!

John
 

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
I reckon switching focus like that is easier said than done. if there is unlikely to be much help forthcoming from the managers then the OP will probably be doing it all. If that is the case it might be easier to get a win with writing up the system that can achieve ISO certification then convert the managers into the whole quality buy in.

I'm a little cynical with top management. They will make all the noises when external certification comes round but it is less common that those noises become firm action / buy-in during the time between certification/surveillance audits. If you are the one given the potentially poison chalice of writing up a QMS from scratch without help then how likely is it you are going to convert the top managers to a good quality way of thinking? Especially if they were arguing against the need for certification in the first place.

Sorry to sound negative, I'm not really that way. Also John, I am not having a go with what you say as I believe you give good advice. I just get the feeling the OP is needing a bit of hard advice on actions that can be made by one person with little support. I am assuming the company is successfully doing things right and it is the actual paperwork with a bit of tweaking being the only needs to achieve certification.

Perhaps a few of the common mistakes made by small organizations in their first steps towards ISO9001 would help. I can't help there as I have only worked for companies that had ISO9001 and the earlier version here of BS5754 (IIRC that was the earlier quality standard in the UK). I have never had experience of first certification.
 
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pthareja

Broomfield, you have been meticulous in charting a process.

ISO 9000 is a good standard to implement quality management systems, as as the requisitioner (controls666) says his/her organisation wants it, without affording resources / dedication. So you need to buy the a bite to the cake of quality.

What are the current rejection levels? why not start with use of Quality tools and techniques? when they see results....

Can you help in a customers issue?

Do you have knowledge of the ISO 9000 standard, that you sing it aloud on the implementation/ improvement front?

Why not start with 5-S (housekeeping), or Kaizen. They cost no money but sure proffer savings!

May be my paper helps:
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1976198
and/ or http://[I]ssrn[/I].com/author=1353903

 

John Broomfield

Leader
Super Moderator
TPMB4,

That is my central point. Start with the system that already exists. Do not "write a QMS".

The approach I outlined for Controls666 has worked for many organizations since 1986.

John
 
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Controls666

Good evening and thanks for the replies so far.

ISO was not the choice of the management of our department, it was demanded from the Head Office. By starting a new department, they thought they could make this easier, and yes, their idea is just to get the certificate and that's it. I know that's not the way to start, but I have to take it as it goes.
I wasn't too happy when I got this assignement, but now (2 weeks later), I'm getting more interested. And at the end of the day, I have to make this a succes, with or without the management.
 
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