Interesting Discussion Using a Wiki to implement a Quality Management System (QMS)

[gretzles]

I read lots of post in the thread from people having trouble convincing management to adopt this style. The people I work with are not used to being regulated, so I don't think there will be resistance, but I will need to be the one ensuring all elements required for compliance.
I am using a trial of Project Forum for the ISO implementation project to see how it works.

 

[Pancho]

Good luck, Gretzles! Keep us posted.

 

[gretzles]

So, I pitched the wiki to my boss and got two thumbs up. Now to sort out the structure that will work best for us and validate it.

 

[Kronos147]

FWIW, our master forms list, which includes our quality manual and procedures, is a linked spreadsheet.

When I introduced the concept here to ESM, the folks seemed to like it, and use it.

I have imagined doing a Wiki before and I think the master forms list should be pretty close to the top resource of the wiki landing page.

 

[gretzles]

I'm thinking the first page will be a list of processes linking to the procedure containing the forms required.
We have a bunch of different manufacturing sites, so I think they will each have their own group. There will be no password required to look at the content, so we can easily link pages between the sites. A password to edit pages will mean you can only change pages from your own group (ie location)

 

[kdjohannes]

I wasn't able to read this entire thread but did read some of it! Right now my company is in the middle of figuring out what type of software to use for procedures and documentations. We have gone over a good amount of options but are now testing Google Drive/Docs. We had a DokuWiki up and running for a while but it didn't catch on to even the small group of people deciding on what software to use. BTW ISO is the end goal and what started all of this.

Question: I assume each person has a username and password? Otherwise, it would be difficult to ID who made each edit. This also allows permissions. However, does anyone have any employees that work off site? Or field service techs/engineers, contractors, etc that need offline access to the materials?
If so, what options are there and how do you access from offsite? VPN I'm assuming unless the Wiki is not on the company intranet.

Currently reading the link from the OP and I will probably have more questions as I continue. I tried to post the link but I do not have 10 posts yet

 

[Pancho]

Question: I assume each person has a username and password? Otherwise, it would be difficult to ID who made each edit. This also allows permissions.

Yes. Individual user names and passwords are the way to go whatever wiki engine you choose.

However, does anyone have any employees that work off site? Or field service techs/engineers, contractors, etc that need offline access to the materials?
If so, what options are there and how do you access from offsite? VPN I'm assuming unless the Wiki is not on the company intranet.

We have an office and factory overseas. These are connected through a permanent VPN. Also our technicians and engineers travel frequently to overseas jobs and they routinely connect through VPN. Wiki access is practically transparent.

We also set up a wiki for each client, where we collaborate with that client. We keep there deliverables, RFIs, quality dossier, shipping docs, a copy of the contract (uneditable), change orders, etc. Each client's wiki is accessible by our project team, and only by designated personnel in the client's company.

 

[kdjohannes]

We have an office and factory overseas. These are connected through a permanent VPN. Also our technicians and engineers travel frequently to overseas jobs and they routinely connect through VPN. Wiki access is practically transparent.

We also set up a wiki for each client, where we collaborate with that client. We keep there deliverables, RFIs, quality dossier, shipping docs, a copy of the contract (uneditable), change orders, etc. Each client's wiki is accessible by our project team, and only by designated personnel in the client's company.

That sounds like an awesome setup. We currently have a custom "Back Office System" that we use for a lot of things. One of which customers have access to for information like you stated. I'm wondering if we could implement a wiki inside of that...

A lot of our Customer Service Engineer's are not allowed internet access on site due to extremely high security of our customers. Do you know of a good offline feature that could allow the downloading of docs? Do Wikis offer this? I would like to stay away from the downloading of a doc because then it could possibly be old. Not to mention some techs do not know what procedures they need until on site, so VPNing to get a doc is not really possible. I know this situation is somewhat unique but there has to be a solution out there (I'm looking into the G Suite option and it seems that Docs/Drive has an offline feature...but I know this is a Wiki thread!! ).

 

[skreis]

I am late to joining this Wiki QMS party, but I wanted to chime in on our success with using a WIKI to manage our QMS. We implemented TWIKI as our platform in 2008 and have been rolling with it ever since. Originally we were registered to ISO - our current registration is AS9100 C. There was lots learned along the way but for the most part it was relatively easy to feel our way along. Our registrars and auditors have all bought in and support the platform.

If I had to do it today I might not use TWIKI- the system has become somewhat stagnant the last few years - but without a doubt I believe a WIKI implementation of Quality documentation is the way to go.

I am happy to answer specific questions if you would like some feedback. Good luck!

 

[Pancho]

A lot of our Customer Service Engineer's are not allowed internet access on site due to extremely high security of our customers. Do you know of a good offline feature that could allow the downloading of docs? Do Wikis offer this? I would like to stay away from the downloading of a doc because then it could possibly be old. Not to mention some techs do not know what procedures they need until on site, so VPNing to get a doc is not really possible. I know this situation is somewhat unique but there has to be a solution out there (I'm looking into the G Suite option and it seems that Docs/Drive has an offline feature...but I know this is a Wiki thread!! ).

I'm not sure I understand. If the engineers don't know what they will need, wouldn't offline browsing require downloading the whole wiki? Wikis might not offer this feature directly, but it seems an easy, if a bit impractical, requirement. Copy the whole terabyte of a database? Small portable disks can easily hold that several times over.

Any time you copy from the wiki (or any other repository of your system's documents, such as G Suite), be it the whole thing or only a document, you've created either an uncontrolled copy or a record. Make sure your personnel know how to handle to avoid misuse.

We often work at remote construction sites without internet. With or without internet, though, as part of our deliverables to the client, we prepare an "installation manual" that contains all procedures that are anticipated to be required at the site. But the procedures are copies or even adaptations of the live ones in our QMS. Once delivered, such manual is a record of the project. The live procedure may continue to improve in the wiki, but the record stays as it was delivered or approved, except when specifically revised through an agreed upon change. And despite it perhaps being not the most current info, the record is what we use at the subject site.