Visual Management System for a Complete Overview of the QMS?

N

Noggin

Hi to all,

Has anybody any experience of developing visual management systems whereby a complete overview of the QMS is achieved by means of company policy, strategy, etc., filtering down to accomodate customer specific requirements and then down to internal process descriptions (& process-owners) x-referenced to the appropriate element of the standard, with all of the associated KPIs (indicating current levels of performance)?

I'm attempting to put something together using Excel with hyperlinks to drill down to the lowest level; data entered at the point of use/ reporting would automatically refresh the top level QMS overview.

Any assistance/ guidance would be greatly appreciated.


Rgds
Noggin (from the centre of Tolkien land) :rolleyes:
 

Marc

Fully vaccinated are you?
Leader
I've seen it done in SmartDraw and Visio, and it's pretty neat. They started with a top level flow chart, and everything was linked so you went through to each system and each system which interacted with another. You get to the system level where forms, reports and other related information is linked to, as are other elements. It all depends upon how detailed you want to be and how elegant you want to be.

Major drawback: Updates. If you do not have more than 1 person (in case that person leaves) who is proficient in SmartDraw or Visio (or what ever program you choose), when changes have to be made you'll be left high and dry.

Personally I wouldn't even consider Excel or Word for this type of application. It's one thing to link to Word, Excel, .pdf and other files, it's another to do the actual system flows in Word or Excel. BUT - I'm sure it can be done. I've seen people use Excel to write letters, and I've seen people flow chart in Excel and Word. To me it's like anything else - Use the proper tool for the best results.

Unfortunately, the ones I have seen were ones clients did themselves and I don't have permission to share. I can say I was VERY impressed.
 
J

James Gutherson

My favorite visual representation of these type of systems are mindmaps and MindManager in particular, but I have recently been using Mindomo as well.

Another interesting solution could be based around The Brain. I feel there is lots of potential there and I have trialled it, but found things a little bit to much work to setup and maintain (YMMV).
 

Marc

Fully vaccinated are you?
Leader
...found things a little bit to much work to setup and maintain (YMMV).
Yup. This is the typical failure mode.

Sorta :topic: When I worked with what was then the Motorola Semi-Conductor sector some years ago, Phoenix had a really, really complex document control system which was designed and set up by two very intelligent guys. It was so detailed that whenever a document change was submitted (everything was done on the company intranet), it had to go through these two fellas. When anyone submitted a change request, these guys pagers went off and they could 'page' through the requested change text on their pagers if they were not at their desks. When these two fellas moved on, the system ended up going through a simplification process because only those two fellas could keep everything together and working. Nice 'futuristic' system, but not practical.
 
J

JaneB

I wouldn't attempt to use Excel for this either...

I've both seen and created similar things as intranet web sites, using various programs to create the HTML files, and linking documents in formats such as PDF, Word or Excel.

But the cautions about the updating are very well founded, and definitely worth heeding. It's a very hard thing to keep up if only 1 or 2 people have the skills or knowledge to do it.
 

Helmut Jilling

Auditor / Consultant
Yup. This is the typical failure mode.

Sorta :topic: When I worked with what was then the Motorola Semi-Conductor sector some years ago, Phoenix had a really, really complex document control system which was designed and set up by two very intelligent guys. It was so detailed that whenever a document change was submitted (everything was done on the company intranet), it had to go through these two fellas. When anyone submitted a change request, these guys pagers went off and they could 'page' through the requested change text on their pagers if they were not at their desks. When these two fellas moved on, the system ended up going through a simplification process because only those two fellas could keep everything together and working. Nice 'futuristic' system, but not practical.


I had a client who still used his mini-computer system with dumb terminals. The work instructions had to be hard coded in Cobol if I recall. Needless to say, people were reluctant to recommend any chnages, which typically took months to get implemented. The only PC in the building was in Accounting, and that was just to run Lotus 123. He was actually irritated with me for suggesting this was not a viable solution...

...Anyone have any old amber terminals available...?
 
N

Noggin

Hi all,

Many thanks for your positive feedback; its much as I expected, I was canvassing for an alternative to sourcing costly new software and the small matter of getting the buy of the certification body......they tend to have preconceived ideas as to how your system should look.


Regards
 
C

cthink

When I first joined the organisation I work I for I found that I was not only responsible for overseeing the ISO 9000 standard but also a whole range of quality standards (disability, training etc) and government contract compliance.

In the past ISO had been seen as something "extra" that needed be maintained rather than a wholist quality management system that was reflective of what we do as our management practice.

In an attempt to help everyone see the organisation as a whole with a series of compliance and accreditation elements I put together the attached QMS Map in Visio.

This is the high level overview of the organisation and how it all "fits" together. The next level down will show more process mapping of elements of the system and could be linked from this map.

We do however have a good intranet system that we use to maintain all process document control.

As you will gather from the map we are a non-for-profit community organisation with a range of services (delivered under government contracts) and business activities that support our our community activities.

Whilst I hope this helps you with an example Noggin I would also appreciate feedback on my first attempt at "mapping" our organisation prior to proceeding to the next level down.

thanking you all in advance for advice. :thanx:
 

Attachments

  • BEST CD QMS Map 2007.pdf
    187.3 KB · Views: 816
J

JaneB

I would also appreciate feedback on my first attempt at "mapping" our organisation prior to proceeding to the next level down.

thanking you all in advance for advice. :thanx:

I think you have done an excellent job with your diagram.
You may wish to add ISO 9001 to the Standards box at the bottom (if it applies?).

Minor (very!) criticisms is that there's a few too many arrows, and the 'swirly' ones in particular tend to distract a reader's eye from the content of the diagram.

I'd consider removing the PDCA cycle from its location as it applies throughout, not solely to service review & planning. And I'd possibly reverse the order of Customer Feedback & Internal Audit (presumably customers are considered first?) under Business Planning.

Final: good graphic design looks to line up verticals & horizontals & minimise the number of different alignments.

Note, these are v. minor.
 
J

JaneB

the small matter of getting the buy of the certification body......they tend to have preconceived ideas as to how your system should look.

Only the more rigid and old-fashioned ones. The good ones are more than prepared to look at new ideas and alternative ways of presenting things. (I've had considerable experience in both).

Be prepared to invest a bit of time explaining and demonstrating: but it's your system, not theirs!

And if you still encounter difficulties, take it higher (their technical manager) or consider another certifier who's more up to date.
 
Top Bottom