What does "constantly" mean

MissTSmith

Starting to get Involved
Hey there,

So we were written up with an NC in the past because of the use of "constantly monitored" in an SOP.
To me, constantly monitored is like what you might see if you were in the hospital hooked up to a bunch of machines that constantly checked your heart rate, etc. or a dashboard on your computer that tracked stuff on a graph, cumulative count, etc.
I think we should say "monitored as needed" etc., but not use "constantly".

Has anyone run into issues with this?

Thanks.
 

Mike S.

Happy to be Alive
Trusted Information Resource
I don't think ISO defines "constantly" anywhere (it's definitely not in ISO 9000) so a dictionary-type definition would apply.

I agree "constantly" is probably a poor choice of word unless used in the context you described.

I usually define a minimum interval for things that are monitored i.e. daily, quarterly, etc. and you can always go more frequently.
 

Sidney Vianna

Post Responsibly
Leader
Admin
So we were written up with an NC in the past because of the use of "constantly monitored" in an SOP.
............................................................SNIP..........................................................SNIP................................................
Has anyone run into issues with this?
Vague language in SOP's or any other piece of command media defining processes can be problematic. But, on the other hand, overly precise language will also be a problem for obvious reasons. As an auditor, if confronted with a situation such as this, I would proceed by speaking with the process owner and try to identify the criticality of the frequency for the monitoring. Based on that and the evidence of monitoring available, I would make a determination if something is nonconforming. Common sense in auditing cannot be disregarded.
 

Ninja

Looking for Reality
Trusted Information Resource
Agree with Sidney.

(Now I'll add on my own stuff)
Reword your SOP to something like, "monitored as needed" and take away the auditors weapon...as long as you monitor as frequently as you determine necessary and wise.
 

MissTSmith

Starting to get Involved
No, we never monitored our suppliers constantly (continually). It was on an infrequent basis, if at all. A supplier might be used one time and then only one part ordered in 3 or 4 years.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
No, we never monitored our suppliers constantly (continually). It was on an infrequent basis, if at all. A supplier might be used one time and then only one part ordered in 3 or 4 years.
I second Sidney's observations. You have to be careful how things are worded.
 
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