What is 'darkdock' in QS-9000?

[Preston Cheung]

Could anyone here enlighten me what "darkdock" means in QS-9000 industry? I'd heard about this word "darkdock" some time ago. And I'm still searching for its correct explanation.
In my understanding, darddock should mean that there would be some corners are not detected or neglected even in a sixsigma successful corporation. And we should build one method/procedure to find it out and eliminate it.
Any help from you all would be appreciated.

preston

 

[Rob Nix]

Forgive my ignorance, but I've worked in QS-9000 businesses for the last several years and have never heard the term "darkdock". Please explain in context.

 

[Russ]

I'm like you Rob, never heard of it!

 

[ralphsulser]

How about "dock audits at midnight" ?

 

[Wes Bucey]

Could anyone here enlighten me what "darkdock" means in QS-9000 industry? I'd heard about this word "darkdock" some time ago. And I'm still searching for its correct explanation.
In my understanding, darddock should mean that there would be some corners are not detected or neglected even in a sixsigma successful corporation. And we should build one method/procedure to find it out and eliminate it.
Any help from you all would be appreciated.

preston

I agree with Rob Nix this is a term I have not heard in conjunction with Quality. There is a phrase in the Gilbert & Sullivan Mikado about "sitting in a dark dock" but I doubt it has pertinence.

I could infer lots of things:
there are many "jargon" terms which have very small circulation, just as there are some which have wide circulation:

• 24/7 means an operation that runs 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
• lights out refers to automated processes which run when no employees are present and, hence, can run with the lights turned off.

"dark periods" refer to times when operations are suspended and the lights are literally turned off (unlike "lights out") - this might mean when operations are suspended for repairs or refurbishment.

By extension, dark periods could refer to only a department being shut down temporarily (some receiving and shipping docks close during the lunch hour and otherwise are open only during the first shift) because of a shortage of trained personnel to run the departmental operation.

Does this help clarify the context at all for dark dock?