What is the best way to ensure retraining when changes occur? ISO 9001 Audit

[MaureenT]

At our last audit we received an observation which states: 'There is no method of ensuring employees trained to a specific document revision, are retrained when significant changes occur.' We're preparing for our first re-certification, and although all employees were trained - I can't determine the best means to ensure retraining of relevant employees when necessary. Currently, our documents are hosted on a Sharepoint site and automatic alerts can be sent to predetermined individuals when a change is made to the document, but the site won't distinguish between insignificant and significant to warrant retraining. Any advice for a method that will be effective without being cumbersome?

 

[AndyN]

Re: ISO 9001 - What is the best way to ensure retraining when changes occur?

At our last audit we received an observation which states: 'There is no method of ensuring employees trained to a specific document revision, are retrained when significant changes occur.' We're preparing for our first re-certification, and although all employees were trained - I can't determine the best means to ensure retraining of relevant employees when necessary. Currently, our documents are hosted on a Sharepoint site and automatic alerts can be sent to predetermined individuals when a change is made to the document, but the site won't distinguish between insignificant and significant to warrant retraining. Any advice for a method that will be effective without being cumbersome?

Welcome to the Cove, may you find some relief here!

Your auditor's observation is bogus! Why should retraining be necessary, even if there are 'significant' changes, particularly for 'document revisions'?

I'd suggest that what should happen, is that - as part of quality planning - the existing competencies should be evaluated in the light of the 'change' and then, a determination whether training or even simply awareness of what's changed, is actually required.

 

[Jen Kirley]

Welcome to the Cove!

I share concerns about your question because it can be difficult to show this "retraining" has taken place. The greater the risks, the more we should be concerned about keeping responsible people informed of changes. But how should we do that?

The answer lies in the size of your organization, the standard means of communication, and the extent of retraining expected. A small organization could accomplish this with a huddle meeting and spot in-person updates by supervisory personnel. This should be documented. Larger organizations might have an engineering change control system that can be set to inform targeted personnel of changes to Document XYZ via e-mail.

In both cases there's a shared responsibility. The organization is responsible to communicate; the employee is responsible to fulfill; and the organization is responsible to recognize if that's been done, and if not, take remedial action.

Does that help?

 

[harry]

....................... Any advice for a method that will be effective without being cumbersome?

The technical term is Training needs analysis but don't be scared by the term. It can be as simple as a review as well as what the other posters had stated.

 

[Randy]

Nobody answered the original question...What is the best way...?

Here's the answer....There is only one (1) wrong way, and that's the way it don't work for ya.

There may be 100 different solutions and the correct answer is to figure out which works best for YOU...It don't hafta work for the other guy and it really doesn't matter if they like it or not (unless they pay your bills), it's just gotta work for you.

Try different ways to make it happen, if it doesn't, then change...Or you'll prove Einstein correct (Just control the process)

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Any advice for a method that will be effective without being cumbersome?

Institute, as part of your document (re-)approval process for the process owner involved with that document to determine if:

a) classroom training on the document change is mandatory.
b) classroom training on the document change is optional.
b.1) supervised instruction on changes is required
b.2) self reading and acknowdgement of changes is required.
c) no additional steps necessary.

Because changes to documents range from inconsequential to critical, someone (typically a process owner) should make an educated decision on the impact of the changes and how to mitigate the risks of the change not being paid attention to.

 

[somashekar]

Any document effects tasks of certain set of people, and a change in that document and its effect on such people and their understanding of same, if can be demonstrated, it is sufficient.
If you ever feel that such a thing needs to be recorded, go ahead and do that. If you go to record training about every change in document, then indeed you are being cumbersome. The key here is ability to understand and act based upon the changes made in a document, and its visibility. About significance to record, please apply your own discretion with justification.

Currently, our documents are hosted on a Sharepoint site and automatic alerts can be sent to predetermined individuals when a change is made to the document,

Can you get a READ/UNDERSTOOD/ACKNOWLEDGED as an automatic option from the predetermined individuals through sharepoint site, when they have accessed any new /changed document first time ???

 

[samsung]

Can you get a READ/UNDERSTOOD/ACKNOWLEDGED as an automatic option from the predetermined individuals through sharepoint site, when they have accessed any new /changed document first time ???

Good point but a problem I foresee is when the document is accessed lately.

 

[somashekar]

Good point but a problem I foresee is when the document is accessed lately.

Once automatic alerts are sent to predetermined individuals when a change is made to the document, it is expected and understood that they will see and act upon it. Perhaps the alert or popup can be made to re-appear every time the person logs in until action is taken and this can also show up to the doc control section, that a particular individual is yet to see the new procedure and other means of communication can then be established.

 

[MaureenT]

Thank you very much for your professional insight. Its so good to know you're there . . .
Hearing from so many perspectives helped bring up other points to be considered.
Unfortunately, the automatically generated email does not have an acknowledge of receipt - that would have been sleek. And being up for reevaluation, we will certainly be complying by addressing this observation.
To comply with the requirement noted in the observation, and considering that there should be a record of all training I think I'll utilize a feature of Adobe . . .
Evaluation of each revision:
First, the Document Owner would have to evaluate if rereading/retraining is necessary with each revision of the document. (Sharepoint allows the Document Owner to make a comment beside each revision of a document - the comment could be 'no training necessary prior to annual review' or 'retraining required and implemented' or something similar.
Request of and Evidence of Rereading/Retraining:
When rereading/retraining is necessary the Document Owner would send a copy of the document (showing the changes marked) which contains the current revision/date, in PDF form. The recipients will be required to Sign/Certify the PDF electronically. Once all necessary sigs are obtained, the PDF signed by all can be saved to a folder on the Sharepoint site titled QMS Training Records.
Evaluation of effectiveness of training:
The QA Manager will have to design a few pertinent questions, and distribute the questions to all that signed the document. Once the responses are received, the QA Manager can add an evaluation on the bottom of the signed document.
Any way I look at it, I think it's conveluted. I know I tend to overthink the requirements, but I know the auditor is going to look for records of training, and for evidence that the training was effective - so this is as simple as it gets, right?
Trial Run:
I'll begin by updating our Documents and Records Control document. I'll note that 'all Document Owners require retraining to the current version' in the comments field - and I'll post a PDF copy of the marked document in the QMS Training Folder. Using the program, I'll specify who should be alerted, and the intended recipients will automatically receive a link via email to where the PDF is stored. The title of the email they will receive will be 'Your Signature of Understanding Changes to a QMS Document is Required by 1/11/2011'. Once all sigs are obtained, I'll send a form with a few questions and request that they return via email. When this is done I'll update the signed PDF with a written evaluation of effectiveness. Phew!
The only upside - we don't anticipate substantial changes to documents very often!