Simplify Your Quality System
Suppose you go to work in a new joint venture company making new products for cars and SUVs. You begin your assignment knowing your job is to get the facility ready for registration to QS-9000, the automotive sector derivative of the ISO 9000 series of quality management standards.
Then suppose you find out you need QS-9000 certification in nine months and Q1 (Ford's supplier award status) in 10. Suppose you also find out the new product launches are only months apart, the new facility is already scheduled for expansion, and the number of employees is going to double to more than 200 during this same time.
Add to that a quality department that is stretched too thin to be of much help. Getting nervous?
Pretend you're in a situation I found myself in a year or so ago. You have already been through quite a few quality programs throughout your career. Not only that, you know the rules are about to change. Drafts of the ISO 9000 series are out for review with major reorganization of the requirements. Rumor has it ISO 14001 is about to be adopted by the automotive industry. ISO/TS 16949 keeps popping up in quality magazines and automotive news sites, but none of the Big Three are saying anything about whether they will follow the changes to ISO 9000:2000.
You are also receiving generous doses of "We did it this way" from folks who used to work at other parent company plants. Add to that a phone call that informs you Ford will be coming in to audit your MS-9000 (materials management) system before you can get Q1 approval. What would you do?
It's really very simple. Here's some advice from someone who lived through a situation like this and believes others can learn from that experience.
Getting started
First, throw out the old notion that you have to match everything to a standard, and take the word "quality" out of your vocabulary. Quality is a given.
Next, tap into all the resources you can find. You'll be amazed how much you can accomplish with the knowledge and skills of people willing to help if you just ask them.
Finally, do what is logical. The more practical it is, the more likely it is to be used. Keep your system as flexible and simple as possible.
It is common practice in the automotive industry for companies to match their programs to the QS-9000 manual . The quality policy of the Budd Co., one parent of Budd-Tallent LLC, an original equipment manufacturer of auto parts, was no exception.
In QS-9000, element 4.4 covers design control. In most companies, virtually every policy, procedure and instruction related to design is numbered "4 something." In fact, most auditors like matching numbers because it is easy to find items when they are numbered alike. ISO 9000:2000 changes all that. The organization of ISO 9000:2000 is different and, in my opinion, much more logical. Its draft was a great starting point for developing a new system.
When it comes to working on procedures and instructions, don't look for volunteers to jump in and help. Most people are reluctant to get involved until they see some progress. Go to the source of the information you need and ask for help. Go back two or three times for that person's approval until the instructions are just right. Once people see your goal is to develop a system that makes sense, they will step up to the plate and join you.
Beware of those who have a penchant for doing things the way everyone else does them, especially those with a "we vs. they" separatist attitude. Collect information from them and smile thoughtfully as though you are taking their advice, and don't let your new way of doing things out of the bag too soon.
Build enthusiasm by starting with supporters. Maintain a positive attitude, but don't hesitate to push those who are dragging their feet. Leave the door wide open for anyone who wants to know what is happening. Even the skeptics will eventually join in because everyone wants to be part of a winning team.
Don't separate; incorporate
If you are part of a large company with an established quality policy manual, start with it to make sure your system is compatible with the corporate requirements. Don't try to reinvent the wheel; adapt it instead.
Rather than create a quality operating system, Budd-Tallent used the business operating system (BOS) already developed by the Budd Co. for parts of our management, business plan and continuous improvement procedures.
Then suppose you find out you need QS-9000 certification in nine months and Q1 (Ford's supplier award status) in 10. Suppose you also find out the new product launches are only months apart, the new facility is already scheduled for expansion, and the number of employees is going to double to more than 200 during this same time.
Add to that a quality department that is stretched too thin to be of much help. Getting nervous?
Pretend you're in a situation I found myself in a year or so ago. You have already been through quite a few quality programs throughout your career. Not only that, you know the rules are about to change. Drafts of the ISO 9000 series are out for review with major reorganization of the requirements. Rumor has it ISO 14001 is about to be adopted by the automotive industry. ISO/TS 16949 keeps popping up in quality magazines and automotive news sites, but none of the Big Three are saying anything about whether they will follow the changes to ISO 9000:2000.
You are also receiving generous doses of "We did it this way" from folks who used to work at other parent company plants. Add to that a phone call that informs you Ford will be coming in to audit your MS-9000 (materials management) system before you can get Q1 approval. What would you do?
It's really very simple. Here's some advice from someone who lived through a situation like this and believes others can learn from that experience.
Getting started
First, throw out the old notion that you have to match everything to a standard, and take the word "quality" out of your vocabulary. Quality is a given.
Next, tap into all the resources you can find. You'll be amazed how much you can accomplish with the knowledge and skills of people willing to help if you just ask them.
Finally, do what is logical. The more practical it is, the more likely it is to be used. Keep your system as flexible and simple as possible.
It is common practice in the automotive industry for companies to match their programs to the QS-9000 manual . The quality policy of the Budd Co., one parent of Budd-Tallent LLC, an original equipment manufacturer of auto parts, was no exception.
In QS-9000, element 4.4 covers design control. In most companies, virtually every policy, procedure and instruction related to design is numbered "4 something." In fact, most auditors like matching numbers because it is easy to find items when they are numbered alike. ISO 9000:2000 changes all that. The organization of ISO 9000:2000 is different and, in my opinion, much more logical. Its draft was a great starting point for developing a new system.
When it comes to working on procedures and instructions, don't look for volunteers to jump in and help. Most people are reluctant to get involved until they see some progress. Go to the source of the information you need and ask for help. Go back two or three times for that person's approval until the instructions are just right. Once people see your goal is to develop a system that makes sense, they will step up to the plate and join you.
Beware of those who have a penchant for doing things the way everyone else does them, especially those with a "we vs. they" separatist attitude. Collect information from them and smile thoughtfully as though you are taking their advice, and don't let your new way of doing things out of the bag too soon.
Build enthusiasm by starting with supporters. Maintain a positive attitude, but don't hesitate to push those who are dragging their feet. Leave the door wide open for anyone who wants to know what is happening. Even the skeptics will eventually join in because everyone wants to be part of a winning team.
Don't separate; incorporate
If you are part of a large company with an established quality policy manual, start with it to make sure your system is compatible with the corporate requirements. Don't try to reinvent the wheel; adapt it instead.
Rather than create a quality operating system, Budd-Tallent used the business operating system (BOS) already developed by the Budd Co. for parts of our management, business plan and continuous improvement procedures.
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There is no requirement to use the word "quality" in the text of all procedures. Use it only where it applies to quality functions, such as advanced product quality planning (APQP). Leave it out of general items like management, document and data control, and control of records.
Under management, list all the management functions, quality being only one of many. Put all your required documents under document and data control, whether they are for quality control, materials management or something else entirely. Most managers will be glad to put their documents into a plantwide system. It's one less thing they have to worry about, and it really won't create that much extra work for the document control person.
No standard numbering format is required to meet any of the various standards you will use to develop your system. To be sure to meet all the elements of QS-9000, develop a matrix to identify which element is where in the new system.
When it was logical, I kept the standard number. For example, QS-9000 element 4.11 is "control of inspection, measuring and test equipment." I used the number 11 in our system, but labeled it P-11 as part of our production procedures. Nonconforming product is still 13, but it's P-13, but overlapping items such as 4.8 and 4.12, were combined. Some, such as 4.9, were divided into smaller parts. Areas such as preventive maintenance and APQP became separate procedures.
Rather than develop a separate MS-9000 system, we simply incorporated materials management into the main system. Without the word "quality," functions such as document control, records, management review and audits are open to inclusion of MS-9000, ISO 14001 and similar system requirements.
For clarity, system specific procedures are identified as such in the document header or footer. Departmental work instructions and forms are readily identified by their prefix, such as "AS" for assembly and "MN" for maintenance. The system is the same. Again, a matrix and cross-referencing help ensure procedures meet the requirements of the incorporated system elements.
Document control
Get to know your computer information systems staff members. They have the tools to make your document system virtually paperless. It's amazing what they can do with a PC network. Give them an opportunity to be creative and there's a good chance you'll get more than you ever thought possible.
In our particular case, our "computer nerd," as he calls himself, created a wonderful system using programs and tools already available and met our timeframe with a little help from a local Web developer.
Online document control is great. It is easy to find documents when the database is custom-made to include places to enter the department, operation and other information. Add revision levels and dates, and you have the master list.
Look for a system that can link documents. Online control plans allow quick access to related work instructions and forms by clicking the referenced item link. Online systems allow procedures, instructions and forms to be readily available to anyone who needs them or who simply wants to browse.
Work instructions may still be posted but are easily and quickly updated. Forms can be printed for use anytime. Here again is an opportunity for improvement—"paperwork" entirely online.
A word of caution is required here. Not everyone is ready for a paperless system. People who aren't comfortable with computers will want to see things on paper. Keep a master paper copy handy. Some auditors want hand-written signatures for document approvals, so we have a paper form to record revisions to our documents, and we keep them with the master paper copy.
Continuous improvement will take us to paperless approvals in the not too distant future. As more companies move to online documentation, auditors will more readily accept electronic approval methods.
Don't forget external documents like specifications, Automotive Industry Action Group/ASQ manuals and customer requirements like GM-9000 (GM companion requirements) and MS-9000. All these documents must be included in your document and data control system.
I used a workbook of spreadsheets for the master list. Besides the usual document number, description, revision and date, the list includes "location" to identify where these documents can be found. Some documents are available online where you can print them as you need them. Some must be located in-house.