Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Start with action not with documentation

Enough has been written about how ISo standard is about documentation and every consultant will start with the four levels of documentation.
Starting with the most hated thing on earth and expecting people would like it doe not work.
My advice is Do not start with documentation.
Start with action.
Take the organisation chart.
Put the letters A B or C in front of each person's name in the chart.
Tell them Look at the requirements of the standard. How do you think you can fufill them?
For instance, Suppose F happens to be Purchase Manager.
Ask him to focus on 7.4 Purchasing process. (This is not to say that others are not required. I am only talking about the starting point).
Give him a week to come up with the following things
1. Summary of the requirements
2. Process Map of the activites for which he is accountable
While discussing the process map, bring in the documents as a part of the process map.
Tell him that this will demonstate the process better.
Documentation is not per se the objective of ISO 9001 but it is our need to make the processes visible to every one.

Documentation is for us not the other way.