That Article Was Delicious
I absolutely loved this article (“ISO 9001 Documentation Is Like a Box of Chocolates,” Bretta Kelly, February 2009). It describes what we at Kent Foundry complain about when we talk about ISO [standards]. We have a two-page quality manual and only five procedures. We started out with a “premade” set of documents but found them to be too cumbersome. So we went our own way and spent most of our time teaching our personnel to think differently. We have been very pleased after a year of being registered at how well it works and how much better a company we are.
--Steve Ziny
I’ve been battling with our engineering group over this exact issue of over- documentation for years. Our Mexican facilities have written literally thousands of procedures, work instructions, and other nonvalue-added documents to justify document control. I’ve written a simplified 10-page version of our 32-page quality manual with the seven required ISO/TS16949 procedures; however, managers seem to think they need even more manuals and procedures. “How will people know how and what to do if we don’t have procedures?” is a phrase that makes the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Thank your for the timely article.
--Jesus Guerra
Bretta Kelly’s article is a breath of fresh air for today’s overcomplicated world of system documentation. I was not aware that ISO 9001:2008 specifies six documented procedures: Can you tell me what those are?
Thanks!
--R. Montgomery
Bretta Kelly responds: “For ISO 9001:2008, the following sections require documented procedures:
4.2.3 “Control of Documents”
4.2.4 “Control of Records”
8.2.2 “Internal Audits”
8.3 “Control of Nonconforming Material”
8.5.2 “Corrective Action”
8.5.3 “Preventive Action”
“AS9100 requires the above plus:
7.5 “Operations” (7.5.1.3 “Production equipment, tools, and programs shall be validated prior to use and maintained and inspected periodically according to documented procedures.”)”