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"Manage more, supervise less."
- Bryce's Law
When I got into the work force back in the mid-1970's it seemed
everyone dressed in a suit and tie, drank black coffee, smoked
their brains out, and worked their butts off. Today, golf shirts
have replaced suits, herbal tea and bottled water have replaced
coffee, nobody is allowed to smoke, and rarely does anyone work
beyond 5:00pm. More importantly, we used to care about the work we
produced; there was a sense of craftsmanship, regardless of the job.
My Brother-in-law in Cincinnati conducted me on a tour of his company's
machine-tool shop years ago and showed me how he could take a block of
aluminum and convert it into a high-precision machine tool. It was a
pleasure to watch him work, as it is to watch anyone who knows
what they are doing, be it a waitress, a programmer, a laborer or
a clerk.
Quality and service used to be considered paramount in this
country. If it wasn't just right, you were expected to do it over
again until you got it right. We cared about what we produced
because it was a reflection of our personal character and
integrity. But somewhere along the line we lost our way and
craftsmanship has fallen by the wayside. Why? Probably because
we no longer care.
In today's litigious society, employees are acutely aware that it is
difficult to be fired due to poor performance. They know they will
still get paid and receive benefits, regardless of the amount of effort
they put forth. Consequently, there is little to encourage people
to perform better. Money isn't a motivating factor anymore. People
now expect bonuses, raises and other perks to be paid out regardless
of how well they perform during the year.
We've also become a nation content with doing small things. America
used to be known as a powerhouse that could tackle large projects,
such as building skyscrapers, designing innovative bridges and tunnels
spanning substantial bodies of water, engineering transcontinental
railroads and highway systems, conquering air and space travel, and
defending freedom not just once but in two world wars. If you really
wanted something done, you talked to the Americans and no one else. Now
we get excited over iPods, cell phones, and other electronic trinkets.
Many believe Craftsmanship is in decline due to the general apathy found
in today's society. Maybe. I tend to believe it is due to an erosion
of our moral values. Let me give you an example. Having a child in college,
my interest was piqued recently by an article describing the pervasiveness of
cheating and plagiarism in our schools. It is not my intent to make a
political statement here but many of the students mentioned in the article
rationalized their cheating on the fact that one of our past Presidents
cheated and lied under oath, and got away with it. They figured if it is
okay for the Commander-in-Chief to act this way, it was an acceptable form
of behavior.
Arnold Toynbee, the famed English historian, observed, "Civilizations
die from suicide, not by murder." If the moral fabric of our society
dies, our story is told as evidenced by other great civilizations that
long preceded us. Our perspective needs to be realigned: Our personal
and professional lives must be viewed as one. As Toynbee remarked,
"The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." By
doing so, we identify more closely with our work and assume a greater
pride in workmanship. We do not need to hear this from our boss, but
rather from within. As strange as it may sound, I see Craftsmanship as
being patriotic in nature; doing a good quality job is part of leading
a good and honorable life and builds on the individual's esteem, the
company he works for, and the country he lives in.
The biggest problem though is that we have forgotten how to manage
people. The manager's primary goal is to create the proper work
environment for employees to produce the desired work products. This
is different than a supervisory capacity that directs how each person
performs the various tasks of a job. In fact, I encourage managers to
manage more and supervise less. I cringe when I see a manager try to
"micromanage" either a Fortune 500 company or a non-profit organization.
Yes, people need to be trained in order to properly
perform their work but following this, employees should be mature
enough to supervise themselves. In the old days, management stressed
discipline, accountability, and structure; three ugly words in today's
workplace.
Understanding Craftsmanship
Some might say craftsmanship is a simple concept that we should
intuitively know. Not true; most people today have no comprehension as
to what makes up a good craftsman; they have either forgotten or it has
simply passed them by. Craftsmanship can be found in any field of endeavor
imaginable, be it in the product sector or service industry. Craftsmanship,
therefore, is universally applicable to any line of work.
Craftsmanship is not "workmanship", nor is it synonymous with quality,
although the three concepts are closely related. Let's begin by
giving "Craftsmanship" a definition: "The production and delivery
of quality goods or services from highly skilled workmen."
Quality relates to the absence of errors or defects in the finished
product or service. In other words, finished goods operate
according to their specifications (customers get precisely what
they ordered). Such products are normally durable and require minimal
maintenance. Craftsmanship produces quality products. In the absence
of craftsmen, a rigorous methodology or assembly line process is
required to produce quality goods using workers without the expertise
of craftsmen. Such processes detail "Who" is to perform "What" work,
"When", "Where", "Why" and "How" (5W+H), thereby assuring a quality
product or service is produced. Such is the underlying rationale of
the ISO 9000 certification as used by many companies today. The point
is, quality is not the exclusive domain of the craftsman.
Craftsmanship is also a human trait. Some might argue a computer or
industrial robot can produce quality products and are, therefore,
craftsmen. However, we must remember these devices are programmed by
human beings in accordance with the rules of the craftsman. As such,
they are an extension or tool of the craftsman.
Craftsmanship can be found in either the overall work process or
a section of it. For example, there are craftsmen who are intimate
with all facets of building furniture, such as a table, a chair or
desk, and can implement the product from start to finish. However,
as products grow in complexity, it becomes difficult to find people
suitably qualified to build them from the womb to the tomb. Consider
military weapons alone, such as the complicated ships, tanks, and
airplanes we now use, with thousands or millions of parts to
assemble. Such complexity makes it impossible for a single person
to have the expertise to build the whole product. The same is true
in the service sector where different types of expertise and
capabilities may be required. In other words, craftsmen have a
specific scope of work. The scope of work may relate to other
types of craftsmen through a chain of work dependencies, e.g.,
Craftsmen A, B and C concentrate on separate sub-assemblies which
are eventually joined into a single product.
Attributes
So, what are the attributes of a craftsman? What makes a craftsman a
craftsman? There are three basic attributes described herein:
1. Possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to perform the work.
The craftsman is an expert in his field of endeavor; so much so that
he could easily serve as an instructor in the subject matter. But the
craftsman is also smart enough to know that education is not a one
time thing, that his world and field evolve as new tools and techniques
are introduced. As such, the craftsman is a student of his profession
and is constantly looking to improve himself. This is exercised through
such things as continued education, routine certification, studying books
and trade publications, and industrial groups. The craftsman willingly
participates in trade groups, often at his own expense, in order to network
with his peers.
It is Important to note that the craftsman does not need to be told
he needs periodic training to sharpen his skills. Instead, he takes the
personal initiative to stay on top of his game. Further, the craftsman
has no problem with a periodic job review; in fact, he welcomes it for
it might bring out a weakness in a skill he needs to sharpen.
2. Attention to detail.
The craftsman understands and respects the process of building/delivering
a product or service and is acutely aware of the penalties for cutting
corners. Earlier we discussed the need for a methodology that specifies
5W+H. The craftsman is intimate with all details of his scope of work,
so much so, he could probably write the methodology himself. Further,
his intimacy of the work process means he can produce a reliable estimate
of time and costs to perform the work.
Although many of the craftsman's tasks may be repetitive, it doesn't
mean he easily falls into a rut. Instead, he is constantly looking
for new tools and techniques to improve the work process. As such,
he plays the role of Industrial Engineer who is normally charged
with such a task.
The craftsman's attention to detail also means that he demonstrates
patience in his work effort. Again, wary of cutting corners, the
craftsman must possess such patience in order to produce the product
the right way.
3. Views professional life as an extension of his personal life.
The craftsman identifies with the end product which is where
pride in workmanship comes from. In his mind, the craftsman has
been charged with the responsibility of producing something, and
wanting to satisfy the customer, puts forth his best effort to
produce it. In other words, craftsmen take their work
personally. This is a difficult trait to teach particularly in
today's society where the focus is more on financial compensation
than on the work product itself. It may sound naive, but the
craftsman believes he will be suitably compensated for
producing superior results.
Years ago, Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears (NFL) confounded sports
writers who could never understand why Butkus played as hard as he
did year after year for a losing football team. True, Dick loved the
game, but beyond that, the sports writers didn't understand one thing
about the seven time All-Pro linebacker: Butkus took his job
personally. It was important to him that his opponents know that
they had been tackled by the best player; as he said, "When they
get up from the ground I want them to say 'it must have been Butkus
that got me'." Dick Butkus was a craftsman.
The craftsman has a burning desire to produce a superior product/service
because he sees it as a reflection of himself. As such, the lines delineating
their personal life and professional life are blurred. This is a significant
characteristic that clearly separates a craftsman from the average worker. The
craftsman's work is his life. He does not shirk responsibility, but rather
embraces it with confidence and embosses his name on the finished product.
Conversely, making a work related mistake of any kind pains a true craftsman.
Job titles are normally inconsequential to the craftsman who is more
interested in delivering a quality product/service enjoyed by the
customer. Instead, the craftsman takes pleasure in being touted as
the best in his craft. He appreciates recognition; when someone
makes a compliment about a product, the craftsman views it as a
personal compliment. This too runs contrary to today's corporate
world where people desperately seek recognition through simple
job titles. Want someone with an inflated ego? Give them a title.
Want something done right? Call a craftsman.
Productivity
"Dependable", "professional", and "resourceful" are adjectives that
aptly describe the craftsman. He is not one who fabricates excuses but,
rather, always finds a way to get the job done. The craftsman is typically
your most productive employee. He is mindful of the concept of productivity
that we have touted for years:
Productivity = Effectiveness X Efficiency
Most people fallaciously equate productivity with efficiency, which simply
gauges how fast we can perform a given task. Effectiveness, on the other hand,
validates the necessity of the task itself. There is nothing more unproductive
than to do something efficiently that should not have been done at all. An
industrial robot, for example, can efficiently perform such tasks as welding. But
if you are welding the wrong thing, then it is counterproductive. Going back to
our description of a methodology, effectiveness defines "Who/What/When/Where/Why",
efficiency defines "How." The craftsman is well aware of the difference
between the two and knows how to apply both. As such, the craftsman is in tune
with his work environment and corporate culture.
So how do we make craftsmen?
Not easily. Because of the human dynamics involved with the craftsman,
you will need to be a pretty intuitive manager or industrial
psychologist to make it happen. Selecting suitable candidates is the
logical first step. Devise an aptitude test to determine the candidate's
suitability to become a craftsman. After all, "you cannot make a silk
purse from a sow's ear." Aside from specific knowledge and experience
in a given field (e.g., programming, woodworking, construction, accounting,
etc.), here are some other important traits to look for:
Fertility of mind - judge his ability to learn, to adapt to changing conditions, and to look beyond his scope of work. Evaluate his professional curiosity. Confidence - judge how well the candidate knows himself, particularly how well he knows his own limitations. He should admit his deficiencies and not fabricate excuses. Dedication - judge his loyalty and determination to accomplish something. What is his attendance record? What outside clubs and organizations does he belong to and how active is he in them? Entrepreneurial spirit - judge his personal initiative. Is he driven to succeed (but not to the point of reckless abandon)? Does he have a problem with accountability? This says a lot about assuming responsibility. Attention to detail - judge his ability to focus on a subject. Does he have a problem with discipline or organization? A person's dress, mannerisms, and speech says a lot about a person. Reliability - judge his ability to assume responsibility and carry a task through to completion. Resourcefulness - judge his ability to adapt to changing conditions and persevere to see a task through to completion. The candidate cannot be inflexible; he must be able to find solutions to solve problems. Socialization skills - does he work better alone or as a team player? His position may depend on his answer.
When you have selected suitable candidates, here are three areas to
concentrate on:
Develop their skills and knowledge by allowing such things as: participation in trade groups, outside certification and on-going training, subscriptions to trade journals, continued education, etc. Some companies even go as far as to develop an in-house school to teach the company's way of doing things. If the in-house school is good, it will promote confidence through consistency. Even if people leave the company, they will recommend your company because they know the quality of the work produced. Supporting the education needs of our workers is not only smart, it is good business. Teach them the need for producing quality work; they should become intimate with all aspects of their work process (5W+H). Further, instill discipline and patience in their work effort. Change their attitude towards development so they become more focused on delivering a quality end-product. This is perhaps the most difficult element to teach. However, it can be realized by having them become intimate with the needs of the customer (have them visit or work with a customer for awhile - "let them walk in the customer's shoes"). It may also be necessary to change their form of remuneration by going to a reward system for work produced (as opposed to guaranteed income regardless of what is produced). Changing the mode of financial compensation is highly controversial in today's business world. But, as an example, can you imagine the change of attitude of today's professional athletes if they were paid based on their accomplishments (e.g., runs or points scored, hits, rebounds, etc.) rather than having a guaranteed income? Their motivation and attitude towards their profession and team would change radically. Candidates must learn to respect their institution, the process by which they work, fellow human beings, and themselves. They must also learn not to be afraid to TRY; that they must put their best foot forward, win or lose. Bottom-line: they must learn that their work has meaning and worth. If they don't enjoy their work, they shouldn't be doing it.
"There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first,
that you are going to have a good time as long as you live - I have no
use for the sour-faced man - and next, that you are going to do
something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the
things you set out to do."
- President Theodore Roosevelt
Talk to schoolchildren in Oyster Bay, Christmas-time 1898
Teaching the elements listed above probably cannot be done in one
fell swoop. Further, companies simply don't have the time or money to
wait for the craftsman to be produced. Instead, they must understand
the human spirit needs to be cultivated and be allowed to grow over
time. Because of this, it is strongly recommended that an in-house
certification program be devised specifying what the candidate should
know and what skills and talents he should demonstrate. This should be
divided into classes of progressive expertise; e.g., apprentice, intermediary,
and craftsman. The ancient builders in Egypt, Rome, and Greece understood
this concept and devised such classes of workmen. Other disciplines and
schools follow similar tactics (the various degrees or belts in martial
arts for example). Each degree is based on specific prerequisites to
master before moving on to the next level.
An in-house certification program has the added nuance of making
people feel special which greatly enhances their self esteem. If
they are made to feel like a vital part of the company, regardless if
their work of a large magnitude or trivial, they will strive to do
what is best for the company overall, not just themselves. Consequently,
their work adds meaning to their life.
There is one pitfall to all of this; today's "go-go" management
style fails to see how craftsmanship adds value to the company. In
fact, there were companies back in the 1980's that shut down such
programs simply to reduce costs. As a result, quality suffered,
repeat business was lost, products were more in need of repair,
absenteeism on the job escalated, etc. Want value? How does
a loyal customer base who has confidence in your products or
services sound? And what effect would employee harmony have,
particularly if they believed in the work they were producing? It
would be mind-boggling, all because we had faith in the human
spirit to produce superior results.
A final note: craftsmanship is not a one time thing. After it has
been instilled in people, it has to be cultivated and perpetuated. If
a manager slips even for a moment, it will go right out the window and
it will take time to bring it back to life. As for me, I like to post
motivational reminders kind of like the one recently spotted in the
Hickey Freeman manufacturing facility in New York,
"Excellence is Tolerated."
Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has 30 years of experience in the field. He is available for training and consulting on an international basis. He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com
Copyright ? 2006 MBA. All rights reserved.
Focused, practical information for managers. Current titles include: * Effective Management Skills * Effective Communication * New Manager Training * Time Management * Getting Organized * Leadership & Motivation * Human Resource & Teams * ... more
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Every businessman desires that he should be able to export maximum and that whatever he exports be readily acceptable to clients in the world market without any hassle. This is possible only if he exports quality products which have been tested by a reliable laboratory in his own country.
But the question remains as to how can we be sure that the results provided by a certain lab are really authentic? It is this requirement of authenticity that forces us to approach a lab that is accredited according to the requirements of international standard, ISO 17025.
For exporters, it is a big headache whether the product their clients are exporting comes up to the requirements of the international standard. Exporters might have also obtained valid certificate for the same, yet the importer would not necessarily have confidence that the laboratories' certificates obtained will be accepted. For his own satisfaction, he may require the product to be tested again. This creates difficulty, delay, and leads to wasteful extra costs.
The overseas importer on his part would be safe from all troubles at his end if he trusts the test certificates issued in the exporter's country which is the only sensible way left for both the parties if they use the services of accredited laboratories.
A National Accreditation Council (NAC) in any country ensures whether the laboratory is competent to undertake the tests; the equipment used was fit for the purpose; the testing methods were appropriate; the staff fulfilled the required standard of competence; appropriate records were kept; and much, much more!
ISO 17025 is an international standard that spells out general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, which are 25 in number: 15 pertain to management, while 10 belong to technical side. The standard contains all such requirements that testing and calibration laboratories have to meet. This would be necessary if the laboratories wish to demonstrate that they operate a quality system, are technically competent and are able to generate technically valid results. Any laboratory that fulfils these requirements and confirmed by the NAC after due assessment, would be declared as an accredited laboratory.
It may be mentioned that before opting for accreditation, it would be worthwhile if a Gap Analysis of the lab is carried out. It's a one or two days' exercise that apprises the management of the lab as to where the lab stands at present and where it should be as far as international standard was concerned. The person conducting the Gap Analysis gets a fair idea as to how much efforts would be required to bring the lab up to an acceptable level so as to comply with the 25 requirements of ISO 17025.
Now, let's discuss these 25 requirements:
A. Management Requirements
1. Organization 2. Management system 3. Document control 4. Review of requests, tenders and contracts 5. Subcontracting of tests and calibrations 6. Purchasing services and supplies 7. Service to the customer 8. Complaints 9. Control of non-conforming testing and/or calibration work 10. Improvement 11. Corrective action 12. Preventive action 13. Control of records 14. Internal audits 15. Management reviews.
B. Technical Requirements
1. General 2. Personnel 3. Accommodation and environmental conditions 4. Test & calibration methods and method validation 5. Equipment 6. Measurement traceability 7. Sampling 8. Handling of test and calibration items 9. Assuring the quality of test & calibration results 10. Reporting the results.
The success of the accreditation program mainly depends on how successfully it is implemented and that depends upon the seriousness of the management i.e. how much committed the top management is! The whole process takes a period of six months. All the 25 requirements are addressed during this period, laying emphasis on the following main steps:
Main Steps
o An Introductory Lecture. To create awareness about laboratory accreditation among the lab staff, an introductory lecture is delivered and a brief description of all the clauses is given.
o Preparation of Quality System Documentation (QSD). The Quality Manual, Quality Procedures (both management and technical), work instructions and forms are to be prepared.
o Control of Non-conforming Testing and Calibration Work. The lab personnel are apprised as to which all actions would be necessary when a non-conforming test and calibration work is detected. The responsibility for the management of this non-conforming work would be designated.
o Corrective Action. Corrective action becomes necessary when anything wrong has happened. This is done through a Corrective Action Request (CAR) form. The implementation of such actions is followed through a Corrective Action Log (CAL) form which contains a list of these actions in an abbreviated form for reminding the management rep of the lab to follow the progress regarding such actions.
o Preventive Action. As opposed to the Corrective Action, Preventive Action is taken to preclude the possibility of any thing going wrong.
o Internal Audits. It's a proven fact that internal audits act as a lubricant for the quality management system of a lab. The more a lab is subjected to internal audits, the more its systems become stable. For conducting internal audits, a group of suitably selected personnel of the lab, say four to six in number, may be trained as internal auditors. The conduct of internal audits would be a planned activity and has to be taken seriously.
o Management reviews. Through Management Reviews, we control the entire process of quality management throughout the lab. The management review meetings must be attended by the head of the organization or the lab.
o Accommodation and Environmental Conditions. It means that accommodation and environmental conditions of the lab in which tests and calibrations are conducted should be appropriate.
o Methods. Appropriate methods would be used by the lab, preferably those methods which have been published in international, regional or national standards. Latest, valid edition of the standard would be used. The lab shall validate methods where necessary.
o Equipment. The equipment shall be operated by authorized personnel and would be calibrated before being placed into service. The test and calibration equipment shall be safeguarded from adjustments.
o Reporting the Results. The results shall be reported in a test report or calibration certificate and they will be reported accurately, clearly and unambiguously in accordance with the instructions in the test or calibration methods.
o Review of documents by Accreditation Body. Once a lab confirms that it is ready for accreditation to ISO 17025, it approaches one of the accreditation bodies for its assessment. The accreditation body asks for the documents of this lab for carrying out an independent check.
o Pre-assessment. The documents are checked by the accreditation body and sent back to the laboratory after check. The points / observations made by the accreditation body are resolved and accreditation body is informed by the lab. Then, the laboratory requests the accreditation body to conduct a final assessment of the lab.
o Final Assessment. The accreditation body conducts a final assessment of the lab. If the body finds that the lab conforms to all the 25 requirements of the standard (ISO 17025), it is recommended for final assessment and the lab is accredited.
Comparison with ISO 9001:2000 A question generally comes to the mind of the people: If a laboratory want to get accreditation as per ISO 17025, will it also have to get ISO 9001:2000 certification? The reply is a big NO! ISO 9001:2000 covers only management requirements whereas ISO 17025 covers both management as well as technical requirements. Hence, if a lab is ISO 17025, it needn't be certified to ISO 9001:2000 as management requirements are included in ISO 17025.
Benefits
By implementing ISO 17025, following benefits would accrue:-
o The processes of the lab would be qualified.
o The staff working in the lab would be properly trained and competent.
o An organised internal audit program will eliminate all the bugs in the working of the laboratory.
o The lab would be using validated methods.
o The responsibilities and authorities of the personnel in the lab will be clearly allocated.
o As proper sampling would be in vogue, there would be no need of resorting to repeated sampling which will save time, money and efforts.
o As all systems would be streamlined, customer complaints will be reduced and efficiency will increase.
o By carrying out proficiency testing, the clients will have more confidence in the results of the lab.
Conclusion. Accreditation of the laboratories is an inescapable requirement these days. It is a must for the authenticity of their results. By using the services of an accredited lab, there would be no need for a client to test the item again in his own country. If a lab is accredited, it means that it would be using calibrated equipment; its methods would be validated and the quality of tests and calibrations would be maintained. The results would be accurately reported and would be authentic. Regular annual assessments would keep the lab on track and its efficiency would be maintained. Last but not the least: the lab would join the elite group of the accredited laboratories of the world!
About the Author: Mr. Azfar A Khan is a consultant who prepares laboratories for accreditation according to the requirements of international standard ISO 17025. He also conducts Gap Analyses of the laboratories. Besides laboratories, he also provides consultancy for Quality Management System ISO 9001:2000. He has written numerous articles on Quality and provided consultancy to various organizations, companies, factories, educational institutions, laboratories, etc. He is an IRCA (England) certified auditor. E-mail: azfar44@hotmail.com [http://www.qualitywaysinternational.com]
Review conflict, Inc. a repairer car collision with repair centers in Illinois, Indiana and Florida has a quality management seminar in Indianapolis, Indiana last week. The event includes more than 35 members of the management. each with different sets of skills and responsibility of company functioning and quality of service.
The event was part of a collision between a revision of the continued effort to apply the principles of lean management company and consisted of group, lectured and practical training. The event culminated in a ceremony to recognize the top operational performers 2010 for their commitment to quality, operational and financial benchmarks.
Lee Blank, Organization Vice President quality commented, "we have adopted a strict philosophy to continuously advance our company's quality and process-initiatives, which enables us to reduce repair cycle-times while continuing to provide a best in class quality repair. I have been an enterprise-wide approach to improve and enhance the entire chain, from our first notice of loss through accounts payable process tackle. In our test centre, managed by Stanley Craven, not only significantly improved our daily job technician time exits, but also increased our net promoter score to 9.6, which is our main performance two pointers. "
In view of the conflict review annual tradition of the assignment of individuals for their contributions to the customer and the company numerous awards were given on the basis of six different performance metrics. The most prestigious award, the year was presented to the General management, Jeffrey Henrikson. "Jeff has continued to impress by the consistent management, driven by results and the ability to export only the best from staff, our Organization," said Chris Cardwell, District Manager. As administrator of the year, Jeff received an all-inclusive vacation package all in the Caribbean and a large crystal award for his wife and himself.
On conflict review, Inc.
Collision revision Inc. has multiple facilities throughout Illinois, Indiana and Florida, and is identified as one of the largest family businesses and collision repair work of the company in North America. Collision revision and its employees have won many repair credentials, enabling them to be recognized as an approved repairer for various vehicle manufacturers. These accreditations are awarded by meeting specific criteria for equipment, training, process and quality standards throughout the company. Administrative offices are located at 1225 East Washington Street, Waukegan, Illinois 60433 and can be reached via telephone at 800 773 1011. The company's Web site located at: http://www.collisionrevision.com
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