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Vision—Integrity—Commitment |
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QCP Components |
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The standard tree growing in your backyard can help demonstrate the functional aspects of a good QCP. Once a seed has germinated, it sends out tiny roots to absorb nutrients and water from the soil. Eventually a little seedling pops up through the soil and sprouts leaves to collect sunlight, which it converts into chlorophyll. If there is adequate sunlight and the soil is plentiful with nutrients and water, the little seedling will develop into a tree. Very much like the life-cycles among trees which may vary from a few years to nearly 5,000 years like Methuselah, organizations can experience a dramatic growth or a subsequent dramatic termination. Posturing, flexibility, adaptation and proper planning may help alleviate the possibilities of good companies going the way of the buggy-whip and 8-track tape manufacturers.
The QCP contains several key components. Building a good QCP requires deliberation in order to properly sequence those components into a plan that not only responds to the needs of your organization but to the needs of your client. The inclination of the drafters of a Comprehensive QCP is to write a lengthy dissertation that is loaded with as much detail as possible. While QCP gives writers an opportunity to showcase their organization’s QC efforts, they need to be conscientious about including too many details that create sustained expectations by the client. Comprehensive does mean complete, but it needs to be simple, functional, adaptable and adoptable.
Inventories in the QCP , as an example, are important, especially while providing accountability methods for products and equipment provided by the client. The frequency of the inventory needs to be determined based on your organization’s ability to effectively account for all items within a specific time-frame. Goods that are not readily used up, like computers, radios and batteries, simply requires you to periodically update a standardized inventory list. Office supplies on-the-other-hand requires a deliberate count during a dedicated time frame, which may include everything from paper clips to the toner for copy machines.
QCP Component—Productive Personnel
The productive personnel, the people given the responsibility to carry out the mission, are the key ingredients to any quality good or service. The productive personnel should be the first consideration in your QCP. Ensuring they are performing their duties and responsibilities as expected is first and foremost their own responsibility. Education, training, experience, professionalism, competencies, attitude, commitment, desire and numerous other elements comprise the diversity of the productive staff. Developing individual talents and utilizing them effectively may by the responsibility of trainers and supervisors, but providing the overall image of your organization occurs while the productive personnel perform their duties—this is especially true in services provided by people wearing your company’s uniform. However, with that said, no one should stand out.
A team that works well together and works on the talents of the individual members performs the best. Job security, contentment, demonstrated respect, and promotional opportunities helps motivate individuals to consistently perform at a professional level. Never underestimate the importance of your productive personnel and whenever the need arises be sure they are properly protected from ambiguous allegations. Protecting your productive personnel from hostile supervisors or members of the client’s organization is paramount—your QCP needs to address the steps your organization will take to ensure fairness is rendered and the actions that will be taken to remedy problems with personnel.
QCP Component—Supervision
Managers and line-supervisors are the problem-prevention and problem-solving experts. The supervisory staff that work closely with the productive staff or providing immediate oversight of the delivery of goods and services, must be well versed in recognizing and solving problems without demands from the client or intervention from managers. The field-spotters are entrusted with ensuring the actual execution of the contract is being done effectively and efficiently. Ensuring the client is content is the job of management, but keeping the client content is the job of the supervisors.
QCP Component—Management
Last on the chain are the corporate managers, including the CEO. Let’s call them the macro-personnel. They are responsible for getting financing, contracts, collections so there’s money in the bank to pay the personnel and the bills, and they are the investors in the company. If the company fails to perform, it is laid on their laps. Not only are the macro-personnel in charge of ensuring the company remains viable and solvent, they are directly responsible for ensuring the needs of the client AND those up and down their own organization’s ladder at met with nominal delay.
When it comes to re-bidding contracts, management is the most susceptible to being replaced. The reality of contracts is that only the governing body is replaced while most line-supervisors and productive staff are retained by you or by the organization that is awarded the contract in your place. Government contracts are the tough since even though your organization is doing an outstanding job at managing the contract, the government may still require a new organization after a pre-determined time; only a limited number of contract extensions are awarded to one organization and then it’s time to give someone else the contract.
You will never get ahead with extensive investments in short-burst contracts; longevity and good investment-returns require extensive planning, flexibilities which allow improvement adjustments, and an organization-wide commitment to perform and deliver at a highly proficient and effective level. To continually qualify to have your contracts extended your organization will need to be on top of ensuring efficiencies and eliminating deficiencies.
Most models for a QCP overstates the role of management, but on the same linear plane the QCP can’t understate the importance of management in effectuating and ensuring the delivery of quality goods or services. Management is the bark on the tree; they protect the tree from infestation and damage from the elements. The bark also assists in raising the nutrients to the branches and eventually to the leaves. Management supports the mission and ensures all the requirements of a contract are met.
The management component has two fundamental roles; provide the Quality Control Plan and ensure the plan is implemented at all levels. Under the management heading in most QCPs, the managers will be the coordinators, trainers, logistics specialists, statisticians, client-level problem-solvers, planners, networking and communications experts, investigators, mediators and just about anything else imaginable, including in some cases when they’re required to be micro-managers.
QCP Component—Inspections and Accountability
The key to an excellent QCP includes the frequency, type, and methodology utilized for inspections to verify compliance with all contractual obligations. Inspections that are often shared with the client should be considered formal. Formal inspections will include meeting with office and building managers and the client’s personnel who work in the area of your responsibility. Formal inspections should be documented on standardized forms and all formal inspections should be logged at the site of the inspection.
In-house inspections are more informal and are used to periodically check to ensure posts and personnel are adequately manned, supplied and assigned with personnel who are competently fulfilling the missions and objectives stated in the SOW/PWS. The informal route may be used when there were identified minor discrepancies and your inspector is compelled to monitor the progress in alleviating those discrepancies.
Strategic indicators that state how you will ensure a high level of accountability will be put in-place and maintained is an essential component of a good QCP as well. A fluid and well defined statement which outlines the system of checks-and-balances that you will deploy up and down the QC ladder should provide a clear understanding of who is responsible for what, and to whom each member of your QC effort is accountable, is fundamentally important. Under contracts which have well defined responsibilities, those who perform the productive tasks should be routinely inspecting themselves and sharing accountability for a post or an assignment. Professional and well-trained productive personnel are of course the most important part of any outstanding QCP.
QCP Component—Measurements
Measuring the effectiveness of a QCP should include the level of complaints and recognitions for outstanding service from clients, vendors, external sources and employees at all levels. Employee retention, promotional opportunities, unencumbered respectful feedback and responsiveness to internal rumors are paramount. Any unusual events should be properly recorded and contrasted with regular reports. Discrepancies during inspections should disappear, but the realist recognizes that in an environment with numerous personalities, something is going to occur and possibly reoccur—Your measurement should be based on your QCM’s, supervisors’ and productive employees’ abilities to define, identify and correct discrepancies before they’re noticed by the client.
QCP Component—Training Measurements
An effective Training Program may be a requirement to include in you QCP. Although specific details about training are not necessary in your comprehensive plan because training requirements fluctuate between clients, sometimes significantly, a general concept is needed. Your basic standards for a good QC Training model may include, but not necessarily limited to:
· Classroom Modules with standardized testing for retention measurements. · Practical Application with proof of measurable performance competencies. · On-the-job training with measurable proficiencies through demonstrated competencies, skills and knowledge. · Refresher and/or update training and education which include using measurements of the competencies listed above.
Thank you and good writing! Jim Hafeman |
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QCP Components |
