Back in the days before electronic communication, modern companies and even accurate maps, the way of sailing ships first communication was the flags or colors the ship carried on the highest masthead.
These were so important, that a critical part of a ship was the crow’s nest. In daylight hours, a man’s full time duty was to scour the horizon in all directions to see if another ship or bad weather was approaching. With weather, one could batten down the hatches and sail through the storm or try to sail around it.
Ships were less predictable because many did not fly their colors as a matter of course, but would attempt to deceive others by flying the flag of another peaceful nation. Some, known as pirates, would change flags at the last minute when choices ranged from trying to escape, surrender or battling to the death in a watery grave. One key instruction given to the sailor in the crow’s nest was to see how the colors were attached. The most honest captains would nail the colors to the mast so they would never change and could be trusted.
In many ways, things have not changed today in the world of instant communication, web pages and cellular phones.
If we think back to the early days of quality, we relied on supplier visits to watch for those who, like pirates, were hoping to sell inferior goods and services to others, so that evasive action could be taken. These visits were viewed as a waste of time and a burden on the honest organization.
Coming with the burden of management systems and registration, the companies could meet the requirements, fly the colors and announce to all that you are one of the good guys that could be trusted. Though a good idea, soon business pressures challenged the initial commitments and these colors were hard to fly. Once or twice a year, the “color inspector” came to visit and checked to see if a pirate was flying under false colors. Additional flags were given to those that met even tighter requirements and had the right manual and policy posted in the lobby. You can even buy a flag to fly to tell others that you are a trusted vessel from a friendly country. Now we have come full circle, as the recurrence of supplier audits are being used to check for the true color of the flags that a company is flying.
What happened? Were the requirements too hard, the benefits not sufficient, or did the system of getting and flying a banner become routine? What does the certificate mean behind closed doors? When we (the ISO community) post a banner, or use the mark, we are making a statement or statements. Often times this statement is that we have a certificate on the wall and that’s it. Others try to the best of their ability to apply their paradigm of what ISO is about and nail that flag to the masthead. Often times companies are not showing their true colors, but the colors that will give them safe passage. Even pirates would fly them to gain safe passage and access to do battle.
In reviewing the advent of the new ISO standards without any required documented procedures, even the flags are gone. I see opportunities for new flags, which may hide even more pirates that have been before. How can this be? You have heard and will hear more about Risk, like it is an outbreak of Ebola. Risk has, and always will be with us. Not dealing with Risk is the problem.
ISO saw this potential hazard and issued a non-binding standard on Risk, ISO 31000 – Risk Management – Principles and guidelines. The signers of the new standards have taken the path of less resistance by requiring only risk assessment and not treatment. Without the treatment, the assessment is of little value.
James tells us – ‘It is like the man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away….’ or you hear it said of someone: “Oh, he just talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk”
The organization that chooses to nail the most meaningful flag will have Risk treatment as part of their daily lives, and not a list of risks that just meet the standard.
Bio:
Joe Eads has been closely involved with ISO 9000 since 1990 as a quality manager, management representative, consultant, and CB auditor. Holding a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from Purdue. Joe also has 13 years of experience as an RABQSA certified Lead Auditor, conducting registration audits and surveillance audits in 9K, 14K, 18K and 50K, Joe has conducted over 300 audits for a wide variety of small, medium and large organizations. He has management systems expertise across many industry sectors in the past 40 years. These include automotive, defense, process industries, power generation, utility operations and general manufacturing. Using an integrated process approach, Joe has taken a Steel Service Center registration to ISO 9001:2000/2008 and 14001:1996/2004. He has presented papers at ASQ and CB conferences. Recently achieving CERM status, Joe is available for management risk consulting, training, and coaching.
Contact: Eadsenterprises@gmail.com 574-849-2033