How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?

[Cartmann]

Well, two months ago I finished my carrer as Industrial Engineer and now I have my first job in an important enterprise. Since I start working I have seen that although we have put many lean manufacturing thecniques, we spent much time when somebody needs a signature to request something. I would know how to eliminate or reduce this process?

Thank you!

 

[MikeHalloran]

I interviewed a company that seemed to do most things via email.
I suspect that works fine as long as the company is not in trouble.

When the peanut butter hits the fan, I don't think it's necessarily such a good solution.

I can see it turning out badly when the email server crashes, and presenting a serious challenge to any sort of forensics, i.e., tracking who said what to whom and when, even when the server hasn't crashed.

I could be wrong; I didn't get the job, and the company is still in business.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[robertib]

Before looking at this, you need to ask why these procedures have been put in place - Is it because of something that has happened in the past?

A way around it may to reverse the concept - instead of a signature being required to request something, a request is sent unless someone signs something - this will put the onus on whoever should normally be signing things to look at the request quickly.

 

[KENAT]

By the sounds of it the signature isn't the problem - it's fundamentally getting the approval.

For instance most of our purchase request approvals are now by email. However, I sometimes have more trouble getting my Director to respond to email than when I used to take a paper form over to his office and camp out till he signed it.

The only way round that is to delegate authority, something many managers, accountants etc. find difficult.

That said, I think our ECO process may have gone to a system like robertip mentions. If you don't 'block' it within X days then it's treated as approved.

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[ptruitt]

Frank Watts, author of "Documentation Control Handbook" suggest two signatures: One representing Design and one representing Operations. He gives a methodology for communication and details why more signatures may be worse that fewer for more reasons that many folks initially realize. I have tried to implement this, but met too much resistance. My thought is that some companies might need a third, regulatory signature such as a DER signature for aviation designs.

Peter Truitt
Minnesota

 

[ewh]

I also have a copy of "Documentation Control Handbook" and often find it surprising how so many companies seem to have no concept or interest in much of what he propounds and proposes.
The limiting of signatures is a prime example; I've seen some title blocks with spaces for 7-8 approval signatures, in addition to a similar number for each releasing document, without any of which the drawing could not be released. Of course, those signatories felt that their approval was essential.
Granted, his is not the only manual covering the subject matter, but it does make a lot of sense.

Technically, the glass is always full.

 

[looslib]

There is software that will route documents to various people in a workflow for signatures. Their electronic approval sends the task to the next person in the chain.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[ewh]

Yes, that does help, but it helps to perpetuate the practice.

Technically, the glass is always full.

 

[PersonalProfile]

If you are referring to physical documents, consider Googling "RFID document management" (sans the quotation marks).

The technology exists.

I am not sure about you, though my experience is, regardless of how well you track / expedite anything, if the person (s) cannot be bothered / is "too busy" and management condone it, you can put all the measures in the world in and it will not make any difference.

Regards,
Lyle

 

[telecomguy]

My vote is Communication and Empowerment. If an organization communicates well, everyone will be involved in the design process and the 'signature' becomes an unnecessary formality. And if an organization empowers their employees with the authority to make basic decisions and commitments, then purchasing processes get streamlined and development/manufacturing cycles get reduced. Of course that takes away the 'value-added' middle management role so it will never happen. But one can still dream...

 

[ptruitt]

telcomguy,

Communication and Empowerment (and Cognizance!)is really what Frank Watts is getting at in "Documentation Control Handbook". In a regulated business (any business, really), effective and adequate communication needs to be (should be) documented at a certain level. Watts presents a lean approach to maintain minimal ,but adequate, documentation showing that this happened. So the two (few, anyhow) signatures are efficacious and very likely better than many.

Peter Truitt
Minnesota