What are process reviews? Is it compulsory? How should it be done? These are all questions that companies in the process of improvement ask themselves who have implemented the process approach of their organization.
The process review, if it is not mandatory according to ISO 9001, remains an excellent management and communication tool.
The Right Permission
Indeed, it allows each process pilot to get involved (and to involve his teams) in the improvement process and to report any difficulties encountered in the implementation and / or monitoring of the established provisions. Holding these process reviews enables pilots to act as relays and correspondents for the management system manager (management representative) to the teams.
The Process Review does not aim to deal with specific or recent problems, but constitutes a privileged moment when the actors of the process take stock of the functioning and the efficiency of the process and, more generally on the ability of the process to improve. In other words, the process review is not a quality meeting.
The order of a process review may take into account the following:
- process performance review (performance indicators)
- the review of non-conformities, dysfunctions and complaints encountered since the last review
- monitoring of improvement actions (corrective and preventive) previously decided
- identification of resource needs
- the opening of additional actions
The participants in the process review will be each process pilot, the manager of the management system, the management. Each is then responsible for relaying the conclusions of the review to their teams.
The output of process reviews is formalized in a report available to everyone (you will find a report template at the end of the article).
Course of this type of meeting
As with any meeting, the project review is no exception to the rule: the time allotted for this meeting is not extensible, the latter must be finely prepared and its progress framed for greater efficiency.
It takes place as follows:
Preparation: definition of the agenda, people to convene, place, schedule, draw up reference documents (dashboards,)
Invitation: invite the participants (only those whose presence is essential) by sending them a precise agenda as well as the role of each.
Conduct of the meeting: attendance sheet (check that all the players convened are present), nomination of the rapporteur, opening (specify objective and milestone to be validated), dynamic and lively animation (real exchange with the various interlocutors), timely speaking and distributed, respect for timing, etc.
Precision, conciseness and positivity: this is not the time to get lost in the details for each mission accomplished, or to mention only the difficulties encountered. In both cases, the motivation of the entire group would be greatly reduced.
Conclusion: decision-making, validation, actions to be taken, presentation of the next milestone, etc.
Report: writing and sending to all participants and people affected.
Project review file: creation and regular maintenance of verifications carried out, decisions taken, etc.
Follow-up: control of the implementation of defined actions and compliance with decisions taken.
