Flow Charts LO30064

From: Alan Cotterell (acotrel@cnl.com.au)
Date: 04/05/03


Replying to LO30058 --

A few years ago I worked for a small engineering company which specialised
in building furnaces.

Typically a sales person (with technical knowkledge) would approach
potential customers and try to sell them furnaces for various
applications.

When a concept design had been developed and approved by the customer, a
'job release meeting' would be held between the sales person, accountant,
and the engineering manager, with the intent of releasing the project for
further design - involving many hours of design and drawing. The next
stage was building the furnace by subcontract or in house, testing,
shipping and installing at the customer's premises.

With the assistance of the engineering manager I was able to develop a
'project flowchart', which was almost generic for the company's projects.

The flowchart accomodated the circumstance where items were imported and
sold. It also accomodated the several authorisations involved in
projects.

It became the basis of the Quality Management System, and a route map for
written procedures.

I suggest 'if you can't flow chart it', it's impossible to do.

Incidently the particular flowchart showed up the potential for a major
disaster - the situation where you cannot build what was 'sold' by the
salesman, and you have to 'cut your losses and run'!

Best Regards,
Alan Cotterell

-- 

"Alan Cotterell" <acotrel@cnl.com.au>

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