How many process maps are adequate for a company for IATF 16949?

Peter Fraser · Oct 3, 2022

Ah ha - this all depends on what you mean by a process map(!)
If you mean a diagam of your system showing the constituent processes, then 1 or 2 may well be enough. On the other hand, if you mean a map of an individual process, then it will depend on how many processes need to be defined and communicated within the organisation, and that could be 40-50+.

John Broomfield · Oct 3, 2022

Deployment flowcharts can work well as documented procedures linked to forms to gather data and to textual or video instructions where additional “how to” info is needed to effectively plan and operate a process of interacting functions.

These docs and the one flowchart that determined the processes essential to the success of the system is about it for me.

Peter Fraser · Oct 4, 2022

John Broomfield said:
Deployment flowcharts can work well as documented procedures linked to forms to gather data and to textual or video instructions where additional “how to” info is needed to effectively plan and operate a process of interacting functions.
These docs and the one flowchart that determined the processes essential to the success of the system is about it for me.

John
As you know, we share the same view of what is needed for good documentation, but one question: when you say "the one flowchart" i) do you mean what I would call a "system map" and ii) are you implying that such a map can actually show all the flows and interactions in a business? Is "flowchart" the best term to use for this?

John Broomfield · Oct 4, 2022

Peter Fraser said:
John
As you know, we share the same view of what is needed for good documentation, but one question: when you say "the one flowchart" i) do you mean what I would call a "system map" and ii) are you implying that such a map can actually show all the flows and interactions in a business? Is "flowchart" the best term to use for this?

Peter,

Thanks for asking.

No, the one “system map” is at 30,000ft simply to determine the processes within the core process (from customer needs to cash in the bank).

This is the latest version of TeamFlow used by our clients.

John

Pennygoodling · Oct 15, 2022

Funboi said:
One - in my experience. Those who suggest 30-70 must really like spaghetti…

We had 19 different process maps and the auditor told us that it was way to many. so i am currently trying to decrease the total amount down

Jim Wynne · Oct 15, 2022

Pennygoodling said:
We had 19 different process maps and the auditor told us that it was way to many. so i am currently trying to decrease the total amount down

Perhaps it is too many, but your auditor should mind his own business. It could be (and probably is) that he was just trying to make things easier on himself.

John Broomfield · Oct 15, 2022

Pennygoodling said:
We had 19 different process maps and the auditor told us that it was way to many. so i am currently trying to decrease the total amount down

Not sure how you ended up with an auditor who makes recommendations about your system.

Did you ask for an audit with recommendations and was this recorded in the audit objectives?

Many thanks,

John

Funboi · Oct 15, 2022

Pennygoodling said:
We had 19 different process maps and the auditor told us that it was way to many. so i am currently trying to decrease the total amount down

It’s got nothing to do with any auditor’s opinion. Stop any work on this stupid comment and inform their management instead - citing accreditation requirement ISO/IEC 17021 - that the auditor is not supposed to give advice but remain impartial.

How many process maps are adequate for a company for IATF 16949?

Peter Fraser

John Broomfield

Peter Fraser

John Broomfield

Pennygoodling

Registered

Jim Wynne

John Broomfield

Funboi

On Holiday

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