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Management Representative




Overview

Management Representative
The Management Representative is a pivotal role in any organization. This highly visible position should be filled by a person who is well respected in the organization, knows the management system, and can maintain the right balance between the technical and human relations aspects of the job. Figuratively speaking, the Management Representative is “responsible for everything”. While this is a figurative overstatement, it underscores the importance of job and the cross-functional nature of it’s responsibilities. It also suggests that while position must exert considerable influence, the incumbent can rarely rely on line-of-command authority to get things done.

The Management Representative is the organization’s liaison between top management which is responsible for overall success of the quality system. The Management Representative has the responsibility and authority that includes:

Ensuring that processes needed for the quality management system are established, implemented and maintained,

Reporting to top management on the performance of the quality management system and any need for improvement, and

Ensuring the promotion of awareness of customer requirements throughout the organization

New to the Management Representative’s responsibilities is ensuring that processes of the Quality Management System are established and maintained, and ensuring that customer requirements are promoted throughout the organization. These are two additional items are important enhancements to the latest version of the standard.

How these responsibilities are applied to an organization as well as the exact interpretation, time commitments, and overall effort will vary. For example, quality system management and therefore Management Representative responsibilities will be very different in a highly regulated industry (such as for example a hospital) than a small service provider (such as for example light electronics assembly shop) which is not highly regulated. The job may require more than 40 hours per week, or it might be a part time job for an individual with other responsibilities.

Typical responsibilities
? Plan and/or chair the Management Review Meeting
? Establish format consistency in written procedures and work instruction
? Maintain customer focus and process improvement orientation
? Plan quality system implementation and track progress toward goals
? Oversee quality system implementation and ensure compliance with applicable requirements
? Follow up on corrective actions and preventive actions
? Establish and maintain record keeping system and distribution lists
? Schedule internal audits
? Schedule external audits
? Assist external auditors
? Develop training approach and plans
? Help establish performance measures where applicable
? Coordinate benchmarking where applicable

Typical Position Requirements
Along with the decision to pursue ISO 9000 Quality Management System, the decision about who should be the Management Representative are perhaps the two most important decisions the Management Team will make. Of all positions related to ISO 9000, in large and in small organizations, the Management Representative is the most highly visible position and perhaps the position which carries the most overall day-to-day demands.

Sometimes called the ISO or Quality Champion, the Management Representative is one with executive responsibility who is charged with ensuring overall operational success of the quality management system.

A note of caution however: The Management Representative is not accountable for the success of the management system. This is clearly in the domain and the accountability of the Management Team. Nonetheless, the Management Representative is a key player in the success of the management system.

Because of the high visibility and importance of this position, Management will want to choose an individual who has the right attributes. While it is not necessary that the individual be “home grown”, it is important that the individual know or quickly learn the management system. Often, the Management Representative is a standing member of the executive management team. In any event, the individual must possess the necessary project management and people management skills. The position has significant influence, but often not a large staff. The incumbent must have authority, but usually not direct authority. The “power” from this position comes with good leadership and good management skills and a history of earning respect from management and peers.

Attributes for success as a Management Representative include leadership, decisiveness, good judgement, fairness, good character, respect from others and excellent planning and project management skills.

Dos and Don’ts

Do
  • Strike the right balance between planning and implementation, technical precision, and human relations skills

  • Ensure that processes within the scope of management system are planned, implemented and maintained

  • Prepare concise and accurate management reports that identify overall quality system performance and areas needing improvement

  • Promote process management, customer focus and customer satisfaction

  • See the big picture

  • Provide for adequate training of all personnel within the quality system, including but not limited to top management, internal auditors, process improvement specialists, technical/procedure writers, records administrator and general audiences

  • Make and keep aggressive program schedules

  • Arrange for an internal pre-registration audit

  • Identify and choose a registrar and understand their approach and requirements for registration

  • Learn from others. Benchmark.

  • Delegate and follow-up

  • Focus on process not people



Don’t
  • “Major in the minors”. Focus on the big picture and overall quality system performance

  • Overcomplicate procedures

  • Make procedures inflexible

  • Be dogmatic about compliance

  • Be adversarial



from: http://members.aol.com/marylamp/myhomepage/isomgmtrep.html