Does implementing a Process Based Management System put my job at risk?

Recently while working with some students in a Lead Auditor class for ISO 9001 one of the students came up with a serious concern about his being committed to ISO 9001! His questions was “With a  well-documented Process Based Management System (PBMS) in place everyone will know what I do. So how can I then ensure the security of my job?”  Over numerous classes that I have taught, this question often comes in one form or the other. This is particularly relevant when I work in other countries where jobs are hard to come by. I am sure there are others who have this job insecurity as their  company begins the process of implementing a PBMS based on a standard. Their worry is “what is in it for me?”

Clause 5.5.3 of the ISO 9001:2008 requires the management to ensure internal communications with regard to the effectiveness of the quality management system. These internal communications must explain and address the doubts of the employees. The employees must appreciate that a bad system can let down the best man every time. Without a system the blame culture will prevail and overall efficiency be adversely affected. Management will then invariably ask “Who?” – meaning blame the employee, instead of asking “How?” and or “Why”- meaning how and why did the system let down the employee. In real terms with the system the blame moves from the individual to the system. Even if the employee’s incompetence caused the deficiency the system failed in terms of ensuring competence either by incorrect hiring, or training or continued education and so on. The organization should improve the system which placed an incompetent employee in a position where he/she could not perform, instead of blaming the employee. Disheartened employees are the result of being always blamed for poor work and the results, leading to the work environment (clause 6.4) not being congenial for achieving product conformity. How can any organization achieve continual improvement (clause 8.5.1) if deficiencies are not addressed.

Employees often forget that their job security is dependent on the organization constantly improving with the continual improvement cycle to be productive and viable. Without the improvements the organization itself will go out of business and so the jobs will be lost. Investing in a system approach and addressing deficiencies by corrective action(clause 8.5.2) can against the recurrence of non-conformities. As the data base builds and the employees can get the information from the data and analyze it (clause 8.4) can they predict potential NCs (clause 8.5.3) and so add value and therefore sustain the organization to enable the organization to continue to meet the expectations of the manpower. After all benefits are an outcome of the “cash in the bank”.

As the PARs (Preventive Action Requests) start coming in and the employee participation increases the system stabilizes creating the environment for innovation. The organization immensely benefits from innovative products (story of Apple is a case in point) and is therefore able to pay its employees better. A system approach therefore not only is an investment in retaining the employees (job security) but a sure way to ensure better future prospects. The success of the organization then contributes to the well-being of the society and the ultimate prosperity of the nation. We could stretch the benefit of the system approach further and say it would meet the futuristic stability too and ensure conduct which is socially responsible (SR).