Evolution of a Process Flow Evolution of a Process Flow DiagramDiagram

Some examples for Production Some examples for Production AgricultureAgriculture

Click your mouse throughout this slide show to advance the

slides and animations…

OverviewOverview1.1. WhatWhat is a Process Flow Diagram (PFD)?

2.2. WhyWhy do you need a PFD? The ISO 9001:2000 requirements.

3. Varying degrees of PFD complexity… It depends on what you what you

do!do!

4. Getting Started: Define your business processesyour business processes.

5.5. CategorizingCategorizing your business processes:• Management Responsibility• Resource Management• Product Realization• Measure-Analyze-Improve.

6. The ISO 9001 Process ModelProcess Model.

7. How to build your own PFDbuild your own PFD.

8. The evolution of your PFDevolution of your PFD. Some examples of PFD for

production agriculture.

What is a PFD?What is a PFD? Process flow diagrams are illustrations Process flow diagrams are illustrations of key business processes and their interactions. of key business processes and their interactions.

Planting Crop Management

Harvest

This simple PFD contains 3 general Processes

The interaction between the processes is the sequence, or order, in which they occur.

The The outputoutput of one process is often an of one process is often an inputinput to the next. You could also think of a PFD in terms to the next. You could also think of a PFD in terms of material flow throughout the production line. of material flow throughout the production line.

Young crop Young crop (with weeds)(with weeds) Mature, Mature,

healthy crophealthy crop

outout inin outout inin

Why do you need a PFD?Why do you need a PFD?

Reason #1: The ISO 9001:2000 standard requires you to identify all of your business processes and their interactions.

Reason #2: By creating a PFD for your operations you must actively think about each of your business processes individually, and as part of a system. This is often referred to as process evaluation…

ISO 9001:2000 Clause 4.1 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The organization shall establish, document, implement, and maintain a quality management system (QMS) and continually improve its effectiveness in accordance with the requirements of this International Standard. The organization shall:

a) identify the processes needed for the quality management system and their application throughout the organization (see 1.2);

b) determine the sequence and interaction of these processes;c) determine criteria and methods needed to ensure that both the operation and control of these processes are effective;

d)d) ensure the availability of resources and information necessary to support the operation and monitoring of these processes;

e) monitor, measure and analyze these processes; and

f) implement actions necessary to achieve planned results and continual improvement of these processes.

Reason #3: A PFD is also an organizational tool. It may be used as a checklist to ensure that you have all of the human and material resources your need to produce your products.

Reason #4: A PFD is your road map to continual improvement. With all of your business processes and interactions in plan view you should be able to see where measurement and analysis will most likely lead to improvements in your system.

The Bottom LineYour PFD is a roadmap of your business and QMS. It will help you to meet all of the general requirements of ISO 9001:2000.

PFDs for Production Agriculture:PFDs for Production Agriculture: We We are going to build on the previous example by adding some pre-planting are going to build on the previous example by adding some pre-planting and post-harvest processes. and post-harvest processes.

Processing

Storage

Packaging

Planting Crop Management

Harvest and conveyance

Tillage

SH

IPPIN

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USTO

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The complexity of the PFD depends on WHAT YOU DO!!!

In this example the color coded arrows distinguish product that is shipped:Immediately after harvest, OR click… Following a period of storage, OR click…

Following processing (and possibly packaging and/or storage)

Following packaging (and possibly storage), OR click…

Slow Down?!?!Slow Down?!?! Don’t worry, Don’t worry, youyou are going to start are going to start with the basics… Lets get rid of the fancy stuff for now…with the basics… Lets get rid of the fancy stuff for now…

Processing

Storage

Packaging

Tillage

Planting Crop Management

Harvest and conveyance

SH

IPPIN

G T

O C

USTO

MER

Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.

That’s better.That’s better. This looks like a good starting point, This looks like a good starting point, but there are a few things missing… but there are a few things missing…

Tillage

Planting Crop Management

Harvest and conveyance

SH

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Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.

Crop planning

Equipment Maintenance

Seed Purchases

Financials

Hiring seasonal staff

What about…

… Just to name a few. You are very busy. Take some time to make a list all of the things that you do as part of your farming operations.

YOUR listYOUR list may include some of the processes shown may include some of the processes shown below. Your processes may then be grouped into categories…below. Your processes may then be grouped into categories…

tillage

planting

fertilizer application

pest control

Harvest and conveyance

Processing and packaging

storage and shipping

purchasing

infrastructure

Equipment maintenance

Staff training

hiring seasonal staff

crop planning

financials

customer communication

product quality analysis

Product Realizatio

n

Management Responsibiliti

es

Resource Managemen

t

Measurement and

Analysis

Look Familiar?Look Familiar? These categories are also illustrated in the These categories are also illustrated in the ISO Process Model for a QMS. ISO Process Model for a QMS.

Management Responsibility

• Customer communication•Crop planning

Resource Management• Purchases

• Equipment/infrastructure maintenance

• hiring staff/training

Measurement and Analysis

• product quality analysis• financials

• yield/profit maps

Product Realization

• tillage• planting

•apply fertilizer/pesticide

• harvest and conveyance

• process and package

• storage and shipping

Building your own PFD:Building your own PFD: Our first example PFD Our first example PFD included only Product Realization Processes. What included only Product Realization Processes. What do you do before your start farming? do you do before your start farming?

Crop Planning

You need a plan!

But wait… How do you decide what to produce? You will need to gather this information before planning your crop.

Determine your

customer’s product

requirements

Identify legal requirements with respect

to the product and/or

production processes

Good… Now that you know what you are working towards, you probably have some objectives in mind with respect to your cropping season (e.g., yields, profits). Remember, ISO requires you to establish and document measurable objectives.

Set Objectives

Hmmm… There may be another interaction between these processes. You may set some of your objectives based on your customer requirements (e.g., delivery dates).

What category from the ISO Process Model of a QMS do these processes belong to? Hint: Who is responsible for each step?

OK… now that you have a plan, what do you still need to do before the growing season?

Tillage

Planting Crop Management

Harvest and conveyance

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Purchasing (supplies,

seed, equipment)

You need to obtain RESOURCES in order to produce your crop according to your plan, your customer’s requirements, and your objectives. This requires purchasing material resources…

… and taking care of the equipment/infrastructure that you already have…

Equipment and

Infrastructure Maintenance

You will also have to manage for HUMAN RESOURCES, which includes hiring and training…

Acquire qualified

staff

What Section of the ISO Process Model do these processes belong to???

Provide Staff

Training

Tillage

Planting Crop Management

Harvest and conveyance

SH

IPPIN

G T

O C

USTO

MER

Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.

The next Section of the ISO Process Model is the PFD that we started with earlier. What is this section called???

Process Evaluation, Preventive Actions

MA

NA

GE

MEN

T R

EV

IEW

Product quality analysis

Review Customer Feedback

Corrective Actions

At the end of the growing season you should be evaluating the:

Internal Audit of QMS

c) effectiveness of your QMS.

a) quality of your products…

b) efficiency of your processes…

What Section of the ISO Process Model do these processes belong to???At the end of the growing season all of these evaluations should be part of your MANAGEMENT REVIEW. This will help you to plan and IMPROVE your QMS for next year!

Put the whole model together…

Crop Planning

customer requirements

legal requirements

Set Objectives

Purchasing

Equipment and

Infrastructure Maintenance

hiringStaff Training

Tillage

Planting

Crop Management

Harvest and conveyance

SHIPPING

Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.

Product quality analysis

Process Evaluation, Preventive Actions

MA

NA

GE

MEN

T R

EV

IEW

Product quality analysis

Review Customer Feedback

Corrective Actions

Internal Audit of QMS

• Or a more complex web of process interactions and Or a more complex web of process interactions and multiple products and services …multiple products and services …

KEY POINTS…

• The PFD includes processes (boxes) and their The PFD includes processes (boxes) and their interactions (arrows).interactions (arrows).

• Your PFD should be unique to your farm business… Make Your PFD should be unique to your farm business… Make sure you include sure you include what you do!

• The level of detail is also dependant on your needs:

• It may be simpler that our 1st example (i.e., a linear chronological flow of processes…

Crop Planning Set Objectives Assemble Supplies/Equipment

Tillage and Planting

Harvest

Product and Process Evaluation

Internal Audit of QMS

Hire/Train Staff

TransportCrop Management

Return to topReturn to top

Management Review

Customer Customer and and

Contract Contract establishmeestablishme

ntnt

SchedulSchedule e

cropping cropping ServicesServices

Purchase seed, Purchase seed, supplies and supplies and equipmentequipment

Crop Crop PlanPlan

Pest Pest managemenmanagemen

tt

Hire/Train Hire/Train StaffStaff

Provide contracted Provide contracted service service

(plant/combine/spra(plant/combine/spray)y)

Plant CropPlant Crop

FertilizFertilizee

Equipment Equipment maintenancemaintenance

Harvest Harvest CropCrop

yield yield datadata ConveyanceConveyance ShippingShipping

ProcessingProcessing

PackagingPackaging

StorageStorage

Customer Customer Receipt Receipt

and and feedbackfeedback

Precision Ag data Precision Ag data AnalysisAnalysis

FinancialsFinancials

Corrective/Corrective/Preventive ActionsPreventive Actions

Internal Internal AuditsAudits

Management Management ReviewReview

scrapscrap

XYZ Farms Process Flow

Diagram

• Or it may be fancy …Or it may be fancy …

Product Receipt, Customer Feedback

Product Quality

Internal AuditManagement Review

Process Evaluation and Preventative

Action

Corrective Action

Crop Planning (ID mgt zones, variety

selection, etc.Seedbed preparation Crop management

(fertilize, pest control)

Planting Conveyance

Harvest Storage

Shipping

—— Production Resources ——

—— Human Resources ——Acquire supplies,

equipment, materials.Set-up and maintain

equipmentAcquire qualified staff/services

Employee training

—— Collect the information ——

—— Use the information to plan ——ID Contact and/or Customer Requirements

ID Environmental AspectsID Legal

Requirements Objectives and Targets

Alternatives Evaluation

Emergency Preparedness

TIPS for Constructing Your Farm’s PFD…

1.1. Write down a Write down a listlist of what you do throughout the year of what you do throughout the year

2.2. CategorizeCategorize the processes under the headings of Management the processes under the headings of Management Responsibilities, Resources, Production, and Measurement – Analysis - Responsibilities, Resources, Production, and Measurement – Analysis - Improvement.Improvement.

3.3. EvaluateEvaluate your list. Did you leave anything out? your list. Did you leave anything out?

4.4. Draft the PFD by putting the processes into Draft the PFD by putting the processes into orderorder (on scrap paper). (on scrap paper).

5.5. Look for process Look for process interactionsinteractions (other than the chronological sequence that (other than the chronological sequence that was done in the above step) and draw them in.was done in the above step) and draw them in.

6.6. Re-examine the Re-examine the examplesexamples in this slide show. Is there anything that you in this slide show. Is there anything that you could borrow from them?could borrow from them?

7.7. Complete Exercise #3 in the Ag-ISO Workbook to generate an Complete Exercise #3 in the Ag-ISO Workbook to generate an electronic electronic versionversion of your PFD. of your PFD.

8.8. Accept what you have (for now). Your PFD will Accept what you have (for now). Your PFD will evolveevolve and and improveimprove over time… especially when you put it to work! over time… especially when you put it to work!