Criteria and methods for effective operation and control

The criteria that ensure effective operation are the standard operating
conditions, the requirements or success criteria that need to be met for the
process to fulfil its objectives.
The methods that ensure effective operation are those regular and systematic
actions that deliver the required results. In some cases the results are depend-
ent upon the method used and in other cases, any method might achieve the
desired results. Use of the word ‘method’ in this context is interesting. It
implies something different than had the standard simply used the word
‘procedure’. Procedures may cover both criteria and methods but have often
been limited to a description of methods. Methods are also ways of
accomplishing a task that are not procedural. For example, information may be
conveyed to staff in many ways – one such method might be an electronic
display that indicates information on calls waiting, calls completed and call
response time. The method of display is not a procedure although there may be
an automated procedure for collecting and processing the data.


A process that is operating effectively delivers the required outputs of the
required quality, on time and economically, while meeting the policies and
regulations that apply to the process. A process that delivers the required
quantity of outputs that do not possess the required characteristics, are
delivered late, waste resources and breach policy and safety, environmental or
other regulations is not effective. It is therefore necessary to determine the
criteria for the acceptability of the process inputs and process outputs and the
criteria for acceptable operating conditions. Thus it is necessary to ascertain the
characteristics and conditions that have to exist for the inputs, operations andoutputs to be acceptable.


In order to determining the criteria for effective operation and control you need
to identify the factors that affect success. Just ask yourself the question: What
are the factors that affect our ability to achieve the required objectives? In a
metal machining process, material type and condition, skill, depth of cut, feed
and speed affect success. In a design process input requirement adequacy,
designer competency, resource availability and data access affect success. In an
auditing process, objectives, method, timing, auditor competency, site access,
data access and staff availability affect success. In a computer activated
printing process, the critical factor may be the compatibility of the input data
with the printer software, the format of the floppy disk and the resolution of
the image. There are starting conditions, running conditions and shutdown
conditions for each process that need to be specified. Get any one of these
wrong, and whatever the sequence of activities, the desired result will not be
achieved.
Determining the methods can mean determining the series of actions to
deliver the results or simply identifying a means to do something. For example
there are various methods of control:
Supervisors control the performance of their work groups by being on the
firing line to correct errors.
Automatic machines control their output by in-built regulation.
Manual machines control their output by people sensing performance and
taking action on the spot to regulate performance.
Managers control their performance by using information.
The method is described by the words following the word ‘by’ as in the above
list. A method of preventing failure is by performing a Failure Mode and

Effects Analysis (FMEA). You don’t have to detail how such an analysis is
performed to have determined a method. However, in order to apply the
method effectively, a procedure may well be needed. The method is therefore
the way the process is carried out which together with the criteria contributes
to the description of the process.