Not following the process…

What would you do, when colleagues in the Quality department don’t follow a (design/document change) process which a) is documented b) they are aware of and c) have used before?

 

Well issues formal corrective action request. BUT THEN, I’d talk to them to find out why they were not following the process.
There are three basic types of incorrect human actions. (These are MY operational definitions)
(1) an error: an unintentional action Al that is incorrect. We all do this an there is no harm intended even if harm occurs.
(2) a mistake: an intended action that the person thinks will have better or at least acceptable results. Typically this action is taken because the person believes the required process is wrong, too ‘bureaucratic’ etc.
(3) a malicious act: an intentional act with the intention of doing harm.

So if the QA personnel know what the process is yet they intentionally do not follow it - it is usually for a ‘good’ reason. (At least in their minds). If you can find out why they didn’t follow the process you are close to understanding what corrective action is required.
Perhaps they are correct and the process needs to be changed
Perhaps they are well intentioned but ‘misguided’; they don’t understand why the process is important. Education can help. If the cause is cultural (the personnel simply don’t agree with the process) then it’s time fo them to find someplace else to work. (Believe it or not this is actually a core concept of the Toyota Production System: not everyone will adapt to the culture, so they are free to find a culture they do like…)
Perhaps they intended to create harm (rare but it does happen.). Time to terminate employment

 

The process is relatively new, however, one of the people involved has been involved in implementation, so there should be no issue from what I see. In reviewing what's required to be changed, TBH, it looks like "busy work" and I'm that they'd even bother with it, but some folks seem to me to have to mess with things. Since we have no-one - at the moment - who is able to make an "executive decision", and the people involved are peers, I'm going to let it slide...