How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
(OP)
Well, two months ago I finished my carrer as Industrial Engineer and now I have my first job in an important enterprise. Since I start working I have seen that although we have put many lean manufacturing thecniques, we spent much time when somebody needs a signature to request something. I would know how to eliminate or reduce this process?
Thank you!
Thank you!





RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
I suspect that works fine as long as the company is not in trouble.
When the peanut butter hits the fan, I don't think it's necessarily such a good solution.
I can see it turning out badly when the email server crashes, and presenting a serious challenge to any sort of forensics, i.e., tracking who said what to whom and when, even when the server hasn't crashed.
I could be wrong; I didn't get the job, and the company is still in business.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
A way around it may to reverse the concept - instead of a signature being required to request something, a request is sent unless someone signs something - this will put the onus on whoever should normally be signing things to look at the request quickly.
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
For instance most of our purchase request approvals are now by email. However, I sometimes have more trouble getting my Director to respond to email than when I used to take a paper form over to his office and camp out till he signed it.
The only way round that is to delegate authority, something many managers, accountants etc. find difficult.
That said, I think our ECO process may have gone to a system like robertip mentions. If you don't 'block' it within X days then it's treated as approved.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
Peter Truitt
Minnesota
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
The limiting of signatures is a prime example; I've seen some title blocks with spaces for 7-8 approval signatures, in addition to a similar number for each releasing document, without any of which the drawing could not be released. Of course, those signatories felt that their approval was essential.
Granted, his is not the only manual covering the subject matter, but it does make a lot of sense.
Technically, the glass is always full.
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
Ben Loosli
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
Technically, the glass is always full.
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
The technology exists.
I am not sure about you, though my experience is, regardless of how well you track / expedite anything, if the person (s) cannot be bothered / is "too busy" and management condone it, you can put all the measures in the world in and it will not make any difference.
Regards,
Lyle
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
RE: How can an enterprise eliminate the signature and documents process?
Communication and Empowerment (and Cognizance!)is really what Frank Watts is getting at in "Documentation Control Handbook". In a regulated business (any business, really), effective and adequate communication needs to be (should be) documented at a certain level. Watts presents a lean approach to maintain minimal ,but adequate, documentation showing that this happened. So the two (few, anyhow) signatures are efficacious and very likely better than many.
Peter Truitt
Minnesota