Can ISO prevent product defects

That’s an important question raised by a reader. Mario (not his real name) is being pushed by management to take the lead in securing an ISO certification within a year. He consulted ChatGPT for guidance and would like to compare my insights. I told him that ChatGPT is a work in progress.

So, if you ask if it can provide accurate answers, ChatGPT will give you the following disclaimer: “It can often provide seemingly accurate answers, it is not guaranteed to be completely accurate and should not be considered a sole source of truth; always verify information from ChatGPT with other credible sources as it can sometimes generate incorrect or misleading information based on patterns in its training data, not necessarily factual knowledge.”

That’s it. So, what does ChatGPT tell us about ISO? It says “You can get ISO certification without implementing 5S (a mantra for good housekeeping on Sorting, Setting in order, Shining, Standardizing and Sustaining).”

ChatGPT claims “they are separate concepts.” I disagree with that. Sure, there are many ISO-certifying bodies that do not force prospective clients to first implement 5S. They don’t want to add to the difficulties of their clients, who may find it too cumbersome and lose revenue in the process.

ISO and 5S are closely intertwined. You can’t separate the two. It’s difficult to fully comply with ISO without strictly implementing 5S and removing all wastes from work processes. In his book GembaKaizen (1997), Masaaki Imai (1930-2023), kaizen guru and international bestselling author says muda (waste) elimination and housekeeping (5S) should precede writing a standard.

This means that writing procedures, eliminating wastes and putting in place work standards must be the first three priorities before you can even think of ISO. Without them, any organizational effort toward ISO would be useless. It’s like putting the cart before a horse.

Imagine this happening with many ISO-certified companies that are being bogged down by a disorderly workplace and processes that are riddled with inefficiencies and a lot of waste, like having too many signatories in one simple transaction.

So, can an ISO certification prevent defects? ChatGPT says: “An ISO standard itself does not directly prevent product defects, but implementing an ISO-certified quality management system (QMS) can significantly reduce defects by improving processes, consistency and quality control.”

The best and direct solution is mistake-proofing, also known as pokayoke for the Japanese. The term was coined in the 1960s by industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo (1909-1990) who made it an important part of the Toyota Production System.

Pokayoke is universal in our everyday lives. There are many everyday examples that we don’t realize are called pokayoke. They are so common that we don’t realize they’re there, in the first place. Among us writers, one feature is the spelling and grammar check found in MS Word.

Another example is the automatic stoppage of a printer in case it runs out of paper.

Outside of our professional work, the most commonly found pokayoke applications in our household include the bathroom sink and lavatory with overflow holes. Think also of the microwave oven that we can’t operate unless its door is closed. Conversely, the microwave automatically stops the moment you open its door.

In addition, we can find child-resistant covers for medicine bottles and chemical containers to prevent its misuse by who else, but toddlers. The list could be endless.

Mistakes as opportunities

Those who are not making mistakes are people who are not doing anything. But the most practical lesson for us is about learning from the mistakes of others. We don’t have all the time in this world to personally experience them all. The big mystery, however, is – why do mistakes happen?

“Mistakes happen for any number of reasons,” according to marketing professor Iñigo Gallo of IESE Business School. It is often caused by “misplaced priorities, unwise hires, constrained resources. By quickly analyzing what’s gone wrong, leaders can identify larger problems and implement solutions.”

Professor Gallo says: “Having an overarching vision of success can help leaders and managers apply the lessons they learn from their missteps to stay on course and grow professionally and personally. Acknowledging and learning from wrong turns helps leaders make their teams and businesses stronger.”

So, what’s a predictable mistake, and what’s not? They are pretty simple. Inventors and scientists have long identified the formula for decades. In my case, I have a rough idea of how to avoid mistakes even on trivial matters. Take this. A foreign friend is visiting Manila for the first time. I invited him for dinner.

He agreed but went blank when I suggested that he try Filipino cuisine.

What does it mean? Is he afraid of balut (fertilized duck egg) or dinuguan (pork blood stew)? I’m not sure. The truth of the matter is – I don’t like them either for health reasons. But let me check again with him so that I can avoid a mistake.

In conclusion, we avoid mistakes by asking questions. Sometimes, people delay giving their answers in the hope that the inquirer is fed up waiting, except that it’s rude. What’s clear, however, whoever is the source, the answer becomes credible, if the answer offers a logical insight like having 5S, waste elimination and standardization taking priority over ISO.

Rey Elbo is a quality and productivity enthusiast. Email your comments or management issues to elbonomics@gmail.com or chat with him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or via https://reyelbo.com. Anonymity is guaranteed.