Manpower Planning & ISO 9000 Quality System - MP, Not a Process in Isolation.

Manpower Planning is a very important and critical Planning process in any organisation, especially in a large corporation.

It is generally accepted by many that Manpower Planning (MP) Activity should not be carried out in isolation, not as an "end" in itself, but a "method" to something more important. However in a rather complex and large organisation, the distinction between the two is often blurred or taken for granted.

This paper attempts to discuss the above using ISO 9000 Quality System model and some of the latest Management Models and Quality Concepts.

MP is a Facilitation Process, Not a Core-Business Process

The above proposition is looking from the holistic and global perspective of an entity, e.g. a corporation / organisation. Any organisation engaging in a Business, has its own Core-Processes. However, many management models and structures are used, consciously or rather in most cases, un-consciously, to implement the Business. The most taken for granted model is following Frederick Taylor's doctrine of "Divide and Manage". This is typical in most hierarchical and compartmentalised type of organisation.

This author does not condemn nor be judgmental about the above typical organisational mode. In fact, from a historical perspective, such "Divide and Manage" model had been highly effective in bringing about much prosperity since the industrial revolution. However, as we progress into the "Third Wave" {as per Alvin Toffler} or "Information Age", a "Limit to Growth" of the entity can be quickly reached due to reliance on the old Management model in this new world of Business Complexity and Competition.

In the above context, the inherent Core-Business Process is often fragmented, compartmentalised into the familiar organisation hierarchical and bureaucratic structure. This often results in the usual problem of "alignment" and "integration" of the Total Business Process. MP, Manpower Planning, is often structured into part of the above fragmentation. Hence from a "System Design" viewpoint, MP cannot be a Facilitation Process, but rather confused with part of the "Core-Business Process".

To illustrate the difference of the above two very important processes, extreme examples are used below.

A large corporation, who has been enjoying every good business growth and profits, sets up many sophicated and elaborate sub-systems. Manpower Planning system is one of them. In this case a plan for 10 to 20 years projection of staff career path, promotion and incentive schemes, etc. is made. The grand plan is prepared during "good time" under the slogan of "staff is our asset", but the very "planned system" will come to a halt if the Core-Business is not growing in a corresponding and cohesive manner. The plan has to be abandoned and "down-sizing" marches in, smearing bloodshed to the whole corporation..

Business growth or stagnation, can be due to many external and internal factors. External factors can be changing market scenarios, competition, national or international trade, environmental policies etc. Internal factors can be adequacy or in-adequacy of the operating system, organisation learning capability, strategic planning, creativity etc. and manpower planning is only one aspect of it. Hence if MP is not implemented as a Facilitation Process, much complication to the Business System as a whole can be the result.

What can be the telltale signs of MP NOT a Facilitation Process to serve a Core-Business Process?

1) When a large majority of the staff is looking forward to promotion or more promising career path with the associated incentive or reward scheme, which becomes the only expressed ultimate goal in working life.

Of course, when a Business is in crisis or face a serious market downturn, MP is then not focused on Promotion or Reward schemes, rather "downsizing" or "golden hand-shaking".

If MP is used as a Facilitation Process, then it is Pro-active and Anticipatory, not Reactive in a firefighting manner. The pattern of fire-fighting can be summed up as "good business, promote more staff, bad business, cut more staff."

2) When the superior uses only the Performance Appraisal or promotion as the "only" motivating factor to increase staff performance instead of his or her leadership and Vision and management of staff creativity.

3) When there is inadequate statistical techniques employed on both quantitative and qualitative critical parameters of Manpower Planning, that can be cohesively correlated to the core-business processes. Example of qualitative parameters like staff learning capability, knowledge, innovation etc.

MP and ISO 9001 Quality System

The essence of Manpower Planning is covered by ISO 9001 model under a small sub-clause i.e. 4.1.2.2 Resources, quote :

"The supplier shall identify resource requirements and provide adequate resources, including the assignment of trained personnel (see 4.18), for management , performance of work and verification activities including internal quality audits.

However a more important Planning process is covered by clause 4.2.3 Quality Planning, quote :

"The supplier shall define and document how the requirements for quality will be met. Quality planning shall be consistent with all other requirements of a supplier's quality system and shall be documented in a format to suit the supplier's method of operation. The supplier shall give consideration to the following activities, as appropriate, in meeting the specified requirements for products, project or contracts ;

a) the preparation of quality plans ;

b) the identification and acquisition of any controls, processes, equipment (including inspection and test equipment), fixtures, resources and skills that may be needed to achieve the required quality ;

c) ensuring the compatibility of the design, the production process, installation, servicing, inspection and test procedures and the applicable documentation ;

d) the updating, as necessary, of quality control, inspection and testing techniques, including the development of new instrumentation ;

e) the identification of any measurement requirement involving capability that exceeds the known state of the art, in sufficient time for the needed capability to be developed ;

f) the identification of suitable verification at appropriate stages in the realization of product ;

g) the clarification of standards of acceptability for all features and requirements, including those which contain a subjective element ;

h) the identification and preparation of quality records (see 4.16).

Note 8. The quality plans referred to (see 4.2.3a) may be in the form of an integral part of the supplier's quality system."

Hence 4.2.3 Quality Planning encompasses the total Business System requirements, which need to be defined, quantified, made measurable, monitored, improved etc. and understood by all parties concerned before appropriate 4.1.2.2 Resources (in our case of discussion, manpower) can be "facilitated", "injected" or "lubricated", with effective impact.

However due to the great influence of "Divide and Manage" doctrine or reductionism mindset that we are not even conscious of, the Quality Planning process is often "broken into parts" and treated as "parts". As a result we could not see the "cause and effect relationship" "inter-dependency" "inter-connectivity" forces between the "parts". And each "part" is managed or controlled by managers with different personalities, agenda that typifies the usual office politics that we are all familiar with.

ISO 9002 Management model, if used creatively, can be a useful tool to help organisation to ALIGN and INTEGRATE their core business processes in a cohesive manner to create impact to their business. ISO 9000 model is by no means the only management model, but it is the simplest and widely accepted. Unfortunately, its acceptance is only accompanied by superficial treatment that not only does not produce positive impact to the business, but create bureaucratic nightmare that one day will become the liability of the business.

End.