Evolution of a Process Flow

Diagram

Some examples for Production

Agriculture

Click your mouse throughout

this slide show to advance the
slides and animations

Overview
1. What is a Process Flow Diagram (PFD)?
2. Why do you need a PFD? The ISO 9001:2000 requirements.
3. Varying degrees of PFD complexity It depends on what you do!
4. Getting Started: Define your business processes.
5. Categorizing your business processes:

Management Responsibility
Resource Management
Product Realization
Measure-Analyze-Improve.

6. The ISO 9001 Process Model.

7. How to build your own PFD.
8. The evolution of your PFD. Some examples of PFD for
production agriculture.

What is a PFD?

Process flow diagrams are

illustrations of key business processes and their
interactions.

Plantingout

in
Young crop
(with weeds)

Crop
out
Managemen
t

in
Mature,
healthy crop

This simple PFD contains 3 general

The Processes
output of one process is often an

input

toThe
the interaction
next. You could
also think
of a PFD inisterms
between
the processes
the
of sequence,
material flow
throughout
thethey
production
or order,
in which
occur. line.

Harvest

Why do you need a PFD?

Reason
#2: A
#3:
#4:
ByPFD
creating
is your
alsoa an
PFD
road
organizational
for
map
your
tooperations
continual
tool. It you
may
improvement.
must
be used
actively
as aWith
thinkall
The Bottom
Line
about
checklist
to of
ensure
your
that
business
youand
have
processes
all of individually,
therequires
human
andmaterial
as
part
of
resources
a system.
of
youreach
business
processes
interactions
in planand
view
you
should
be
Reason
#1:
The
ISO
9001:2000
standard
you
to
identify
all
of able
your
Your
PFD
is
a
roadmap
of
your
business
and
QMS.
It
will
help
you
to
meet
all
This
your
is
need
often
to
referred
produce
to
your
as
process
products.
evaluation
to
see
where
measurement
and
analysis
will
most
likely
lead
to
business
processes
and theirof
interactions.
of
the general
requirements
ISO 9001:2000.
improvements
in your system.
ISO 9001:2000 Clause 4.1 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The organization shall establish, document, implement, and maintain a quality
management system (QMS) and continually improve its effectiveness in
accordance with the requirements of this International Standard. The
organization shall:
a) identify the processes needed for the quality management system and their
application throughout the organization (see 1.2);
b) determine the sequence and interaction of these processes;
c)
determine criteria and methods needed to ensure that both the operation and
control of these processes are effective;
d) ensure the availability of resources and information necessary to support the
operation and monitoring of these processes;
e) monitor, measure and analyze these processes; and
f) implement actions necessary to achieve planned results and continual
improvement of these processes.

PFDs for Production Agriculture:

We
are going to build on the previous example by adding some pre-planting
and post-harvest processes.

Planting

Crop
Managemen
t
The complexity of the PFD
depends on WHAT YOU DO!!!

Harvest
and
conveyanc
e
Storage

In this example the color coded

arrows distinguish product that is
shipped:
Immediately after harvest, OR
click
Following a period of storage, OR

Packagin
g

Processin
g
Following packaging (and possibly storage),
OR

click
click

llowing processing (and possibly packaging and/or storage)

SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER

Tillag
e

Slow Down?!?!

Dont worry, you are going to start

with the basics Lets get rid of the fancy stuff for now

Planting

Crop
Managemen
t

Harvest
and
conveyanc
e

Storage

Packagin
g
Processin
g

SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER

Tillag
e

Storage
and/or
processin
g and/or
packagin
g.

Thats better.

This looks like a good starting point,

but there are a few things missing

Planting

What about

Crop
Managemen
t

Harvest
and
conveyanc
e
Seed Purchases

Crop planning
Hiring seasonal staff
Financials

Equipment Maintenance

Just to name a few. You are very busy. Take some

time to make a list all of the things that you do as part of
your farming operations.

SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER

Tillag
e

Storage
and/or
processin
g and/or
packagin
g.

YOUR list may include some of the processes shown

below. Your processes may then be grouped into categories
Management
Responsibiliti
es
plantin
g
Harvest and
conveyance

Resource
Product
Measureme
Managemen
Realizatio
nt and
t
n
Analysis
customer
pest
communication
control
product quality
purchasin
analysis
g
financials
infrastructure
fertilizer application
Processing
and
packaging

storage and
shipping

crop planning
Equipment maintenance
hiring seasonal
staff
Staff training

tillag
e

Look Familiar? These categories are also illustrated in the

ISO Process Model for a QMS.

Management
Responsibility

Customer
communication
Crop planning

Measurement and
Analysis

Resource Management

Purchases
Equipment/infrastructure
maintenance
hiring staff/training

Product
Realization

tillage
planting
apply
fertilizer/pesticide
harvest and
conveyance
process and
package
storage and

product quality analysis

financials
yield/profit maps

Building your own PFD: Our first example PFD

included only Product Realization Processes. What
do you do before your start farming?

Management Responsibility
Determine
your
customers
product
requirements
Identify legal
requirements
with respect
to the product
and/or
production
processes

Crop
Planning

Set
Objectives

SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER

What
Hmmm
category
There
may
from
be
the
another
ISO
Process
interaction
Model
between
of a QMS
these
do these
processes.
processes
You
Good
But
Now
wait
You
thatHow
need
youdo
know
a you
what
decide
you
what
are
to
working
produce?
towards,
You
will
you
need
probably
have
may
belong
to?
some
Hint:
of
Who
your
isobjectives
responsible
based
forto
each
on
your
step?
customer
requirements
(e.g.,
someset
to
objectives
gather
plan!
this
in
mind
information
with respect
before
planning
your
cropping
your
crop.
season
(e.g., yields,
Tillag Remember,
PlantingISO requires
Crop you to establish
Harvest
delivery
dates).
profits).
and document measurable
e
Managemen
and
objectives.
t
conveyanc
e

OK now that
you have a plan,
what do you still
need to do before
the growing
season?

What
You
need
will
Section
also
to obtain
have
of the
to
RESOURCES
ISO
manage
for Model
HUMAN
in order
doRESOURCES,
to
these
produce
processes
your
which
crop
belong
includes
according
to???
hiring
to
and
taking
care
of
theProcess
equipment/infrastructure
that
you
already
have
yourtraining
and
plan, your customers requirements, and your objectives. This requires
purchasing material resources

Resource Management

Purchasin
g (supplies,
seed,
equipment)

Equipment
and
Infrastructure
Maintenance

Acquire
qualified
staff

Provide
Staff
Training

The next Section of the ISO Process Model is the PFD that we started with
earlier. What is this section called???

Planting

Crop
Managemen
t

Harvest
and
conveyanc
e

Product Realization

Storage
and/or
processin
g and/or
packagin
g.

SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER

Tillag
e

At theSection
What
end of the
of the
growing
ISO Process
seasonModel
youofshould
all
do
these
these
be
evaluations
evaluating
processesshould
belong
the: beto???
part of
your MANAGEMENT REVIEW. This will help you to plan and IMPROVE your
QMS for next year!
b) efficiency of your
processes
a) quality of your
products

Review
Custome
r
Feedbac
k

Corrective
Actions

Process
Evaluation
,
Preventive
Actions

Internal
Audit of
QMS

MANAGEMENT REVIEW

Product
quality
analysi
s

c) effectiveness of your
QMS.

surement, Analysis, and Improvement

Put the whole model together

customer
requirements

Management Responsibility

legal
requirements

Crop
Planning

Set
Objective
s

Resource Manageme

Planting

MANAGEMENT REVIEW

Purchasin
g

Equipment
and
Infrastructure
Maintenance

Tillag
e

Staff
Training

hiring

Product
Realization

Crop
Managemen
t
Harvest
and
conveyanc
e

Internal
Audit of
QMS

Storage
and/or
processin
g and/or
packagin
g.

Process
Evaluation,
Preventive
Actions

Product
qualitySHIPPING
analysi
s

Corrective
Actions

Product
quality
analysi
s
Review
Custome
r
Feedbac
k

Measurement, Analysis, and Im

Customer
Schedul
KEY and
POINTS Set Objectives
e
Assemble
Crop Contract
cropping
Supplies/Equipment
Planning
establishme
Services
nt ThePurchase
Crop
PFD includes
seed,
Equipment
processes (boxes)
Plan

supplies and
maintenance
interactions
(arrows).
equipment

XYZ Farms
Process Flow
Hire/Train Staff Diagram

and their

Hire/Train Staff

Your PFD should be unique to your farm business Make

Plantdo!
Crop
Provide contracted
sure you include what you
Tillage and

crop production
Fertiliz
Harvest
detail
is
also
e

Transport

The level of
Pest

service
Crop
Planting
(plant/combine/spra
Management

dependant on your needs:

y)

service provision

managemen
st
It may
Internal
be
simpler
that
our
1
example (i.e., a linear
t
Harvestchronological flowAudits
of processes
Customer
Crop

yield
data

Receipt
and
Or
a more complex web of process
interactions and
Conveyance
Product and Process ShippingInternal Audit of
Management
Management
feedback
Evaluation products and
multiple
QMSservices Review
Review
Processing

Or it may be fancy

scrap

Financials

Packaging
Storage

Corrective/Preventi
Return to top
ve Actions
Precision Ag data
Analysis

Management Responsibilit

ID Contact and/or
Customer Requirements

ID Legal
Requirements

ID Environmental
Aspects

Use the information to plan

Objectives and
Targets

Alternatives
Evaluation

Emergency
Preparedness

Collect the information

Resource Management
Human Resources

Employee
training

Set-up and maintain

equipment

Acquire qualified
staff/services

Acquire supplies,
equipment, materials.

Production Resources

Product Realization

Crop Planning (ID

mgt zones, variety
selection, etc.

Planting

Seedbed
preparation

Conveyance

Crop management
(fertilize, pest
control)

Harvest

Storage

Shipping

surement, Analysis, Improve

Management Review

Internal
Audit

Process
Evaluation and
Preventative
Action

Product
Quality

Product Receipt,
Customer Feedback

Corrective
Action

TIPS for Constructing Your Farms PFD

1. Write down a list of what you do throughout the year
2. Categorize the processes under the headings of Management
Responsibilities, Resources, Production, and Measurement Analysis Improvement.
3. Evaluate your list. Did you leave anything out?
4. Draft the PFD by putting the processes into order (on scrap paper).
5. Look for process interactions (other than the chronological sequence that
was done in the above step) and draw them in.
6. Re-examine the examples in this slide show. Is there anything that you
could borrow from them?
7. Complete Exercise #3 in the Ag-ISO Workbook to generate an electronic
version of your PFD.
8. Accept what you have (for now). Your PFD will evolve and
over time especially when you put it to work!

improve