1. Evolution of a Process Flow Diagram
Some examples for Production Agriculture
Click your mouse throughout this slide show to advance the slides and animations…

2. Overview What is a Process Flow Diagram (PFD)?
Why do you need a PFD? The ISO 9001:2000 requirements.
Varying degrees of PFD complexity… It depends on what you do!
Getting Started: Define your business processes.
Categorizing your business processes:
Management Responsibility
Resource Management
Product Realization
Measure-Analyze-Improve.
The ISO 9001 Process Model.
How to build your own PFD.
The evolution of your PFD. Some examples of PFD for production agriculture.

3. Young crop (with weeds)
What is a PFD? Process flow diagrams are illustrations of key business processes and their interactions.
Mature, healthy crop
Young crop (with weeds)
Planting
out in
Crop Management
out in
Harvest
The output of one process is often an input to the next. You could also think of a PFD in terms of material flow throughout the production line.
This simple PFD contains 3 general Processes
The interaction between the processes is the sequence, or order, in which they occur.

4. Why do you need a PFD? The Bottom Line
Your PFD is a roadmap of your business and QMS. It will help you to meet all of the general requirements of ISO 9001:2000.
Reason #3: A PFD is also an organizational tool. It may be used as a checklist to ensure that you have all of the human and material resources your need to produce your products.
Reason #2: By creating a PFD for your operations you must actively think about each of your business processes individually, and as part of a system. This is often referred to as process evaluation…
Reason #4: A PFD is your road map to continual improvement. With all of your business processes and interactions in plan view you should be able to see where measurement and analysis will most likely lead to improvements in your system.
Reason #1: The ISO 9001:2000 standard requires you to identify all of your business processes and their interactions.
ISO 9001:2000 Clause 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;
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.

5. PFDs for Production Agriculture: We are going to build on the previous example by adding some pre-planting and post-harvest processes.
Tillage
SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER
Planting
Crop Management
Harvest and conveyance
The complexity of the PFD depends on WHAT YOU DO!!!
Processing
Storage
Packaging
In this example the color coded arrows distinguish product that is shipped:
Immediately after harvest, OR click…
Following a period of storage, OR click…
Following packaging (and possibly storage), OR click…
Following processing (and possibly packaging and/or storage)

6. Slow Down?!?! Don’t worry, you are going to start with the basics… Lets get rid of the fancy stuff for now…
Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.
Tillage
Planting
Crop Management
Harvest and conveyance
SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER
Processing
Storage
Packaging

7. That’s better. This looks like a good starting point, but there are a few things missing…
Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.
Tillage
Planting
Crop Management
Harvest and conveyance
SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER
What about…
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.

8. YOUR list may include some of the processes shown below
YOUR list may include some of the processes shown below. Your processes may then be grouped into categories…
Management Responsibilities
Resource Management
Product Realization
Measurement and Analysis
customer communication
planting
pest control
product quality analysis
purchasing
Harvest and conveyance
financials
infrastructure
fertilizer application
crop planning
Processing and packaging
Equipment maintenance
storage and shipping
tillage
hiring seasonal staff
Staff training

9. Look Familiar? These categories are also illustrated in the ISO Process Model for a QMS.
Management Responsibility
Customer communication
Crop planning
Measurement and Analysis
product quality analysis
financials
yield/profit maps
Resource Management
Purchases
Equipment/infrastructure maintenance
hiring staff/training
Product Realization
tillage
planting
apply fertilizer/pesticide
harvest and conveyance
process and package
storage and shipping

10. Determine your customer’s product requirements
Building your own PFD: Our first example PFD included only Product Realization Processes. What do you do before your start farming?
Hmmm… There may be another interaction between these processes. You may set some of your objectives based on your customer requirements (e.g., delivery dates).
What category from the ISO Process Model of a QMS do these processes belong to? Hint: Who is responsible for each step?
Good… Now that you know what you are working towards, you probably have some objectives in mind with respect to your cropping season (e.g., yields, profits). Remember, ISO requires you to establish and document measurable objectives.
But wait… How do you decide what to produce? You will need to gather this information before planning your crop.
You need a plan!
Tillage
Planting
Crop Management
Harvest and conveyance
SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER
Management Responsibility
OK… now that you have a plan, what do you still need to do before the growing season?
Determine your customer’s product requirements
Identify legal requirements with respect to the product and/or production processes
Crop Planning
Set Objectives

11. What Section of the ISO Process Model do these processes belong to???
You will also have to manage for HUMAN RESOURCES, which includes hiring and training…
You need to obtain RESOURCES in order to produce your crop according to your plan, your customer’s requirements, and your objectives. This requires purchasing material resources…
… and taking care of the equipment/infrastructure that you already have…
Resource Management
Purchasing (supplies, seed, equipment)
Equipment and Infrastructure Maintenance
Acquire qualified staff
Provide Staff Training

12. The next Section of the ISO Process Model is the PFD that we started with earlier. What is this section called???
Tillage
Planting
Crop Management
Harvest and conveyance
SHIPPING TO CUSTOMER
Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.
Product Realization

13. Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement
What Section of the ISO Process Model do these processes belong to???
At the end of the growing season you should be evaluating the:
At the end of the growing season all of these evaluations should be 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…
c) effectiveness of your QMS.
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Product quality analysis
Review Customer Feedback
Corrective Actions
Process Evaluation, Preventive Actions
Internal Audit of QMS
Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement

14. Put the whole model together…

15. customer requirements Equipment and Infrastructure Maintenance
Crop Planning
customer requirements
legal requirements
Set Objectives
Management Responsibility
Purchasing
Equipment and Infrastructure Maintenance
hiring
Resource Management
Staff Training
Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement
Process Evaluation, Preventive Actions
MANAGEMENT REVIEW
Product quality analysis
Review Customer Feedback
Corrective Actions
Internal Audit of QMS
Tillage
Planting
Crop Management
Harvest and conveyance
SHIPPING
Storage and/or processing and/or packaging.
Product
Realization
Product quality analysis

16. XYZ Farms Process Flow Diagram
Crop Planning
Set Objectives
Assemble Supplies/Equipment
Tillage and Planting
Harvest
Product and Process Evaluation
Internal Audit of QMS
Hire/Train Staff
Transport
Crop Management
Return to top
Management Review
Customer and Contract establishment
Schedule cropping Services
Purchase seed, supplies and equipment
Crop Plan
Pest management
Hire/Train Staff
Provide contracted service (plant/combine/spray)
Plant Crop
Fertilize
Equipment maintenance
Harvest Crop
yield data
Conveyance
Shipping
Processing
Packaging
Storage
Customer Receipt and feedback
crop production
service provision
Precision Ag data Analysis
Financials
Corrective/Preventive Actions
Internal Audits
Management Review
scrap
XYZ Farms Process Flow Diagram
KEY POINTS…
The PFD includes processes (boxes) and their interactions (arrows).
Your PFD should be unique to your farm business… Make sure you include what you do!
The level of detail is also dependant on your needs:
It may be simpler that our 1st example (i.e., a linear chronological flow of processes…
Or a more complex web of process interactions and multiple products and services …
Or it may be fancy …

17. Measurement, Analysis, Improvement Product Realization
Product Receipt, Customer Feedback
Product Quality
Measurement, Analysis, Improvement
Internal Audit
Management Review
Process Evaluation and Preventative Action
Corrective Action
Crop Planning (ID mgt zones, variety selection, etc.
Seedbed preparation
Crop management (fertilize, pest control)
Planting
Conveyance
Harvest
Storage
Product Realization
Shipping
Resource Management
—— Production Resources ——
—— Human Resources ——
Acquire supplies, equipment, materials.
Set-up and maintain equipment
Acquire qualified staff/services
Employee training
—— Collect the information ——
—— Use the information to plan ——
Management Responsibility
ID Contact and/or Customer Requirements
ID Environmental Aspects
ID Legal Requirements
Objectives and Targets
Alternatives Evaluation
Emergency Preparedness

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