Page 12 - USI Newsletter No.94

President & Coo 總經理暨營運長專訪
Interview NO.94

he Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) is primarily responsible for executing a task, focusing on the
completion of an action. On the other hand, the Directly Accountable Individual (DAI) pursues the
T result of an action and takes the consequence once failed. For each action, there should be a DAI
in addition to a DRI. Usually, the DAI is the manager of the DRI, but sometimes they can be a same person.
Accountability is a part of our core value and a kind of attitude. Although the DAI is accountable for the result
of a task, the DRIs need to complete each action under that task with good results, based on customer
focused mindset, rather than just to execute them.

There are many various tasks on going every day in not be vague, such as "mid-month", "end of month",
the company, most of them are routine works. "weekly", or "monthly". It is also not advisable to
Through the organizational division of labor, it is simply say "next meeting". It is due when an action is
clearly defined that who is the DRI and who is the due. If a due date is hard to be estimated by the DRI
DAI. Besides, there are standard operating procedures when an action is assigned to him, it might be that
(SOP) to follow, so basically no confusion or dispute. the action is wide-ranging or too vague. It depends
However, from time to time, unexpected or abnormal on the experience and skill of the chairperson of the
situations are happened, such as quality issues, meeting at this moment. The chairperson must
urgent customer orders, shortage of materials/ further break down the action into sub-actions until
equipment/manpower, delayed accounts receivable, a due date can be set for each individual sub-action.
customer demands dow nside, new system Sometimes a DRI may not be able to estimate the due
implementation not smooth, fast expansion of date of an action because of insufficient information.
factories, large scale of acquisitions, or even visits In this case, this DRI can commit a date to figure out
from government officials with short notice, etc. when the due date of the action will be. This is so
Under these circumstances, "who is responsible and called "give a date for a date".
who is accountable?" which becomes a question Our company is rapidly developing and growing,
frequently? When facing these situations, we usually mingled with tremendous external environmental
form a project team immediately and assign a right changes. It is inevitable for us to encounter many
person as the project manager depending on the level new, difficult, and unprecedented challenges. Many
of the severeness. This project manager will be fully colleagues must feel exhausted to participate various
Who Is Responsible? responsible for the success or failure of the project projects while the routine affairs on their shoulders
and will be the DRI as well as the DAI of the task.
are already so heavy and manpower is insufficient! At
Who Is Accountable? The project manager must break down the task into this time, all managers, including project managers,
actionable items and assign them to project members
must lead by example, show accountable leadership,
so that team members would be conscientious
respectively. At this point, the project member
When Is the Due Date? becomes the DRI of the assigned action. Whether a willingly. On the other hand, I also expect that all
colleagues do not limit yourselves. Ask yourselves
DRI or a DAI, it can only be one person's name, not
two or more, to avoid confusion. It is especially not what else you can do, one step further to extend the
allowed to be an organization name because an role of DRI to DAI for the actions you own. During the
Author: President & COO / CY Wei
organization cannot be responsible, only an whole cycle, your personal competencies will be
individual can. enhanced, you will be able to bring value to the
company and grow together with the company.
Every action must have a due date committed by the
DRI. The due date must be a specific date. It should

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