Informational Examples of Quality Objectives and Targets

[John Broomfield]

Focus on those business objectives that affect the customer.

Thereby turning them into quality objectives.

Purchasing, for example, is all about selected a supplier that delivers the best value to you and your customers. Least hassle usually equates to the lowest cost of doing business.

 

[Yukon]

Your quality objectives (QO) must be consistent with you quality policy (QP).
For example if the QP states:
it is the policy of ACME Computers Inc to ship defect free products on-time to our clients thereby improving Customer Satisfaction.

The QO measures should be related to:
On-time-delivery
Product KPIs
Customer Satisfaction measures

 

[The Manager]

I really seems that is a big deal to first, understand what the quality objectives are, second, define adequate quality objective for your particular process. I am not sure if to feel betters or worse because I thought I was the only one having issues. I am just wondering if the auditors actually understand the concept and properly apply it to the different processes they audit. We have been trying to define quality objectives for our company and it has become a nightmare to make the auditor happy, then another auditor comes and what the previous auditor accepted as quality objectives, all of the sudden are not. I have been told that the quality objectives must lead to quality of the product we produce, is it not that what we are trying to achieve? a good quality product that keeps our customers happy? Quite frankly I am having difficulty to understand how they should be defined and monitored. I am having difficulty to decide what is and what is not a quality objective, but I can see that I am not the only one. I could probably call for help form the auditors or the ones that met at Geneva to put the standard together.

 

[Farley.0]

Fact or Myth? A company must have a Quality Objective for every Process in their System.

Either/or answers please.

 

[John Broomfield]

Myth.

Quality objectives are required for the system.

It’s processes may each have an objective for determining it’s effectiveness.

And process objectives probably will contribute to fulfilling the system’s quality objectives.

 

[Farley.0]

Though there is nothing in ISO 9001:2015/IATF 16949:2016 that states each process must have objectives to the degree of the requirements listed for Quality Objectives in 6.2. This is an area where I've seen auditors cause confusion. There was an instance where an auditor stated our company was required to have a QO and associated metric for every Process. We had QOs for 3 of 7 processes and no subsequent findings, so...
Thanks for the perspective. It gets us all closer to the "truth", right?

 

[John Broomfield]

Take a look at the definition of effective.

Conforming processes are effective when they fulfill their objectives.

Therefore we have objectives and quality objectives.

If the documented parts of your system confuse the two types of objective, your auditor may too.

 

[tony s]

Fact or Myth? A company must have a Quality Objective for every Process in their System.

Myth. The standard says "The organization shall establish quality objectives at relevant functions, levels and processes needed for the quality management system". It doesn't require ALL processes.

 

[John Broomfield]

When an organization comprises many departments and that organization focuses on its cross-functional processes to develop its process-based management system then I would advise against departmental/function objectives.

That way the organization avoids the risk of departmental objectives undermining the fulfillment of process objectives/effective processes.

It this situation function objectives would not be relevant.

 

[Farley.0]

Take a look at the definition of effective.

Conforming processes are effective when they fulfill their objectives.

Therefore we have objectives and quality objectives.

If the documented parts of your system confuse the two types of objective, your auditor may too.

Wonderfully put.
However, standard-setting bodies, registrars, auditors, and consultants all play a level of influence on the perspective of a given organization. The volume of folks here seeking clarification regarding standard interpretation is indicative of some perceived or constructed ambiguity.