Re: Quality Objectives Ideas - Currently we have Scrap & rework, OTD, survey results,
Jane said it well with her comments about the "Balanced Score Card".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_scorecard
What exactly do you mean by 'the other stuff' and by the 'heart and soul' of a company?
A company is a system not a living being and it has to be regarded as such, regardless of how cold and heartless it might sound. This system was created and exists to address the needs of its stakeholders. The needs and the stakeholders of a non-profit organization are different from those of a for-profit organization. As such, the company must identify its stakeholders and their needs, and the metrics have to reflect how well these needs are addressed. IT IS WRONG to assume or imply that the investors are the only stakeholders.
I firmly believe that all the metrics can be tied to the bottom line (not profit) of the company as they all have an impact on it. For the investors, the need is profit; take the profit away and the investors will drop the organization like a hot potato. For the employees, customers, suppliers, society, etc the needs are other than profit but they still tie to the bottom line. For example wages, training (result of turnover, new technology, etc), benefits, etc are important to the employees and yet can be tied to the bottom line. For the society sales, growth, postitive income translates into higher taxes, donations, etc; yet all these can be tied to the bottom line. So, as you can see, a profitable business is important to all stakeholders for the business to exist. Therefore 'all that matters is $$ and profit', like Jane put it.
If anyone cares to dispute that all metrics can be tied to the bottom line then please give examples of such metrics and why/how they cannot be tied to the bottom line. Also please provide examples of a for-profit non-profitable organization that lasted for a long time and met all stakeholders' needs.
A company is a system not a living being and it has to be regarded as such, regardless of how cold and heartless it might sound. This system was created and exists to address the needs of its stakeholders. The needs and the stakeholders of a non-profit organization are different from those of a for-profit organization. As such, the company must identify its stakeholders and their needs, and the metrics have to reflect how well these needs are addressed. IT IS WRONG to assume or imply that the investors are the only stakeholders.
I firmly believe that all the metrics can be tied to the bottom line (not profit) of the company as they all have an impact on it. For the investors, the need is profit; take the profit away and the investors will drop the organization like a hot potato. For the employees, customers, suppliers, society, etc the needs are other than profit but they still tie to the bottom line. For example wages, training (result of turnover, new technology, etc), benefits, etc are important to the employees and yet can be tied to the bottom line. For the society sales, growth, postitive income translates into higher taxes, donations, etc; yet all these can be tied to the bottom line. So, as you can see, a profitable business is important to all stakeholders for the business to exist. Therefore 'all that matters is $$ and profit', like Jane put it.
If anyone cares to dispute that all metrics can be tied to the bottom line then please give examples of such metrics and why/how they cannot be tied to the bottom line. Also please provide examples of a for-profit non-profitable organization that lasted for a long time and met all stakeholders' needs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_scorecard
Me either. 
