ISO 9001:2015 Requirements
6.2.1 The organization shall establish quality objectives at relevant functions, levels and processes needed for the quality management system.
The quality objectives shall:
a) be consistent with the quality policy;
b) be measurable;
c) take into account applicable requirements;
d) be relevant to conformity of products and services and to enhancement of customer satisfaction;
e) be monitored;
f) be communicated;
g) be updated as appropriate.
The organization shall maintain documented information on the quality objectives.
6.2.2 When planning how to achieve its quality objectives, the organization shall determine:
a) what will be done;
b) what resources will be required;
c) who will be responsible;
d) when it will be completed;
e) how the results will be evaluated.
1) The organization shall establish quality objectives at relevant functions, levels and processes needed for the quality management system.
Establishing quality objectives is a fundamental requirement in ISO 9001:2015. These objectives serve as measurable targets that guide your organization’s efforts toward achieving the desired outcomes and continually improving your quality management system (QMS). Here’s how you can establish quality objectives effectively:
- Relevance to Functions, Levels, and Processes: Identify functions, levels of the organization, and processes that are critical to the QMS’s effectiveness and its ability to meet customer and regulatory requirements.
- Alignment with Organizational Goals: Ensure that the established quality objectives are aligned with your organization’s strategic goals and overall mission.
- SMART Criteria: Make sure that your quality objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). This ensures that objectives are clear, actionable, and trackable.
- Quantitative and Qualitative Objectives: Establish a mix of objectives that can be measured quantitatively (e.g., reduce defects by 10%) and qualitatively (e.g., improve customer satisfaction ratings).
- Communication and Involvement: Involve relevant stakeholders, including employees, management, and customers, in the process of establishing quality objectives. This enhances buy-in and alignment.
- Cascade Objectives: Cascade objectives from the top management level down to relevant functions and processes. This ensures alignment and a clear line of sight between organizational goals and daily activities.
- Ownership and Accountability: Assign ownership and accountability for each objective to individuals or teams. Clearly define responsibilities for planning, implementation, and monitoring.
- Measurement and Tracking: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress toward achieving each objective. Regularly track and analyze data related to these KPIs.
- Review and Adjustment: Periodically review the progress of your objectives. If objectives are not being met or circumstances change, be prepared to adjust them as needed.
- Continuous Improvement: Embed the concept of continuous improvement into your objectives. Strive to set increasingly ambitious targets as your organization’s capabilities improve.
- Documentation: Document your established quality objectives, including the rationale, targets, indicators, responsible parties, and timelines.
- Integration with Processes: Ensure that your established objectives are integrated into relevant processes, such as performance reviews, training plans, and improvement initiatives.
By establishing relevant, measurable, and aligned quality objectives, your organization can focus its efforts on continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and achieving its strategic goals. These objectives create a framework for driving positive outcomes throughout your quality management system.
2) The quality objectives shall be consistent with the quality policy
The quality objectives you establish for your organization’s quality management system (QMS) must be consistent with the quality policy. The quality policy is a high-level statement of your organization’s commitment to quality and its overall quality goals. The quality objectives, on the other hand, are specific, measurable targets that support the achievement of the quality policy. Review your organization’s quality policy to understand its core principles, values, and quality-related goals. Ensure that the quality objectives are in line with the intent and spirit of the quality policy. The objectives should contribute to the fulfillment of the policy’s commitments.Identify specific elements within the quality policy that can be translated into measurable objectives. For instance, if your quality policy emphasizes customer satisfaction, one objective might focus on improving customer feedback ratings. Craft quality objectives that are verifiable and measurable. This allows you to track progress and assess whether you are meeting the commitments outlined in the quality policy. Ensure that each quality objective directly supports and contributes to the achievement of the quality policy’s goals. Involve top management in the process of establishing quality objectives. Their input and alignment with the quality policy are crucial. Periodically review the quality objectives to ensure they remain consistent with any changes in the organization’s goals, strategies, or quality policy. Document the alignment between the quality objectives and the quality policy. This documentation provides transparency and helps during audits. Communicate the established quality objectives and their alignment with the quality policy to relevant stakeholders, both internally and externally. Use the feedback loop created by your quality objectives to continuously improve both the quality objectives themselves and the overall effectiveness of the QMS. The consistency between quality objectives and the quality policy is important as it ensures that your organization’s efforts are guided by a clear and unified commitment to quality. This alignment also supports a coherent approach to quality management and drives continuous improvement in line with the organization’s strategic direction.
3) Quality objectives shall be measureable
Quality objectives must be measurable . This is a fundamental principle that ensures your objectives are specific, quantifiable, and capable of being tracked and assessed for progress and achievement. When quality objectives are measurable, it becomes possible to determine whether you are meeting your targets and continuously improving your quality management system (QMS). Measurable objectives provide a basis for data-driven decision-making and help in demonstrating the effectiveness of your QMS. Make sure your objectives include numerical targets, percentages, quantities, or other measurable criteria. This allows you to gauge your progress objectively. Define appropriate metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are relevant to the objectives. These metrics provide a way to measure and track your performance.Clearly state the starting point (baseline) and the desired achievement level (target) for each objective. This provides context for measuring progress. Specify the units of measurement for each objective. This ensures consistency and clarity when assessing progress. Set objectives that are realistic and achievable within the given time frame. This ensures that your team remains motivated to reach the targets. Ensure that each measurable objective aligns with your organization’s quality policy and strategic goals.Include a time-frame for achieving the objective. This adds a sense of urgency and helps in tracking progress over a specific period. Consider incorporating an element of continuous improvement into your objectives. This encourages setting increasingly challenging targets over time. Establish a system to regularly monitor and review progress toward your objectives. This ensures that you can take corrective actions if needed. Document your measurable objectives along with the specific criteria, metrics, and targets. This documentation is crucial for tracking and demonstrating compliance. By making your quality objectives measurable, you set the stage for driving improvement, enhancing customer satisfaction, and maintaining the effectiveness of your QMS in line with the ISO 9001 requirements.
4) Quality objectives shall take into account applicable requirements
This clause emphasizes that quality objectives must take into account applicable requirements. This means that when setting your organization’s quality objectives, you need to consider the relevant requirements from customers, regulators, standards, and other interested parties. Aligning your quality objectives with these requirements helps ensure that your organization is meeting the needs and expectations of its stakeholders while driving continuous improvement. Identify and understand the specific requirements that are applicable to your products, services, and industry. These could include legal, regulatory, customer, and industry-specific requirements.Consider the expectations and needs of your customers. Your quality objectives should support delivering products and services that satisfy these requirements.Ensure that your quality objectives align with any relevant laws, regulations, and standards that apply to your industry.Make sure that your quality objectives are consistent with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 itself.Consider the potential risks and opportunities identified in your risk assessment process. Your quality objectives can help address and mitigate these risks.Clearly state how each quality objective contributes to meeting specific requirements. This alignment demonstrates your commitment to compliance.Tailor your quality objectives based on the nature of the requirements. Different objectives might be needed to address different compliance aspects.Define measurable metrics and indicators that can help you track your organization’s performance against the applicable requirements.Document how your quality objectives address applicable requirements. This documentation serves as evidence during audits.Involve relevant stakeholders, including customers and regulators, in the process of setting and validating quality objectives. This ensures that their needs are considered.By integrating applicable requirements into your quality objectives, you create a strategic framework that guides your organization’s efforts in meeting external expectations and internal improvement targets. This alignment promotes a customer-centric approach and helps your organization remain compliant while pursuing quality excellence.
5) Quality objective shall be be relevant to conformity of products and services and to enhancement of customer satisfaction
Quality objectives should be relevant to both the conformity of products and services as well as the enhancement of customer satisfaction. These objectives play a vital role in guiding your organization’s efforts to meet customer needs and deliver products and services that consistently meet requirements. Ensure that your quality objectives are aligned with your organization’s commitment to delivering products and services that meet customer specifications, standards, and regulatory requirements. Create quality objectives that reflect your organization’s dedication to improving customer satisfaction and exceeding customer expectations. Prioritize objectives that directly impact the areas most important to your customers. This could include factors like product quality, on-time delivery, and responsiveness to customer inquiries.Define specific metrics that gauge customer satisfaction, such as feedback ratings, customer complaints, or repeat business rates.Establish metrics that track the conformity of your products and services to quality standards, specifications, and contractual requirements. Set realistic and measurable performance targets that demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement in both product conformity and customer satisfaction.Incorporate insights from customer feedback into your quality objectives. This can help you identify areas for improvement and set relevant targets. Make sure your quality objectives emphasize a customer-centric approach. This ensures that your organization’s goals are aligned with customer needs and preferences.Your quality objectives should clearly reflect the principles and commitments outlined in your organization’s quality policy, particularly those related to customer satisfaction and product conformity.Continuously review and adapt your quality objectives based on changes in customer expectations, requirements, and feedback. By making sure your quality objectives are relevant to product and service conformity and customer satisfaction, you demonstrate your organization’s commitment to delivering value to customers while driving internal excellence. These objectives help create a balanced approach that benefits both your organization and your customers.
6) Quality Objective must be monitored
Monitoring your quality objectives is a crucial step in ensuring that your organization is on track to achieve its desired outcomes and continually improve its quality management system (QMS). Monitoring allows you to track progress, identify areas that need attention, and make informed decisions based on data. Define specific metrics and indicators that align with each quality objective. These KPIs will serve as measurable criteria for monitoring progress. Collect relevant data on a regular basis to measure performance against your established KPIs. This could involve customer feedback, process data, inspection results, etc. Determine how frequently you’ll monitor your objectives. Some objectives might require daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly monitoring, depending on their nature and importance. Analyze the collected data to assess whether you are meeting your quality objectives. Look for trends, patterns, and variations that might indicate areas needing improvement. Compare the actual performance data with the targets you’ve set for each quality objective. This helps you gauge the extent of progress. Look for trends over time to identify if performance is improving, deteriorating, or remaining stable. This can guide your decision-making. If you’re not meeting your targets, perform root cause analysis to identify the underlying factors contributing to the shortfall. If performance is not aligning with your objectives, take appropriate corrective and preventive actions to address the issues and improve results. Include the results of your monitoring in your management review meetings. This ensures that top management is informed and can provide necessary guidance. Document the results of your monitoring activities, including data collected, analysis performed, actions taken, and outcomes achieved.Use the insights gained from monitoring to drive continuous improvement. Adjust your actions and objectives based on lessons learned. Communicate the results of your monitoring to relevant stakeholders, both internally and externally. Transparency fosters accountability. By actively monitoring your quality objectives, you create a feedback loop that drives improvement and helps your organization stay focused on achieving its goals. Monitoring provides the data-driven insights needed to ensure that your QMS remains effective, customer-centric, and aligned with your strategic direction.
7) Quality objectives shall be communicated
Communication is a critical aspect of establishing and achieving quality objectives according to ISO 9001:2015. Effective communication ensures that everyone in the organization is aware of the quality objectives, their importance, and their role in achieving the organization’s goals. Share the established quality objectives with all relevant personnel within the organization. This includes employees at all levels, from top management to operational staff. Ensure that the objectives are communicated clearly and in a way that is easily understood by everyone. Avoid technical jargon and use plain language. Help employees understand how their roles and responsibilities contribute to the achievement of the quality objectives. This enhances their sense of ownership and accountability. Ensure that top management actively communicates the importance of the quality objectives and the organization’s commitment to achieving them. Incorporate information about the quality objectives into training programs, orientation for new employees, and ongoing awareness campaigns. Display the quality objectives prominently in common areas such as break rooms, bulletin boards, and digital communication channels. Discuss the quality objectives in various organizational meetings, including department meetings, team huddles, and performance reviews. Develop a communication plan that outlines how and when the quality objectives will be communicated to different stakeholders. Communicate relevant quality objectives to external stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, and partners, as needed. Encourage employees to provide feedback and ask questions about the quality objectives. This helps clarify any misunderstandings and fosters engagement. Document the communication efforts related to the quality objectives. This documentation serves as evidence of compliance during audits. Keep employees informed about the progress toward achieving the quality objectives. Regular updates foster a sense of involvement and commitment. Effective communication about quality objectives ensures that your entire organization is aligned and working toward a common goal. It helps build a culture of quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement by keeping everyone informed and engaged.
8) The quality objective shall be updated as appropriate
Updating your quality objectives as appropriate is a key practice for maintaining the effectiveness of your quality management system (QMS) and ensuring that your organization remains aligned with its goals and changing circumstances. This clause emphasizes the importance of continual improvement, which includes regularly reviewing and updating your objectives. Set a schedule for reviewing your quality objectives at regular intervals. This could be quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, depending on your organization’s needs. Continuously monitor the internal and external environment for changes that could impact your quality objectives. This includes customer needs, industry trends, and regulatory changes. Analyze performance data related to your quality objectives. Determine whether you are meeting your targets and assess whether adjustments are needed. Incorporate insights from customer feedback to identify areas where your quality objectives might need adjustment to better align with customer needs and expectations. If your organization’s strategic goals evolve, ensure that your quality objectives are updated to reflect these changes. Consider insights gained from previous quality objectives and initiatives. Use this knowledge to set more effective and relevant objectives. Reassess your risk assessment findings. If new risks or opportunities emerge, adjust your quality objectives accordingly. Compare your organization’s performance with industry benchmarks or best practices. This can help identify areas for improvement and update objectives accordingly. Involve relevant stakeholders, including employees, management, and customers, in the process of updating quality objectives. Their input can provide valuable insights. Document any changes made to your quality objectives, including the reasons for the updates, the revised targets, and the new metrics. Communicate the updates to your quality objectives across the organization to ensure that everyone is aware of the changes. Approach the process of updating quality objectives with a mindset of continuous improvement. Seek ways to enhance the relevance and effectiveness of your objectives. Updating your quality objectives ensures that they remain relevant, achievable, and aligned with your organization’s strategic direction. By incorporating feedback, data, and changing circumstances into the process, you can drive meaningful improvements and maintain a dynamic and responsive QMS.
9) The organization shall maintain documented information on the quality objectives
“The organization shall maintain documented information on the quality objectives” implies:
- Documentation: The organization should create and keep records that outline its quality objectives. These records could be in the form of digital documents, printed materials, or any other relevant format.
- Content: The documented information should clearly outline the quality objectives of the organization. This could include the objectives themselves, their intended outcomes, the criteria for achieving them, the responsible parties, and any relevant timelines.
- Communication: The documented information should be easily accessible to relevant personnel within the organization. This helps ensure that everyone understands the objectives and works towards achieving them.
- Monitoring and Review: The documented information should be periodically reviewed and updated as necessary. Quality objectives may change over time due to shifts in business goals, customer requirements, or other factors.
- Alignment with Strategy: The quality objectives should align with the organization’s overall business strategy and goals. They should contribute to the improvement of processes and the overall quality of products or services.
- Measurement and Evaluation: The documented information may also include details about how the organization plans to measure and evaluate progress toward each quality objective. This could involve defining key performance indicators (KPIs) and methods for tracking them.
- Audit and Certification: In contexts where the organization seeks ISO certification or compliance with quality management standards, maintaining documented information on quality objectives is essential for audits and assessments.
10) When planning how to achieve its quality objectives, the organization shall determine what will be done
When planning how to achieve its quality objectives, the organization must determine what specific actions and steps will be taken to fulfill those objectives. This involves defining the processes, tasks, and activities that need to be executed in order to successfully meet the stated quality objectives. The process of determining “what will be done” is a fundamental aspect of effective quality management and ensures that the organization’s efforts are aligned with its goals.Here are some key points to consider when determining “what will be done” as part of your quality objectives planning:
- Objective Clarity: Clearly define the quality objectives you intend to achieve. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
- Breakdown of Activities: Identify the individual tasks and activities that need to be undertaken to achieve each quality objective. This could involve creating a detailed action plan that outlines the steps from start to finish.
- Process Mapping: Map out the processes that will be involved in achieving each quality objective. This provides a visual representation of how different tasks and activities are interconnected.
- Sequencing: Determine the logical order in which tasks need to be carried out. Certain tasks might be dependent on the completion of others.
- Resource Allocation: Identify the resources (human, financial, material, technological) required to carry out the planned activities. Ensure that resources are allocated efficiently to support the execution of tasks.
- Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly assign responsibilities to individuals or teams for each task. This promotes accountability and ensures that everyone knows their roles in achieving the objectives.
- Timeline: Establish a timeline or schedule for completing each task and activity. This timeline should align with the overall timeframe for achieving the quality objectives.
- Contingency Planning: Anticipate potential challenges or obstacles that could arise during the execution of tasks. Develop contingency plans to address these challenges and keep the project on track.
- Measurement and Evaluation: Determine how progress and success will be measured for each task and the overall quality objective. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track your progress.
- Documentation: Document all the planning details, including the breakdown of activities, responsibilities, timelines, and resource allocations. This documentation helps in tracking progress and communicating the plan to relevant stakeholders.
Remember that the process of determining “what will be done” is not static. It should be revisited and adjusted as needed based on changing circumstances, new information, and lessons learned during the execution of tasks.
11) When planning how to achieve its quality objectives, the organization shall determine what resources will be required
Determining what resources will be required is a crucial aspect of planning to achieve quality objectives. Resources encompass a wide range of factors necessary for successfully executing tasks and activities aligned with those objectives. Here’s a breakdown of how an organization should approach determining the required resources:
- Identify Types of Resources: Consider various types of resources needed, including human resources (skilled personnel), financial resources (funds and budgets), physical resources (equipment and facilities), informational resources (data and information), and technological resources (software and tools).
- Resource Alignment: Ensure that the selected resources are directly aligned with the tasks and activities needed to achieve the quality objectives. Resources should support the efficient and effective completion of each step.
- Resource Quantity: Determine the quantity of each resource required. This could involve calculating the number of employees, the budget allocation, the amount of materials, or the size and capacity of equipment.
- Resource Availability: Check the availability of the required resources within the organization. If certain resources are not readily available, consider whether they can be acquired, rented, or outsourced.
- Resource Competence: Ensure that the personnel assigned to the tasks have the necessary skills and expertise to use the resources effectively. Training might be necessary to enhance their competence.
- Resource Allocation: Assign resources to specific tasks and activities. Create a plan that outlines which resources will be used for each step of the process.
- Resource Management: Develop strategies for managing and optimizing resources throughout the project lifecycle. This includes monitoring resource usage, preventing wastage, and making adjustments when needed.
- Resource Dependencies: Consider if there are any resource dependencies. Certain tasks might require specific resources to be available before they can be started.
- Contingency Planning: Anticipate potential shortages or unexpected issues with resources. Develop contingency plans to address these situations and ensure that the project can continue smoothly.
- Cost Considerations: Estimate the costs associated with acquiring and managing the required resources. This is essential for budgeting and cost control throughout the project.
- Document Resource Requirements: Document all the details related to resource requirements, including the types of resources needed, their quantities, allocated tasks, and any cost estimates.
- Regular Review: Regularly review and update the resource requirements as the project progresses. Changes in project scope or unforeseen circumstances may require adjustments to the resource plan.
By effectively determining what resources will be required, an organization can ensure that it has the necessary means to carry out the planned activities and achieve its quality objectives in a timely and efficient manner.
12) When planning how to achieve its quality objectives, the organization shall determine who will be responsible
Determining who will be responsible for each task and activity is a critical component of planning to achieve quality objectives. Assigning clear roles and responsibilities helps ensure accountability, effective coordination, and successful execution of the plan. Here’s how an organization can approach determining responsibility:
- Identify Key Tasks: Break down the activities required to achieve the quality objectives into specific tasks. These could be individual actions, steps in a process, or milestones.
- Match Skills and Competencies: Assess the skills, expertise, and competencies required for each task. Consider the qualifications and experience needed to carry out the tasks effectively.
- Role Assignment: Assign specific individuals or teams to each task based on their skills and availability. Ensure that the people responsible have a clear understanding of their duties and what is expected of them.
- Single Point of Contact: Designate a single point of contact or a person who will oversee the overall execution of the plan. This person can provide guidance, coordinate efforts, and address any issues that arise.
- Collaboration: For tasks that require collaboration between different departments or teams, establish clear communication channels and responsibilities. Define how coordination will occur.
- Avoid Overloading: Distribute tasks fairly among team members to prevent overloading any individual or group. This helps maintain quality and prevents burnout.
- Accountability: Make it clear that those responsible for each task are accountable for its successful completion. This fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to quality outcomes.
- Clear Communication: Ensure that everyone involved understands their roles and responsibilities. Document these assignments and communicate them to all relevant stakeholders.
- Regular Check-ins: Plan for regular check-ins or progress meetings to track the status of tasks. This provides an opportunity to address any challenges and make adjustments as needed.
- Escalation Procedures: Define procedures for escalating issues or concerns that cannot be resolved at the task level. This ensures that problems are addressed promptly without hindering progress.
- Delegation: If necessary, delegate authority to decision-makers within the assigned roles. This empowers individuals to make informed choices to keep the project moving forward.
- Cross-Training: Consider cross-training team members to handle multiple tasks. This helps mitigate risks if a key team member becomes unavailable.
- Document Responsibilities: Document the assigned responsibilities for each task, along with any relevant information about the tasks and the individuals responsible.
By clearly determining who will be responsible for each task, an organization can foster a sense of ownership, streamline decision-making, and facilitate effective collaboration, all of which contribute to the successful achievement of quality objectives.
13) When planning how to achieve its quality objectives, the organization shall determine when it will be completed
Determining when tasks and activities will be completed is a crucial aspect of planning to achieve quality objectives. Setting clear timelines helps in managing expectations, tracking progress, and ensuring that the project stays on schedule. Here’s how an organization can effectively determine completion timelines:
- Task Prioritization: Prioritize tasks based on their importance and impact on achieving the quality objectives. This helps allocate time more effectively.
- Task Sequencing: Arrange tasks in a logical sequence, considering any dependencies. Certain tasks might need to be completed before others can start.
- Estimate Timeframes: Estimate the amount of time each task will take to complete. This estimation should be realistic and take into account any potential delays or unexpected challenges.
- Buffer Time: Factor in buffer time or contingency time to account for unforeseen delays. This helps ensure that the overall project schedule remains manageable.
- Milestones: Identify key milestones or checkpoints within the project. These are points where specific tasks or objectives should be achieved, helping to track progress.
- Deadline Setting: Set clear deadlines for completing each task and milestone. Deadlines should be achievable and realistic based on the complexity of the tasks.
- Task Duration: Consider the complexity, resources required, and potential challenges of each task when estimating its duration.
- Resource Availability: Take into account the availability of resources, including personnel, equipment, and materials, when determining completion timelines.
- Interdependencies: Consider tasks that might impact the timeline of other tasks. If one task is delayed, it could potentially affect subsequent tasks.
- Feedback and Adjustments: Gather input from relevant stakeholders to ensure that the proposed timelines are feasible. Adjust the schedule as needed based on feedback.
- Regular Review: Continuously monitor and review the progress of tasks against the established timeline. If delays occur, identify the causes and take corrective actions.
- Communication: Clearly communicate the established timelines to all relevant stakeholders, including team members, managers, and clients.
- Use of Tools: Utilize project management tools and software to visually represent the timeline, allocate resources, and track progress.
- Flexibility: While it’s important to adhere to timelines, also be open to adjusting them when necessary due to changing circumstances or new information.
- Documentation: Document the planned completion dates for each task, milestone, and the overall project. This documentation provides a reference point for tracking progress.
By determining when tasks will be completed, an organization ensures that it stays focused, maintains momentum, and achieves its quality objectives within the desired time-frame. It’s important to strike a balance between setting realistic deadlines and pushing for timely completion without sacrificing quality.
14) When planning how to achieve its quality objectives, the organization shall determine how the results will be evaluated
Determining how the results will be evaluated is a crucial step in the planning process to achieve quality objectives. Evaluation provides insight into the effectiveness of the actions taken and helps ensure that the desired outcomes are being achieved. Here’s how an organization can approach determining the evaluation process:
- Define Evaluation Criteria: Clearly define the criteria that will be used to evaluate the results. These criteria should align with the quality objectives and provide a measurable way to assess success.
- Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Identify specific KPIs that will be used to track progress and measure the success of each quality objective. KPIs should be quantifiable and relevant to the objectives.
- Baseline Measurement: Determine the initial state or baseline against which progress will be measured. This provides context and helps demonstrate improvements.
- Data Collection Methods: Determine how data will be collected to measure progress and outcomes. This could involve surveys, audits, testing, observation, or other relevant methods.
- Frequency of Evaluation: Determine how often the evaluation will take place. It could be continuous, periodic, or at specific project milestones.
- Data Analysis: Outline how the collected data will be analyzed to assess performance against the established criteria and KPIs.
- Benchmarking: Consider comparing the organization’s results to industry standards, best practices, or previous performance to gain insights into areas for improvement.
- Documentation: Document the evaluation process, including the criteria, KPIs, methods, and analysis techniques. This documentation provides a reference for future assessments.
- Responsibility: Assign responsibility for conducting the evaluations and analyzing the results. Clearly define who will be responsible for each step of the evaluation process.
- Feedback Loop: Develop a process for providing feedback based on evaluation results. This could involve making adjustments to strategies, processes, or objectives based on the findings.
- Continuous Improvement: Use the evaluation results to drive continuous improvement efforts. Identify areas that need enhancement and develop action plans to address them.
- Communication: Communicate the evaluation process and its outcomes to relevant stakeholders, including team members, management, and clients.
- Adaptability: Be prepared to adapt the evaluation process if circumstances change, new information arises, or objectives evolve.
- Learning from Results: Encourage a culture of learning from evaluation results, both successes and failures. Use insights to inform future decision-making and planning.
- Integration with Quality Management System: Ensure that the evaluation process is integrated into the organization’s quality management system to promote alignment with quality objectives.
By determining how the results will be evaluated, an organization ensures that it has a structured approach to measure progress, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to achieve its quality objectives effectively.
15) Examples of Quality Objectives
Here are some examples of quality objectives across various industries and functions:
- Manufacturing Industry:
- Objective: Reduce the defect rate in our production process by 20% within the next quarter.
- Measurement: Defects per unit produced.
- Target: Decrease from 5% to 4% defect rate.
- Healthcare Industry:
- Objective: Improve patient satisfaction scores by enhancing communication between healthcare providers and patients.
- Measurement: Patient satisfaction surveys.
- Target: Increase patient satisfaction scores from 75% to 85% within the next six months.
- Software Development:
- Objective: Reduce the number of software bugs reported by customers by 30% in the upcoming release.
- Measurement: Number of reported bugs.
- Target: Decrease from 100 to 70 reported bugs.
- Service Industry (e.g., Logistics):
- Objective: Increase on-time delivery performance to 98% for all customer orders.
- Measurement: Percentage of orders delivered on time.
- Target: Improve from 95% to 98% on-time delivery rate.
- Environmental Compliance:
- Objective: Achieve full compliance with all relevant environmental regulations by implementing sustainable waste management practices.
- Measurement: Compliance audit results.
- Target: Zero instances of non-compliance in the next audit cycle.
- Training and Development:
- Objective: Enhance employee skills by providing training to at least 80% of employees in critical areas.
- Measurement: Percentage of employees trained in critical areas.
- Target: Train 80% of employees in critical areas within the next year.
- Risk Management:
- Objective: Mitigate operational risks by identifying and addressing at least 90% of high-priority risks within the quarter.
- Measurement: Percentage of high-priority risks addressed.
- Target: Address 90% of high-priority risks within the next quarter.
- Customer Satisfaction:
- Objective: Increase customer satisfaction levels by achieving a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 8 or above.
- Measurement: Net Promoter Score.
- Target: Achieve an NPS of 8 or higher within the next year.
- Safety Improvement:
- Objective: Reduce the number of workplace accidents by implementing safety training programs and procedures.
- Measurement: Number of workplace accidents.
- Target: Decrease the number of accidents by 25% in the next six months.
- Supplier Performance:
- Objective: Improve supplier performance by reducing the number of delayed deliveries by 50%.
- Measurement: Percentage of delayed deliveries from suppliers.
- Target: Reduce delayed deliveries from 10% to 5% within the next quarter.
These examples demonstrate how quality objectives are tailored to specific organizational goals and functions. When setting quality objectives, it’s important to make sure they are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This approach ensures that objectives are clear, achievable, and contribute to the overall improvement of the organization’s quality management practices.
Monitoring of Quality Objectives
Monitoring quality objectives involves regularly tracking progress, analyzing data, and assessing whether the organization is on track to achieve its defined goals. Here’s an example of how the monitoring process for quality objectives might work:
Quality Objective: Reduce the defect rate in our production process by 20% within the next quarter.
Monitoring Process:
- Data Collection:
- Collect data on defects for each batch of products produced.
- Record the number of defects and the total number of units in each batch.
- Frequency:
- Conduct data collection for each production batch.
- Analysis:
- Calculate the defect rate for each batch using the formula: (Number of Defects / Total Number of Units) * 100.
- Summarize the defect rates over the quarter.
- Comparison to Target:
- Compare the calculated defect rates with the baseline defect rate and the target of a 20% reduction.
- Trend Analysis:
- Analyze the trend of defect rates over the quarter. Are they consistently decreasing or fluctuating?
- Root Cause Analysis:
- If there are unexpected fluctuations or lack of progress, conduct a root cause analysis to identify underlying issues affecting defect rates.
- Management Review:
- Present the data and analysis to management during regular quality review meetings.
- Corrective Actions:
- If the defect rate is not decreasing as planned, implement corrective actions to address the identified issues.
- Communication:
- Communicate the progress of the quality objective to relevant teams and stakeholders.
- Documentation:
- Document all data, analyses, actions taken, and outcomes for future reference and audit purposes.
- Continuous Improvement:
- Based on the monitoring results, continuously adjust strategies and approaches to achieve the quality objective.
- Feedback Loop:
- Use feedback from the monitoring process to refine and improve the monitoring methodology itself.
By closely monitoring quality objectives using this approach, organizations can ensure that they remain on track to achieve their desired outcomes. Monitoring provides valuable insights that allow for timely adjustments, proactive issue resolution, and the ability to make informed decisions to improve overall quality performance.
Documented Information Required
It includes requirements for documenting quality objectives and planning to achieve them under Clause 6.2. This clause emphasizes the importance of setting clear quality objectives and developing plans to reach those objectives. While ISO standards do not prescribe specific documents or records, organizations are expected to maintain documented information that demonstrates compliance with the standard’s requirements. Here’s what you might need to document and record under Clause 6.2:
- Quality Objectives Documentation:
- Documented Quality Objectives: Clearly define the quality objectives you intend to achieve. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
- Objectives’ Intended Outcomes: Describe the desired outcomes of each quality objective. This provides context for the planning process.
- Planning Documentation:
- Quality Planning: Document the strategies, approaches, and methods you intend to use to achieve the quality objectives. This could involve outlining action plans, processes, and steps that need to be taken.
- Resource Planning: Document the resources required to achieve the quality objectives. This includes human resources, financial resources, materials, equipment, and technologies.
- Responsibility Assignment: Document the assignment of responsibilities for various tasks related to achieving the quality objectives. Specify who will be responsible for what.
- Timeline and Milestones: Document the timeline for each task and milestone related to achieving the objectives. This timeline provides a clear schedule for execution.
- Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plans: Document any potential risks that could affect the achievement of quality objectives. Include plans to mitigate these risks.
- Communication Plans: Document how communication will occur among team members, stakeholders, and relevant parties during the planning and execution phases.
- Monitoring and Measurement Plans: Document how you plan to monitor and measure progress toward the objectives. This could involve setting up key performance indicators (KPIs) and measurement methods.
- Contingency Plans: Document plans for addressing unexpected challenges or changes in circumstances that could impact the achievement of quality objectives.
- Records:
- Records of Objective Establishment: Maintain records that demonstrate the process of defining quality objectives, the rationale behind their selection, and any changes made over time.
- Records of Planning Activities: Keep records of the planning activities, including documentation of resource allocation, responsibility assignments, timelines, and risk assessments.
- Records of Monitoring and Measurement: Document the results of monitoring and measurement activities related to the progress of achieving quality objectives. This includes KPI data and analysis.
Remember that the specific documents and records required may vary based on the nature of your organization, the complexity of your processes, and the context of your quality management system. The key is to ensure that you have documented information that effectively demonstrates your organization’s commitment to setting and achieving quality objectives according to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015.