Quality Objectives

After top management has selected key measures for the organisation, functions and departments at all levels will select measurable quality objectives that are consistent with the key measures. It may sometimes be possible for functions and levels to adopt objectives that are the same as key measures, but most of the time, it will be necessary to select close substitutes: objectives that have direct, logical connections to the key measures.

For example, if the organisation has selected net income as a key measure, the production department might opt for cycle time as an objective because it has a direct link to the organisational measure and the department is able to measure it. In this way, the link to strategy and mission remains unbroken.

Quality Objectives Must Be.

1.      Measurable

2.      Relate to your business products

3.      Documented

4.      Reviewed, tracked

Your quality objective documentation should tell specifically what you are measuring

1. State how you collect the data.

2. The frequency of the measurement

3. Provide targeted goals

4. State who is responsible for gathering the data

5. State how they are recorded.

6. State when they are reviewed

Do not put the quality objectives within the quality assurance manual. I do not recommend this. Your customers do not need to see your quality objectives. In most cases these are confidential.

When determining objectives, select objectives that are global to the entire operation. Then select that support those global metrics. Break the Objectives down by department, process, organisation function or product.

The Objective have to be agreed upon. A management committee determines the metrics. Senior management communicates these metrics through out the company.

All employees should be able to identify the Objectives. All employees should know how their work affect the metrics.

Make metric targets reasonable and challenging. Management provides the plans to achieve the targets. During the quality management review, review the metrics and document the plans to achieve the targets.