15.3 The Framework for Quality Objectives

Quality objectives are an integral part of the QMS design framework. The position of the quality objectives in the total QMS framework is illustrated in Table 15.3. As indicated, each component of the QMS imperatives flows down to the next level in a continuous movement. The order of presentation begins with a strategic statement of the overall site's scope of certification and industrial position. From this framework, the vision, mission, quality policy statement, and then quality objectives are established. For completeness, the table includes typical ISO 9001:2000 quality policy statements that could be included as part of the quality manual text. The site's complete strategic framework also includes its process-based QMS, the manner in which customer needs and expectations are fulfilled, and the manner in which the quality policy is propagated throughout the site ^[3].

Table 15.3: Location of Quality Objectives Within the ISO 9001:2000 QMS Site Imperatives
Site Imperatives	Typical ISO 9001:2000 Quality Manual Paragraph Content
Business and certification scope (requires registrar's review and acceptance)	What are the services and products that are under the certification? Where is the organization located? Is it multidivisional with multiple sites?
Vision statement	What is the long-term objective of the organization? What dominance does the organization wish to have long term?
Mission statement can be corporate level or divisional/department level	What are the key objectives the organization needs to achieve midterm to achieve such dominance? Which methods are appropriate to this purpose?
Quality policy statement	What is the quality policy statement that is easy for every employee to remember and that clearly defines how we are to treat our customers?
Quality objectives/metrics	Define the quality objectives that lead to continual improvement, which is measured, for example, through the trend analysis of (a) customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction (customer returns and complaints, reorders, overall market share); (b) internal improvement metrics (yields, scrap); (c) corrective and preventive actions; and (d) return on net worth.
Process-based QMS	Define the organization's core competencies and clearly define the methods used to provide adequate resources to allow fulfillment of the quality objectives.
Customer needs and expectations	What are the ways and methods used to clearly define customer needs and expectations? How do we determine customer perception of our services?
Propagation of the quality policy	What are the methods used to make sure that all employees, suppliers, and customers understand our quality policy, quality objectives, and status of our progress to achieve those objectives?

^[3]See, for example: Cianfrani, Charles A., Joseph J. Tsiakals, and John E. (Jack) West, The ASQ ISO 9000:2000 Handbook, ASQ Quality Press, 2002, at http://qualitypress.asq.org.