Clause 6.2 Quality Objectives And Planning To Achieve Them
The Top Management Need To Ensure These Quality Objectives And Planning Are Achieved.
The process of achieving quality objectives and planning in ISO 9001 is a continuous cycle that begins with the identification of customer needs and ends with the evaluation of customer satisfaction. In between these two steps, six other steps must be followed to ensure that the quality objectives are met.
The top management of an organisation needs to ensure various Quality objectives and planning as per ISO 9001 standards. Some of these objectives and planning are as follows:
1. To ensure customer satisfaction by providing them with quality products and services.
2. To develop and implement policies and procedures for quality management.
3. To establish measurable quality goals and objectives.
4. To ensure that all employees are aware of the importance of quality and are trained in quality management.
5. conduct regular audits to check whether the quality management system is effective and to identify any areas of improvement.
6. To take corrective and preventive action to address any issues that are identified.
7. To review the performance of the quality management system regularly and to make any necessary changes.
As you can see, the process of achieving quality objectives and planning is a continuous cycle that begins with the identification of customer needs and ends with the evaluation of customer satisfaction.
How To Implement Quality Objectives?
Setting quality objectives is required by ISO 9001:2015 and is one of the key ways that top management demonstrates its commitment to the quality management system (QMS) and continual improvement.
Quality objectives can be used to:
• guide and focus the efforts of the organisation toward improving specific areas.
• evaluate the effectiveness of the QMS
• provide input to planning processes.
The process of setting quality objectives is described in ISO 9001:2015, clause 6.2.2. This process should be performed as part of the planning process described in ISO 9001:2015, clause 6.2.
There are four steps in the process of setting quality objectives:
1. Identify the context of the organisation.
2. Establish the needs and expectations of interested parties.
3. Determine what the organisation wants to achieve.
4. Set objectives at relevant functions and levels.
The quality objectives should be:
• SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• aligned with the strategic direction of the organisation.
• responsive to customer needs and expectations.
• supportive of continual improvement. The quality objectives should be communicated to all employees of the organisation.
The process of setting quality objectives should be reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains effective.
The process of setting, reviewing, and achieving quality objectives is known as the PDCA cycle:
• Plan: Set objectives and processes for achieving them
• Do: Implement the processes
• Check: Monitor performance against objectives
• Act: Take actions to continually improve performance
When implemented correctly, quality objectives can play a key role in an organisation's journey to continual improvement.
Quality Objectives Variations
Quality objectives are the specific goals that an organisation set out to achieve to improve its overall performance. The ISO 9001 standard guides how to establish, implement and maintain an effective quality management system (QMS). Part of this guidance includes setting quality objectives.
There are three types of quality objectives:
• Strategic quality objectives: These are long-term goals that an organisation sets to achieve its overall mission and vision.
• Operational quality objectives: These are specific goals that support the achievement of the organisation's strategic quality objectives.
• Project quality objectives: These are goals that are specific to a particular project or product.
Organisations can set any combination of these three types of quality objectives, depending on their needs. Quality objectives should be measurable, relevant to the organisation's business, and aligned with its strategic direction. Furthermore, they should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are still effective and achievable.
Explain in detail Importance of Quality Objectives in ISO 9001?
The Quality Objectives are important as they demonstrate the commitment of the management team to continuously improve the quality management system.
They are also a requirement of the ISO 9001 standard, which states that organisations must establish quality objectives at relevant functions and levels.
• The Quality Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.
• They should also be aligned with the organisation's strategic direction.
• The ISO 9001 standard requires that the Quality Objectives are reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure that they remain relevant and achievable.
• Organisations should communicate the Quality Objectives to all relevant parties, including employees, suppliers, and customers.
• The Quality Objectives should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are still being met.
If an objective is not being achieved, the organisation should take corrective action to address the issue. The Quality Objectives are important as they demonstrate the commitment of the management team to continuously improve the quality management system.
They are also a requirement of the ISO 9001 standard, which states that organisations must establish quality objectives at relevant functions and levels. The Quality Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.
The Importance of Quality Objectives is as follows:
1. Quality objectives provide a focus for the organisation's quality Management system.
2. Quality objectives provide direction for continuous improvement.
3. Quality objectives can help prevent problems from occurring.
4. Objectives can help the organisation save money.
5. Quality objectives can improve customer satisfaction.
6. Quality objectives can improve the reputation of the organisation.
7. Quality objectives can increase employee motivation.
8. Quality objectives can increase shareholder value.
Benefits of Quality Objectives and Planning
One of the key requirements of the ISO 9001 quality management system standard is the establishment of quality objectives. Quality objectives are a critical part of any quality management system, as they provide a means of setting and measuring progress towards the organisation's quality goals.
There are several benefits to having quality objectives in place, including:
1. Quality objectives provide a means of setting and measuring progress towards the organisation's quality goals.
2. Quality objectives help to ensure that all members of the organisation are aware of the importance of quality and are working towards common goals.
3. Quality objectives can help to focus the attention of the organisation on areas where improvement is most needed.
4. Quality objectives can provide a basis for continuous improvement initiatives.
5. Quality objectives can help to ensure that the quality management system is tailored to the specific needs of the organisation.