Dear sir,
As per requirements of QMS, quality objectives should be SMART.Right? Since we are just starting the documentation and setting up of deparmental quality objectives. Is it possible that the quality objectives be as an aim and don’t include the previous data as a basis? How? Can you give us an example?
tnx!!
fender24
If your objective is ISO compliance, then the quality objectives should support your quality policy.
I don’t know of anything that would suggest your quality objectives should be based on historical data. Your objectives must be measurable.
I can offer a contrived example, I suppose. Say you’ve had a history of unhappy customers. To ensure your business survives, maybe you institute a quality policy that focuses on customer satisfaction. You would then articulate an objective for satisfied customers. This may be in the form of % returns, problem reports, survey findings, etc. - whatever makes sense for your business. You then begin gathering data that provides objective evidence to support your customer satisfaction assertions. In your managment review, you assess the data and determine if your (current) quality system is sufficient to meet your objectives. If not, then you look for ways to improve - which would probably be evident from the data gathered.
Does that help?
Sir, correct me if i’m wrong, when you set a quality objectives you need a target level. So this target level can be set only if you have a benchmark, otherwise it can’t be specific.Is it right sir? Or it doesn’t need a benchmark at all and you just need is to gather data and assess it in the management review to formulate a new target level for the next period of time?
Sir your post is an indeed help for my understanding.
thank you, Sir!!!
Again, I’m coming at this from an ISO compliance perspective (specifically, 13485 - for medical devices). In that light, I’m not aware of anything that requires you to have target levels. The approach we are taking is to gather data and assess it at the management review to determine if we have an effective quality system. Most of our objectives do not lend themselves to specific target numbers.
Now I’m not saying that using baseline data and targets is incorrect - just not required. If you have a measurement that you can get reliable data to measure effectiveness of your quality system, then I would say that’s probably a very strong measurement!
Would you mind Sir if you can give me an example of your objectives that doesn’t have specific target numbers. As of now sir i’m such a dummy in terms of this ISO documentation. In this manifestation i’m afraid to turn it as a fiasco. Hope you understand!!
tnx
Sure. Part of our policy is to ensure solutions use state-of-the-art technology. In turn, one of our objectives is to use state-of-the-art technology in product development. To “measure” this, we look at each project and identify the technologies implemented. The management review gives us the opportunity, as a team, to discuss the solutions chosen, how well it met our needs, and if there were alternate technologies we might consider for future projects. Again, you need to keep in mind what your quality policy is and establish objectives against the policy. A distinguishing factor for my company is the ability to use the right technology for our customers and so this is part of our policy. Can we put targets on this? Not at all. Can we “measure” it? Maybe not in the traditional sense, but we can use the discussions to improve.
Again, don’t throw out your baseline data. Use it if it helps you improve your quality! My response to your original question stands: you aren’t REQUIRED to have targets. Do what makes sense for your company. If you have baseline data that says you produce 95% good widgets and can collect data to ensure you are reaching or improving on that, it’s good.
Regarding the fear of turning it into a fiasco, I would advise to not try to bite off more than you can chew. Start slowly and build up. The whole idea is ongoing improvement. Get some success under your belt and build on those successes. If you take the approach that you’re going to measure everything and hit specific targets (that you may or may not be able to reach because of or in spite of your system), you run the risk of having the team lose confidence in the system and eventually abandon it.
Finally, clearly, you’re not a dummy on this. Dummies don’t ask for help! 
Hang in there and ask for help when you need it. That’s what these forums are for.
Thank you so much sir, it’s enlightened me in a way that i’m starting to integrate those idea and it’s really a big help. More power.God bless!!!
Dear All
Definitely QO should be SMART, but it should also reflect the continous improvements in QMS. specific and measureable dont mean that QO should be typically talking about the product and process, It can even cover a whole project, it should also state the responsibility and target dates, not necessary the all QO may be achieved but u may show the running progress with a tentative target date. Organizations should also introduce qualitative and quantitative deliverables (Operational Quality Objectives) and Plans to support the completion of Departmental Quality Objectives.