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Examples
| Area | Objective | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Customer satisfaction | Reduce the complaint rate from 1.2% to below 0.8% by year end | Complaints per delivered order |
| On-time delivery | Deliver 95% of orders on the confirmed date | On-time deliveries per month |
| Services | At least 4 out of 5 points in customer feedback after every project | Average feedback score |
| Competence | All mandatory training completed within 30 days of the due date | Share of overdue training |
| Suppliers | Incoming inspection reject rate below 0.5% | Rejected deliveries per deliveries |
Good objectives are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Suitable metrics are explained on quality KPIs.
Planning is part of it
An objective without a plan is a wish. ISO 9001 therefore requires, for each objective, what will be done, what resources are needed, who is responsible, when it will be achieved and how results will be evaluated. A small table with these columns is usually enough.
Common mistakes
- Objectives without a number, such as “increase customer satisfaction”.
- Only company-level objectives, none for processes or functions.
- Objectives met every year because they were never ambitious.
- Misses are noted but not acted upon.
Objectives at several levels
Company objectives alone are not enough. Objectives should be set where results are produced: for processes such as order handling or purchasing and for functions such as assembly or customer service. A short cascade works well, in which each functional objective visibly contributes to a company objective. That way people know why their objective matters.
Implementing it in docxpert
The “Objectives and KPIs” template in the template library contains a table with objective, measure, action, owner and due date. You maintain the document like any other controlled document and evaluate the results in management review. docxpert does not calculate the metrics itself; you take the values from your business systems.
Frequently asked questions
How many quality objectives do I need?
The standard sets no number. Small companies often manage with three to eight objectives, as long as relevant functions and processes are covered.
Do quality objectives have to be documented?
Yes. ISO 9001 requires documented information on the quality objectives.
What happens if an objective is missed?
That is not a nonconformity in itself. You are expected to evaluate the miss and decide on actions, for example in management review.
How do objectives relate to the quality policy?
The [quality policy](content:term-quality-policy) provides the framework; the objectives make it measurable.