How to Write Good Quality ObjectivesQuality objectives are
requirements of the ISO 900 standard! but why" What are they! and
what are they for" While the answers to these questions may be
interestin#! a more im$ortant question is how do you write #ood
quality objectives so that they are bene%cial to your com$any"In
short! the quality objectives can be the best way to s$otli#ht the
&ey elements of the Quality 'olicy and %nd a focal $oint for
the e(orts of the $eo$le in the or#ani)ation to wor& toward
im$rovement* Im$rovement! after all! is a &ey reason for a
com$any to im$lement a Quality +ana#ement System*Quality
Objectives: The What and Why,he quality objectives are the main
method used by com$anies to focus the #oal-s. from the Quality
'olicy into $lans for im$rovement* ,he Quality 'olicy is created
with the /ustomer 0equirements in mind! then quality objectives are
lin&ed bac& to the /ustomer 0equirements throu#h the
Quality 'olicy* ,he quality objectives ta&e the #oal-s. stated
in the Quality 'olicy and turned these into statements for
im$rovement a#ainst which $lans can be made*1or e2am$le! if the
Quality 'olicy of a wid#et manufacturer had identi%ed a customer
need for just3in3time delivery with no defects as the most
im$ortant requirements! the #oal from the Quality 'olicy mi#ht
read4 5,o deliver wid#ets to our su$$liers when they need them!
with no defects! every time*6 ,his com$any mi#ht then have two
Quality Objectives4 the %rst bein# to address im$rovement of
on3time delivery! and the second to address defective $arts shi$$ed
to the customer* ,he %rst objective mi#ht be4 5to im$rove on3time
delivery from 907 to 987 within the ne2t year6 and the second could
be4 5to reduce %eld esca$es to the customer from 97 to :7 within
the ne2t year6* In doin# so! the im$rovement derived from the
Quality Objectives is directly lin&ed to the needs of the
customer*,hese quality objectives would then be communicated to
each level of the or#ani)ation with corres$ondin# objectives and
$lans at each level to hel$ meet the overall $lanned #oal*If your
com$any uses a ;alanced Scorecard! this is a #ood format to use for
this communication of quality objectives*,he objectives need to be
set for the di(erent levels of the or#ani)ation ri#ht down to
objectives for the $roduct -e*#* one objective for the whole Q+S!
then individual objectives for the $roduct or $rocess that su$$orts
the overall objective.* ,hese $roduct or $rocess objectives are
often referred to as 1olfson(ublicLibraries !hallenge .und, with
matching funding from the !ounty !ouncil, partnerships and
contributionsin kind. 7ix libraries throughout !heshire
")acclesfield, !rewe, !ongleton, ,orthwich, 4llesmere (ort
and!hester& were e2uipped with 8 resources comprising nternet
access, !6A5-)7 and wordAprocessingfacilities.!hester9s situation
was somewhat different from the other five libraries. A separate
partnership consistingof the library, 1est !heshire !ollege,
!hester, 4llesmere (ort and 1irral 8raining and 4ducation
!ouncil"!4184!& had already been successful in securing funding
from the 6f44 .lexible 8raining 7trategies.8he!hester
8facilitywasmuchlarger thanelsewherewithabroader remit.
Knownasthe-penLearning !entre "-L!&, the centre aimed to be a
location where users could learn informally about usingcomputers,
undertake certified courses of study, use the nternet and have
access to office software.1.2.2 Cheshire's policies regarding
public access to the Internet!heshire Libraries do not use
filtering software and permit nternet users to access webAbased
eAmail andchat roomswithout restrictions. 4verymember of
thepublicwishingtousecomputersin!heshireLibraries is asked to
complete an Acceptable Use (olicy "AU(& declaration, which sets
out the rules andregulations relating to public access to 8. 8he
specific conditions related to nternet use are? Library cannot be
responsible for problems caused by the nature of the nternet "eg.
slow response times, nonAavailability of webAsites.& Library
cannot guarantee receipt of eAmail messages. Users are not
permitted to access obscene material. Library staff are not
available to undertake nternet searches for users, access is
provided on a 9selfAservice9 basis.At the time the research was
carried out, the !onditions of nternet access to those users aged
undersixteen years old were identical to those for adult users.
7ubse2uently, the policy was amended so thatunderA#:s now re2uire
written endorsement from a parent or guardian before they are
permitted to usethe nternet. Users may download and upload
software, web pages and other material providing this isdone via
floppy disc and does not involve theuse ofthe hard drive oflibrary
computers. 8heuse ofpersonal floppy discs is on the understanding
that these willbe virusAchecked before use. f a virus islocated the
library may clean the disc if the user wishes, although the owner
must be made aware thatthis may alter files on the infected
disc.!hester9s -pen Learning !entre operates a booking system for
use of the computers, although usersmay also dropAin. 6uring the
research period the number of computers available for public use
grew fromseventoeleven. nternet
Accesswasinitiallyavailableonthreemachines,
risingtofiveby#$$$.)achines may be booked by the half hour or by
the hour, or longer, sub3ect to availability. 8he chargesare
DEpooundF*.=+ per half hour for nternet access, DEpooundF#.*= for
Leisure card holders and thoseunder #: years. BA Leisure card is a
discount library card for those in receipt of various means
testedbenefits eg. 3ob seekers allowance, income support etc.C
Longer or shorter periods are charged on a proArata basis. (rinting
costs #+p per sheet black and white or *=p colour. Leisure card
holders, those under#: years and those who bring their own paper
are charged =p and #=p respectively.BBack to !ontentsC1.3 Research
ai and ob!ecti"es8he aim of the research was to identify the use
being made of nternet facilities by the public at !hesterLibrary.
8o fulfil this aim, the specific ob3ectives were? 8o identify the
status of a sample of users of the nternet according to library
membership, residency, employment, age and gender 8o identify the
use being made of different nternet facilities, including eAmail,
websites, chat rooms 8o determine the level of nternet skills
possessed by the sample of users 8o evaluate the usefulness of
nternet access in the library to the sample 8o gather feedback on
the library9s policies for nternet access and the actual and
potential roles of library staffBBack to !ontentsC1.# Research
$ethods8he methods used in the research were?1.#.1 %uestionnaire
sur"e&A structured 2uestionnaire "Appendix #& was used to
collect 2uantitative data about nternet users andtheir use of the
facilities. As !hester is a popular tourist destination, it was
thought essential to examinethe possible influence of visitors and
of seasonal variation on nternet use. 8herefore, the
2uestionnaireswere handed out to nternet users during three weeks
in August, -ctober and 6ecember of #$$0. A highresponse rate of #%0
"0:;& was achieved, which may be attributed to the fact that
staff handed a copy ofthe 2uestionnaire personally to almost every
nternet user, and encouraged completion and return. 8hesample
represents %@; of those using the nternet during the three week
survey period, a total of *tset then there could be a lac&
ofur#ency on achievement of objectives and this could result in the
objective not bein# $ro#ressed*Bon>t assume thedeadline of the
ne2t 'B0 meetin# is a$$ro$riate! sometimes dates are dictated by
e2ternal circumstances e*#* dates of a conference*In discussin#
objectives consider4 When will this objective be accom$lished" Is
another objective contin#ent on the com$letionof this objective" Is
there a stated deadline"4xamples of 7)A58 ob3ectives8eneral exaple
o+ a '$.RT ob!ecti"e,o desi#n and deliver a one3day H/onference
'resentations> wor&sho$ to 'hB students in the /olle#e of
222 by Iune @0! @0JJ which achieves an overall evaluation ratin# of
9*K -out of L. on the standard trainin# evaluation form*,his is a
S+=0, objective for the followin# reasons4+t is specic It is clear
e2actly what the trainin# will cover! who it will be delivered to
and that it is yet to be develo$ed -which $rovides $arameters for
wor&load involved.+t is %easurable,his can be reviewed by
assessin#4 has the objective been com$leted" how does feedbac&
com$are tothe a#reed standard for acce$table feedbac&
"-$rovidin#a qualitative assessment.*+t is ali#nedand achievable=s
the objective is very $recise there is little room for
misunderstandin# or ambi#uity about what has been a#reed*It is
ali#ned to the Mniversity strate#y aimed at $rovidin# an e2cellent
student e2$erience and itis assumed that there is a requirement in
the local $lans that this ful%ls*+t is relevantIt can be assumed
that durin# the review conversation it has been established that
the objective is a$$ro$riate to the reviewee>s role and #rade*It
is strai#htforward to establish what wor&load it im$oses and
whatwould be required to achieve the objective*+t is ti%e based,he
date by which the objective is to be achieved is clear and
unambi#uous*7ome specific examples?5esearch and 8eaching$esearch
and Teachin# ,o have led $ublications of 2222 $a$ers of quality
li&ely to be jud#ed :N or 9N in the 0F1 in suitable C
a$$ro$riate journals by ddC mmCyy ,o have written as 'I -or co GI!
with distinctive contribution. research #rant a$$lications of a
value e2ceedin# the 0ussell Grou$ median award value of your
disci$line and have submitted these by ddCmmCyy ,o develo$ a new
course in JJJ and to deliver hi#h quality teachin# with the success
of which is assessed by evaluation methods includin# student
feedbac& and $eer review by ddCmmCyy /o3write a $ro$osal to J?O
fundin# body as /o3I and su$$ort Br O as lead 'I in res$onse to
call for JJ s$ecialism with submission deadline ddCmmCyy with a
total value M of G contribution of P2m ,o develo$ international
lin&s with JJ Mniversity and lead the develo$ment of a
collaboration #rou$ to stren#then 'G0lin&s anddeliver a
wor&sho$ at JJ Mniversity by mmCyy=ttain national reco#nition
of leadershi$ in the$rofession or disci$line by $ublishin# research
outcomes and Cor $resentin# a $a$er at a -named. national or
international conference to be held on ddCmmCyy*Teachin# ,o desi#n
and source a$$roval! throu#h Mniversity 'ro#ramme =$$rovals
$rocess! for a new +asters de#ree $ro#ramme in JJ by mmCyy* ,o
$ublish J articles associated with the scholarshi$ of teachin# in
international level journals by mmCyy* ,o com$lete the $re$aration
of and $ublish a major under#raduate te2tboo& in J by mmCyy* ,o
lead a teachin# collaboration with Mniversity? resultin# in
collaborations #rou$ a$$roval for ajoint de#ree in JJ by mmCyy*
Secure a #rant of JJ from ?? to secure the develo$ment of the OO
teachin# $roject by mmCyy* =chieve im$roved levels of student
satisfaction! at or above the current School avera#e! for the
delivery of all own teachin# as evidenced by student feedbac&
by mmCyy* Qead the School throu#h a successful accreditation
e2ercise! as measured by feedbac& from the accreditin# body by
mmCyy* Bevelo$ an online tool for 22 and demonstrate si#ni%cant
im$rovement throu#h its use evidenced by sta( and student
feedbac& by mmCyy* Im$rove student en#a#ement in course = by
introducin# ? innovation and evidence im$rovement throu#h im$roved
student feedbac& and attainment by mmCyy* Besi#n a develo$ment
$lan for the B -subject. tau#ht $ost #raduate $ro#ramme by the end
of -date. focusin# on im$rovin# administrative $rocesses in order
to im$rove the student e2$erience* ,he $lan should reRect the
School>s im$rovement $lans to meet Q -SubjectC or#anisation.
accreditation criteria* Bevelo$ the +Sc in =-subject. as $art of
the collaboration with -;. international school* ,his requires new
$ro#rammes and course s$eci%cations as well as the develo$ment of
teachin# delivery models to be com$leted by mmCyy* ,o lead a review
of the +Sc -Hons. in O -subject. with a deadline of the end +arch
@0?? in order to #enerate #reater interest in the $ro#ramme amon#
international students and orient the $ro#ramme more stron#ly
toward em$loyability as a core value* ,he revised $ro#ramme will be
submitted for a$$roval by the internal deadline of Ianuary @0yyS*
-F2cellent student e2$erience C #lobal reach.* /om$lete the desi#n
and delivery of the 'ost Graduate trainin# $ro#ramme in = -subject.
by the end of the #rant $eriod -:0 Aovember @0??.* Bevelo$ content
on =-subject. and facilitate develo$ment of website by end of
=$ril@0??* /o3ordinate and deliver a series of seminars toacademic
sta( in the /olle#e on ? teachin# method and su$$ort J members of
sta( to im$lement the method for a $ilot run in their courses in
the second semester of @0??* =$$ly for and secure Senior 1ellowshi$
of the Hi#her Fducation =cademy by mmCyy* (4a%ple:=ttain national
reco#nition of leadershi$ in the $rofession or disci$line by
$ublishin# research outcomes and Cor $resentin# a $a$er at a
-named. national or international conference to be held on
ddCmmCyy*SpecicWhat will reviewee do"MeasurableHow will reviewee C
reviewer &now""li#ned2"chievableIs this a $riority anddoes it
%t with the strate#y"/an it be achieved"$elevantHow does it%t
withthe reviewees role and #rade"Ti%e&boundWhat are the
tar#etdates"Submit researchoutcomes to a reco#nised journal and Cor
$resent at'a$erswill be $ublished and C or acce$ted as Quality
research meets fundin# $riorities* Itis ali#ned with Glas#ow ,his
isa$$ro$riate for therole ofthe reviewee and'ublication dates for
the journals andCor a conferences$ea&er at conference*Invitedto
s$ea& at furtherevents@0@0 visionto underta&e world leadin#
researchis relevant as they aim toraise their $rofessional
$ro%le*submission dates for abstracts forconference
$a$ers)anagement, (rofessional and AdministrativeM)" ,o review the
school>s %lin# systems and ma&erecommendations for
im$rovements to Qine +ana#er by mmCyy with a#reed im$lementationof
recommendations by ddCmmCyy* Bevelo$ and im$lement an action $lan
to reduce error costs in accountin# for colle#es by ddCmmCyy
resultin# in accurate accountin# re$ort standards within two
wee&s of the monthly close* ,o e(ectively and eEciently
ta&e the lead on or#anisin# the lo#istics for the annual Sta(
=dministrators /onference scheduled for ddCmmCyy by achievin# a
score of 9 out of 8 on avera#e from customers on the feedbac&
form under He(ective or#anisation of the event>* ,o achieve K07
satisfaction score in Q8 on 'ro#ramme +ana#ement in the Student
Satisfaction Questionnaire com$leted on ddCmmCyy* Im$lement the 2y)
business $rocess im$rovement $roject as a#reed with Birector of
Service by ddCmmCyy desi#ned to im$rove the results of the /ustomer
Service Questionnaire -2y) section. to be com$leted on ddCmmCyy* ,o
achieve attendance of at least 80 #uests at the national conference
on ddCmmCyy by underta&in# e(ective mar&etin# activities
with all relevant 222 $rofessionals within the M< by ddCmmCyy*
,o review the J?O $ro#ramme and desi#n and im$lement $rocess
chan#es resultin# in a more eEcient system which streamlines
a$$lications cuttin# $rocessin# times from J to ? by ddCmmCyy* ,o
lead on the im$lementation of the =;/ 'roject and ensure the
$roject is com$leted within a#reed bud#et -P2. by ddCmmCyy and meet
the qualitative criteria as outlined in the $roject $lan section
@*0* (4a%ple:,o e(ectively and eEciently ta&e the lead on
or#anisin# the lo#istics for the annual Sta( =dministrators
/onference scheduled for ddCmmCyyby achievin# a score of 9 out of 8
on avera#e from customers on the feedbac& form under He(ective
or#anisation of the event>* SpecicWhat will
revieweedo"MeasurableHow will reviewee C reviewer
&now""li#ned2"chievableIs this a $riority and does it %t with
the strate#y"/an it be achieved"$elevantHow does it%t with the
reviewees role and Ti%e&boundWhat are the tar#et
dates"#rade"Or#anisethe lo#istics for the Sta( =dministrators
conference=chievin# scores of 9C8 on e(ective or#anisation ofthe
event on feedbac& formIdenti%ed inService strate#y for the year
and resources are in $lace to ensure this ta&es $lace,his
isa$$ro$riate to the role and #rade of the individual*=lthou#h
stretchin# they have the ca$abilities to meet the
objective*/onference event date8echnical and 5elatedTechnical and
$elated Fnsure all laboratory equi$ment in buildin# J $asses
equi$ment maintenance testin# and $roduce an u$3to3date inventory
by ddCmmCyy* ,o set u$ a $rocess to inform and u$date a data base
recordin# the service>s use of substances ha)ardous to health
under the /OSHH re#ulations by ddCmmCyy* ,o increase the accuracy
of instrumentation data by 27 by ddCmmCyy ,o u$3date the Health T
Safety $olicy document for ;uildin# J and ensure all sta( are
advised of chan#es by ddCmmCyy ,o $roduce written #uidance on the
use of J?O equi$ment by ddCmmCyy*(4a%ple:Fnsure all laboratory
equi$ment in buildin# J $asses equi$ment maintenance testin# and
$roduce an u$3to3date inventory by ddCmmCyy*SpecicWhat will
reviewee do"MeasurableHow will reviewee C reviewer
&now""li#ned2"chievableIs this a $riority and does it %t with
the strate#y"/an it be achieved"$elevantHow does it %t with the
reviewees role and #rade"Ti%e&boundWhat are the tar#et
dates"/ollate an inventory of lab equi$ment in J buildin#=ll
equi$ment will be in wor&in#order as $er equi$ment maintenance
standards*Inferred a#reement with reviewer thatthere will be
fundin# available to re$air any faulty equi$ment*It is within remit
of reviewee role*,his is a$$ro$riate tothe individual>s role and
#rade! they have the ca$abilities and ddCmmCyyresources available
to achieve the objective-perationalOperational ,o im$rove customer
satisfaction ratin#s re#ardin# res$onse times for $rocessin#
$ermitsfrom 27 to ?7 by ddCmmCyy ,o review stoc& monitorin#
$rocedures! su##est im$rovements and im$lement a#reed chan#es by
ddCmmCyy* /reate a com$rehensive information $ac& for all
0esidencies students as to the services C facilities C clubs
available in the S0S as $art of their accommodation $ac&a#e by
ddCmmCyy* 'rovide a caterin# food o(er that delivers 5healthy
choices6 throu#hout all hos$itality outlets to wor& towards all
areas #ainin# 5Healthy Qivin# =ward6 by the end of
mmCyy*(4a%ple:/reate a com$rehensive information $ac& for all
0esidencies students as to the services C facilities C clubs
available in the S0S as $art of their accommodation $ac&a#e by
ddCmmCyy*SpecicWhat will reviewee do"MeasurableHow willreviewee C
reviewer &now""li#ned2"chievableIs this a $riority and does it
%t with the strate#y"/an it be achieved"$elevantHow does it %t
withthe reviewees role and #rade"Ti%e&boundWhat arethe tar#et
dates"/reate information $ac&s = co$y of the information
$ac&1ul%llin# 'artner Aeeds in the Mniversity ,his objective is
within Fnd of mmCfor all residencies studentswill be available for
all studentsStrate#y by $rovidin# e2cellent service and su$$ort to
students the remit of the reviewee andthey have the necessary
s&ills and resources available to achievable this within the
timeframe*yy4nsuring clarity when phrasing ob3ectivesObjectives
should be worded usin# clear unambi#uous lan#ua#e* ;oth the
reviewer and the reviewee should not only understand the objective
but they should also both have the same understandin# of what is to
be achieved*Objectives should be concerned with results and
achievements rather than with underta&in# a series of actions
or tas&s*When writin# objectives some of the words used can
lead to confusion and may im$ly activities rather than the result
to be achieved* Some e2am$les are detailed below with $otential
substitutes which are $robably better! but may not always be
a$$ro$riate*+nstead of thisTry this +nstead of thisTry
thisadminister com$letee2$enditure costanalyse determinefacilitate
su$$lyarran#e or#anise investi#ate concludeassure con%rm mana#e
achieveconsult as& observe evaluatee2amine resolve(erformance
7tandards'erformance standards can e2ist in any job however they
are directly lin&ed to com$letin# job3tas&s and tend to
de%ne the quality of $erformance each time a $articular tas& is
com$leted* 'erformance standards or service levels describe the
conditions that must e2ist before the $erformance can be rated
satisfactory* Standards may be de%ned for re$etitive and routine
tas&s as a qualitative andCor quantitative measurement and may
be embedded in $olicies! local $rocedures or le#islation -e*#*
health! safety! le#al! trades andCor o$erational reasons.*,or
e4a%ple:F2am$les of 'erformance Standards ,o $rovide cleanin#
services to achieve K87 standard in visual quality monitorin#
durin# @022 G @0yy* ,o ensure incident re$orts are submitted by 2
time after the event ,o ensure mail is delivered to schools by 2
timeeach day ,o ensure all student enquiries are dealt with within
2 days +aintain the === database by ensurin# new data is added
within @ days* Student enquiries throu#h the hel$ e3des& are
res$onded to within @9 hours of recei$t*'erformance Standards di(er
from tas&s which tend to be more #eneric and indicative of
thenature of the activity* ,as&s tend to be described in job
descri$tions and re$resent wor& activities in the job role
$ro%les*Chris BruceDespite uncertainty in major markets like Russia
and China, Volkswagen is wearing the global sales crown for the
frst half of the year to overtake Toyota. Through the frst six
months of 2015, VW sold 5.04 million vehicles, which only narrowly
beat its Japanese rival's 5.02 million, Reuters reports. The
half-year trophy also placed the German brand one step closer to
the goal of being the world's largest automaker.VW can't just
cruise through the second half of 2015 to continue wearing the
crown, though. The company is a major player in China, and that
might start to be a disadvantage soon. Auto demand there isexpected
to be weak for the rest of the year, which could mean dire efects
for companies around the world. According to Reuters, the Western
European market shows few signs of a sudden surge, either. To turn
things around, VW is working on a massive realignment to be more
responsive by organizing its 12 brands under four separate holding
companies.One factor in VW's favor is that Toyota is facing its own
sales struggles across the globe. In the last fscal year, the
Japanese automaker had growing profts but actual volume was down.
At the time, the company predicted a drop to 8.9 million vehicles
for the current fscal period. According to Reuters, Toyota has had
problems growing in emerging markets and dealing with higher taxes
on small vehicles in Japan.For all of 2014, Toyota held the sales
trophy with 10.23 million sales, and VW was in second place with
10.14 million.General Motors came in third with 9.92 million. The
year was the frst time that VW or Toyotahad ever surpassed 10
million vehicles over the stretch of a calendar
