2. Define action and measurement levels

After defining the QMS performance axes (see Step 1), it is necessary to define the entities (functions, departments, processes, etc.) or groups of entities within the company for which the indicators are to be established.

In the above example of a global customer satisfaction indicator, the entire company is concerned. Consequently, if the indicator were to fall, we could only conclude that the company was underperforming overall, without being able to identify any specific levers for action indicating where to act to improve the situation and the indicator.

It's easy to see that, to be relevant, QMS indicators need to be defined and aligned at different levels of the system: processes, departments and functions.

In a quality management system based on a process approach, it is natural to deploy performance indicators...