3.1 Terms and definitions
In addition to the terms and definitions in the standards of "GB/T 19001—2000 Quality management systems - Requirements" and "GB/T 24001—1996 Environmental management systems - Specification with guidance for use", this manual supplements the following targeted terms and definitions:
3.1.1 Top management
Refers to the individual or team at the highest level of the organization that assumes the responsibility of guiding and controlling the overall direction. As the decision-making core of the organization, the top management is responsible for issuing the quality/environmental policy, approving management system documents, and allocating key resources. Their decisions directly determine the strategic direction of the organization and the effectiveness of the management system.
3.1.2 Each functional department
The functional units covering the company's headquarters and project sites are the carriers for the internal division of labor within the organization to carry out specific management activities. For example, the "Quality Management Department" at the headquarters is responsible for system planning, and the "Safety and Environment Department" at the project site is in charge of on - the - spot environmental control. Together, they form the organization's management network to ensure the implementation of system requirements.
3.1.3 Employee representatives
The employee interest representatives democratically elected by the trade union have the right to participate in key activities such as the planning, review, and improvement of the management system. Their core role is to incorporate the actual needs of employees (such as the improvement of the working environment and the optimization of operating processes) into the system operation to ensure that the management system is "grounded".
3.1.4 Supplier
External organizations or individuals that provide products (including services) to an organization are the upstream links in the supply chain. The quality of the products supplied by the suppliers (such as the purity of raw materials and the precision of components) directly affects the output results of the organization. Therefore, they are important related parties in quality management and environmental management.
3.1.5 Quality
The degree to which the inherent characteristics of a product or service (such as the battery capacity of a mobile phone and the shelf life of food) meet the requirements (explicit, implicit, or legal). Here, "inherent" means that the characteristics are possessed by the thing itself and not added externally (for example, the "weight" of a mobile phone is an inherent characteristic, while the "packaging" is an added characteristic); quality can be described by adjectives such as "poor", "good", and "excellent", which directly reflect the user's experience of the core value of the product.
3.1.6 Requirements
The requirements or expectations for products, services, or processes are divided into three categories:
Explicit: Requirements stipulated in written agreements such as contracts and specification documents (e.g., "The product shall be delivered within 7 days").
Normally implied: Users' reasonable default expectations (e.g., "Food is free from spoilage and strange odors").
Must be fulfilled: Mandatory requirements of laws, regulations, and industry standards (e.g., "Exhaust gas emissions shall comply with the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law").
The requirements are the core basis for judging whether the quality meets the standards.
3.1. Level 7
Classification of products, processes or systems with consistent functions and uses but different quality standards. For example, the Comfort Edition and Sport Edition of the same car model have the core function of transportation, but the Sport Edition has higher quality requirements in engine power, chassis tuning, etc., and belongs to a different grade. The purpose of grade division is to meet the different needs of users at different levels.
3.1.8 Customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is the subjective evaluation of the extent to which their requirements are met. This feeling stems from the "comparison between the actual experience and expectations": if the product exceeds expectations (for example, the battery life of a mobile phone is 2 hours longer than that advertised), customers will be "very satisfied"; if it fails to meet expectations (for example, there are foreign objects in food), they will be "dissatisfied". Customer satisfaction is a direct reflection of an organization's market competitiveness.
3.1.9 Competence
The ability of an organization, system, or process to produce products and meet requirements. For example, the production capacity of a factory is not merely being able to produce 1,000 products, but rather being able to produce 1,000 qualified products. The capacity of a system refers to the ability of the quality management system to consistently and stably produce results that meet requirements.
3.1.10 System
A whole composed of a set of elements that are interrelated or interact with each other. For example, the quality management system consists of elements such as "policy, objectives, procedures, and resources". Each element operates in coordination to jointly achieve the goal of "improving product quality".
3.1.11 Management system
A system that establishes policies and goals and achieves the goals through coordinated activities. Its core is "closed-loop management": from "formulating policies" to "executing the process", then to "monitoring the results" and "improving and optimizing", forming a continuous cycle.
3.1.12 Quality management system
A management system that guides and controls an organization's quality activities. Centered around the "quality policy", it covers various aspects such as quality planning (formulating goals and processes), quality control (monitoring process compliance), quality assurance (providing trust), and quality improvement (enhancing capabilities), and serves as a systematic framework for achieving quality objectives (e.g., the ISO 9001 system).
3.1.13 Quality policy
The overall intention and direction of quality formally issued by the top management. For example, the quality policy of an enterprise, "Centered on customers, continuously improving, and providing zero - defect products", clarifies the core of quality work - "customer orientation" and "zero defects", and serves as the "compass" for the organization's quality work.
3.1.14 Quality objectives
Specific and measurable objectives pursued by an organization in terms of quality. Quality objectives are the refinement of the quality policy (e.g., "Reduce the product non - conformance rate by 50% this year", "Customer complaint rate ≤ 1%"). They need to be achievable and assessable, and are the specific means for quality management.
3.1.15 Management
The coordinated activities that direct and control an organization transform resources such as people, finances, and materials into the achievements of organizational goals through functions like planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. For example, enterprise management needs to coordinate departments such as production, sales, and after - sales to ensure the achievement of the goal of "delivering qualified products on time".
3.1.16 Quality management
The coordinated process of directing and controlling an organization's quality activities, including four core links:
- Quality planning: Formulate goals and allocate resources (for example, set a goal of "99.9% passing rate for new products" and configure the corresponding testing equipment).
- Quality control: Monitor process compliance (e.g., sampling inspection on the production line);
- Quality assurance: Provide trust (e.g., ISO 9001 certification);
- Quality improvement: Enhance capabilities (e.g., optimize processes through the PDCA cycle).
3.1.17 Quality planning
A part of quality management that is dedicated to formulating quality objectives and clarifying the implementation paths. For example, before a new product is launched, it is necessary to plan the objective of "product qualification rate of 99.9%". At the same time, resources such as production processes, testing equipment, and employee training should be planned to ensure that the objective can be achieved.
3.1.18 Quality control
A part of quality management, dedicated to ensuring that processes and products meet requirements. The core is "prevention first": through the monitoring of production links (such as semi-finished product inspection), non-conforming products are detected in a timely manner, and corrective actions (such as adjusting process parameters) are taken to prevent problems from flowing to customers.
3.1.19 Quality assurance
A part of quality management, dedicated to providing customers or relevant parties with the confidence that "products can meet requirements". It is usually achieved through system certification (such as ISO 9001), process documentation (such as quality manuals), third - party test reports, etc., so as to make customers believe that the organization has the ability to continuously provide qualified products.
3.1.20 Quality improvement
A part of quality management, dedicated to enhancing the ability to meet requirements. By analyzing the root causes of problems (e.g., "The high product non - conforming rate is due to insufficient equipment precision") and taking improvement measures (e.g., replacing equipment with high precision), gradually improve product quality and process stability. Quality improvement is the eternal driving force for an organization to maintain competitiveness.
3.1.21 Continuous improvement
A cyclic activity to enhance the ability to meet requirements, applicable to quality and environmental management systems. The core is the "PDCA cycle" (Plan - Do - Check - Act): By continuously identifying and resolving problems, the overall performance of the organization is gradually improved (e.g., "Reduce the exhaust gas emissions by 20% this year" and "Increase the product qualification rate by 5%").
3.1.22 Validity
The degree to which a planned activity is completed and the planned results are achieved. For example, when organizing and planning an activity to "reduce the customer complaint rate by 50%", if the final complaint rate is indeed reduced by 50%, the activity is "effective"; if it is only reduced by 20%, it is "insufficiently effective". Effectiveness directly reflects the matching degree between planning and execution.
3.1.23 Efficiency
The ratio of output results to input resources emphasizes "doing the most with the least resources". For example, when producing 1,000 products, it is more efficient to complete the production in 50 hours than in 100 hours; saving 100,000 tons of water is more efficient than wasting 50,000 tons. Efficiency is a key indicator for measuring the effectiveness of resource utilization.
3.1.24 Organization
An entity with its own functions and administrative management (such as a company, a group, a government agency), or a part/combination thereof (such as "the R & D center under the group"). The core of an organization lies in the clarity of "responsibilities, authorities and interrelationships" (e.g., "the finance department is responsible for fund management, and the production department is responsible for manufacturing"), to ensure the coordinated operation of all links.
3.1.25 Organizational Structure
The formal arrangement of the responsibilities, authorities, and interrelationships of personnel within an organization is usually presented in an "organizational structure chart" (e.g., "General Manager → Finance Department → Accounting Group"). The organizational structure is the "framework" for the organization's operation and determines the efficiency of information transmission and decision-making.
3.1.26 Infrastructure
The material basis necessary for organizational operation includes facilities (factories, office buildings), equipment (production lines, testing instruments), services (electric power, networks), etc. For example, the "automated production line" in a factory directly affects production efficiency and product quality; the "CT scanner" in a hospital determines the diagnostic accuracy.
3.1.27 Working environment
A set of conditions for employees during work, including physical conditions (temperature, lighting), psychological conditions (team atmosphere), safety conditions (protective equipment), etc. For example, controlling the temperature in the workshop at 25°C helps employees maintain high efficiency; good sound insulation in the office can improve concentration. The working environment directly affects employee performance and product quality.
3.1.28 Customer
The organization or individual that receives products or services, including:
End customers: Consumers who purchase products (e.g., those who buy mobile phones);
Intermediate customer: A distributor who wholesales or resells products.
Internal customers: Units within an organization that receive services from other departments (for example, the production department is an internal customer of the procurement department).
Customers are the foundation for the existence of an organization, and meeting customer needs is the core objective.
3.1.29 Relevant parties
Individuals/groups that have an interest in or are affected by an organization's performance and environmental performance are divided into two categories:
Affected parties: such as neighboring residents (affected by emissions), employees (affected by the working environment), and suppliers (affected by changes in orders).
Stakeholders: such as the government (concerned about compliance), banks (concerned about financial performance), and environmental protection organizations (concerned about environmental performance).
The requirements of relevant parties are important inputs to the management system (for example, the residents' requirement to "reduce noise" needs to be incorporated into environmental management).
3.1.30 Environment
The external existence in which an organization operates includes air, water, land, natural resources (minerals, forests), living organisms (plants, animals), humans, and the interrelationships among these elements (e.g., "Fish in rivers depend on clean water quality"). The environment serves as the backdrop for an organization's activities and is also the object of environmental management.
3.1.31 Environmental Impact
Beneficial or harmful changes to the environment caused by an organization's activities, products or services. For example, "installing a sewage purifier" reduces river pollution (beneficial); "untreated exhaust gas emissions" pollute the air (harmful). Environmental impact is the core concern of environmental management and needs to be identified and controlled.
3.1.32 Environmental factors
Organize the elements in activities, products or services that interact with the environment (such as "wastewater discharge", "energy consumption", "hazardous waste disposal"). For example, the "wastewater discharge" of a factory interacts with the river environment, resulting in the impact of "water quality deterioration"; "energy consumption" indirectly leads to the environmental impact of "fossil fuel combustion". Identifying environmental factors is the first step in establishing an environmental management system.
3.1.33 Environmental performance
The measurable results achieved by an organization in controlling environmental factors based on its environmental policy and objectives (e.g., "The exhaust gas emissions have been reduced by 20% this year", "100,000 tons of water have been saved"). Environmental performance is a combination of "achievements + effects" and directly reflects the operational effectiveness of the environmental management system.
3.1.34 Pollution prevention
Adopt processes, materials or methods to prevent, reduce or control pollution. The core is solving problems at the source, which is divided into three levels:
1. Source control: Select environmentally friendly solutions during product/process design (e.g., replace ordinary plastics with biodegradable plastics);
2. Process control: Optimize the process during production (e.g., reduce wastewater discharge in the circulating water system);
3. End-of-pipe treatment: Treat unavoidable pollutants (e.g., install waste gas purification equipment).
Pollution prevention is the guiding ideology of the environmental management system.
3.1.35 Environmental management system
A comprehensive system for organizing and managing environmental activities, including formulating environmental policies, setting goals, defining responsibilities, establishing procedures, allocating resources, etc. Its purpose is to control environmental factors through a systematic approach and improve environmental performance (e.g., complying with ISO 14001 standards).
3.1.36 Environmental management system audit
A systematic and documented process of objectively obtaining evidence and evaluating whether the environmental management system conforms to the audit criteria. The purpose of the audit is to verify the effectiveness and compliance of the system (e.g., whether it conforms to ISO 14001), and the results need to be reported to the top management. For example, the environmental system audit of an enterprise by a third - party organization is a typical form.
3.1.42 Environmental policy
The environmental policy is an organization's statement of intent and guiding principles for its overall environmental performance, and it is the "spiritual origin" of the environmental management system. Among them, "intent" refers to the organization's macro - commitment to environmental responsibilities, such as "becoming a leader in the zero - carbon transformation of the industry" and "achieving zero landfill of waste in the production process", which points to the environmental direction the organization hopes to achieve. "Principles" are the "bottom - line rules" guiding daily behavior, such as "giving priority to the use of clean production technologies" and "strictly complying with local environmental regulations", and they are the "behavior boundaries" for translating the intent into action.
More importantly, the environmental policy is not a specific action instruction, but provides "framework constraints" for the subsequent establishment of behavioral norms, environmental objectives, and indicators. For example, if the environmental policy of a food company includes the principle of "giving priority to the use of degradable packaging materials", then subsequent establishment of objectives such as "achieving an 80% utilization rate of degradable packaging by 2025" or indicators such as "increasing the monthly packaging waste recovery rate by 5%" must comply with this framework - the policy is the "compass" that ensures all environmental actions do not deviate from the organization's core environmental requirements.
In short, the environmental policy is the "top - level logic" of an organization's environmental management: it unifies the employees' understanding of environmental responsibilities internally and conveys the organization's environmental values externally. It is a bridge connecting "ideas" and "actions".
3.1.43 Environmental indicators
Environmental indicators are specific performance requirements directly derived from environmental goals and are the "measurable tools" for the implementation of goals. If environmental goals answer the question of "what to do" (such as "reduce industrial wastewater discharge" and "lower the energy consumption per unit of product"), then environmental indicators answer the question of "how much to achieve" (such as "reduce the monthly wastewater discharge in the workshop to 500 tons in 2024" and "lower the electricity consumption per unit of product to 120 kWh per unit") - they transform abstract goals into quantifiable standards that are executable and assessable.
There are two core characteristics of environmental indicators:I. Quantifiability: They must be expressed with specific numerical values or verifiable parameters (e.g., COD concentration ≤ 50mg/L and the utilization rate of clean energy increases to 35%). Without quantification, it is impossible to judge the progress.II. Targetedness: They can either cover the entire organization (e.g., the annual carbon emissions of the enterprise ≤ 100,000 tons) or focus on specific local aspects (e.g., the electricity consumption of the production workshop in Q3 decreases by 2% and the utilization rate of green materials in the R & D department reaches 70%), so as to meet the implementation requirements at different levels.
For example, the environmental goal of a manufacturing enterprise is to "reduce VOCs (volatile organic compounds) emissions", and the corresponding indicators may be "reduce the annual VOCs emissions to 20 tons per year by 2024, and the removal rate of end-of-pipe treatment facilities should be ≥ 95%". Here, "20 tons per year" and "95%" are the "core values" of the indicators, which transform the goal from a "slogan" into a "feasible task".
In essence, environmental indicators are the "decomposers" and "assessment rulers" of environmental goals: they break down macro - goals into "tangible steps", enabling organizations to verify progress through specific data and ensuring that environmental performance is truly implemented.