Quality objectives are the measurable targets an organisation sets for its quality management system. ISO 9001 clause 6.2 requires them at relevant functions, levels and processes.
What the standard demands
Objectives must be consistent with the quality policy, measurable, take applicable requirements into account, be relevant to conformity of product and to customer satisfaction, be monitored, communicated, and updated as appropriate.
And the part most often missing: for each objective you must determine what will be done, what resources are required, who is responsible, when it will be completed, and how results will be evaluated. An objective without that plan is half a requirement.
The measurability trap
“Improve customer satisfaction” is not measurable. “Increase our satisfaction score from 7.4 to 8.0 by 31 December” is. Auditors test this quickly and it is an easy finding to avoid.
Objectives that are actually useful
Weak objectives describe the quality system: number of internal audits completed, procedures reviewed on time. These are activity metrics, and hitting them tells you nothing about whether the business improved.
Strong objectives describe the business: scrap rate, on-time delivery, first-pass yield, warranty returns, complaint resolution time. They connect to what management already cares about, which means they get attention outside of audit season.
Where they come from
Objectives should trace back to clause 4 — the issues in your context and the requirements of interested parties. An auditor who cannot see that connection has found a system assembled from a template rather than designed.