TIA TL9000 MEASUREMENTS HDBK

Introduction

The TL 9000 handbooks, TL 9000 Quality Management System Requirements Handbook[^5] and TL 9000 Quality Management System Measurements Handbook, are designed specifically for the global information and communication technologies (ICT) industry to document quality management system requirements and measurements.

The Requirements Handbook establishes a common set of quality management system requirements for suppliers of telecommunications products: hardware, software, and services. The requirements are built on existing industry standards, including ISO 9001.

The Measurements Handbook defines a minimum set of performance measurements that were selected to measure progress and evaluate results of quality management system implementation.

Certification to TL 9000 includes a demonstrated conformance to the Requirements Handbook, Measurements Handbook, and clarifications communicated through QuEST Forum Information Alerts.

Goals

The goals of TL 9000 are to

– foster quality management systems that effectively and efficiently protect the integrity and use of telecommunications products: hardware, software, and services;

– establish and maintain a common set of quality management system requirements;

– reduce the number of telecommunications quality management system standards;

– define effective performance-based measurements to guide progress and evaluate results of quality management system implementation;

– drive continual improvement;

– enhance customer-organization relationships; and

– leverage industry conformity assessment processes.

Purpose

The purpose of TL 9000 is to define the telecommunications quality management system requirements for the design, development, production, delivery, installation, and maintenance of products: hardware, software, and services. TL 9000 includes performance-based measurements that quantify reliability and quality performance of these products.

Benefits of Implementation

Suppliers of telecommunications, their customers, and the end subscribers will all benefit from the implementation of TL 9000.

Expected benefits are

– continual improvement of service to subscribers,

– enhanced relationships between the organization and its customers,

– standardization of quality management system requirements,

– efficient management of external audits and site visits,

– uniform measurements,

– overall cost reduction and increased competitiveness,

– enhanced management and improved organization performance, and

– industry benchmarks for TL 9000 measurements.

Relationship to ISO 9001 and Other Requirements

QuEST Forum maintains compatibility with other sets of requirements and standards. TL 9000 provides an ICT-specific set of requirements built on ISO 9001. See the Bibliography and Endnote References for the standards and requirements that were considered during the development of TL 9000.^[1][2][3][4]

Characteristics of the TL 9000 relationship to other requirements are:

– TL 9000 includes ISO 9001. Future revisions of ISO 9001 will be incorporated into this standard.

– Conformance to TL 9000 constitutes conformance to corresponding ISO 9001 requirements.

– It is the intent of QuEST Forum that conformance to TL 9000 will eliminate the need for conformance to other telecommunications quality management standards.

Developing and Maintaining the Handbook(s)

QuEST Forum is responsible for the development, publication, distribution, and maintenance of the TL 9000 handbooks. Change requests for the handbooks, following their initial publication, are to be submitted to the TL 9000 Administrator. Any user of the handbooks may submit change requests. Change requests will be sent to the appropriate QuEST Forum working group and will be considered for the next revision. Use the Contact Us function the TL 9000 website (tl9000.org) to submit a requested change.

Final approval of all changes to TL 9000 handbooks will be by vote of QuEST Forum members in accordance with QuEST Forum’s operating procedures. Re-issue of the TL 9000 handbooks will be determined by QuEST Forum but will not exceed five years from the last issue date. When QuEST Forum determines there are changes necessary in TL 9000 that could impact third-party registration, QuEST Forum will inform the industry of corrections and updates to the TL 9000 handbooks. One of these communication mechanisms is an Information Alert issued to all TL 9000 registered organizations. Information Alerts, corrections, and updates to Appendix A are available on the TL 9000 website.

1. GR-929-CORE Reliability and Quality Measurements for Telecommunications Systems (RQMS), Morristown, NJ, Telcordia Technologies, Issue 8, December 2002

2. GR-230-CORE Generic Requirements for Engineering Complaints, Morristown, NJ, Telcordia Technologies, Issue 6, December 2011

3. GR-1323-CORE Supplier Data—Comprehensive Generic Requirements, Morristown, NJ, Telcordia Technologies, Issue 1, December 1995

4. GR-282-CORE Reliability and Quality Switching Systems Generic Requirements (RQSSGR), Morristown, NJ, Telcordia Technologies, Issue 4, July 2006

5. TL 9000 Requirements TL 9000 Quality Management System Requirements Handbook, tl9000.org/handbooks, QuEST Forum