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You should review the quality policy to determine whether the quality policy is appropriate to
the context of the organization and its purpose, that there is a commitment to continually
improving the QMS, and the quality objectives are consistent with the quality policy. Top
management should demonstrate that the quality policy is compatible with the strategic
direction and context of the organization, as required by Clause 5.1.1b.
The quality policy should act as a driver for continual improvement. You will be required to
ensure that you continually improve the degree to which the organisation’s products and
services meet customer requirements and to measure effectiveness of the processes
responsible. To this end the continual improvement principle implies that you should adopt
the attitude that improvement is always possible and that organisations should develop the
skills and tools necessary to drive improvement.
A high-level planning topic, this statement must resonate with and be understood by all
members of the team. During the certification audit, the registrar will ask employees to tell
them about the company’s quality policy, and they are expected to be able to convey the main
themes of the policy and how it relates to their day-to-day actions in a succinct and well-
understood manner. It isn’t required for them to recite it verbatim, but it’s crucial that they
are able to demonstrate their understanding of the policy’s goals.
Because of its importance in the success of the management system as a whole, writing a
quality policy statement can cause a lot of anxiety for project directors, especially as they
prepare for audit. Naturally, they seek out quality control policy examples, quality policy
samples, and information on the proper quality policy format to ensure they are well-prepared
to meet compliance requirements and achieve certification.
But it’s more than just finding a good quality management policy sample, copying it, and
calling it done. To create a quality policy that works for you and provides guidance for your
company to see real improvement, you must dig deep to discover what drives the company at
its core – it’s purpose, issues, and goals.
1.4.1 Purpose:
The fundamental reason an organization exists
1.4.2 Context:
The internal and external issues that affect the company, and the parties involved
Taking your discovery into consideration, you will draft your quality policy statement:
You will then use your quality policy statement to develop quality objectives for your
organization:
There is a series of further requirements that must be met in order for your quality policy to
meet ISO standards. The policy must both meet the goals set forth by ISO for compliance and
appropriately relate to the purpose and context you have determined for your organization,
actively (and properly) serving your business.
The statement must also clearly support the company’s strategic direction and serve as a basis
for establishing quality objectives (that being, when you determine an objective, it must work
toward the overarching goal of the policy). Be sure to include your company’s pledge to
fulfill all applicable requirements and your commitment to continued improvement of your
quality management system.
By way of documentation, the quality policy must be kept up-to-date and be made easily
available to all interested parties. Again, it is imperative that it is understood and applied by
all employees, so easy-access is key.
1.6.1 Purpose:
Manufacture precision products
1.6.2 Context:
Small workforce, new fierce competitors entering the market
1.6.3 Strategic Direction:
Maintain and expand market share and offer new, innovative products
Taking these baseline factors into consideration, XYZ Products crafted the following quality
management statement.
Review again the company’s purpose, context, and strategic direction. Can you draw the
parallels to the quality policy?
1.6.4 Purpose:
Provide network management and support services
1.6.5 Context:
Consistently changing technology, high-cost industry, large number of competitors
“Widget Services, Inc. strives to provide superior consulting services in network management
and to assist clients by completing tasks in a prompt manner, without compromising quality
and customer service. We will assist our customers in product and solution development to
achieve top quality at the lowest possible cost. We are committed to continual improvement
of our services and proudly adhere to ISO requirements for excellence. It is essential that we
meet or exceed our customers’ expectations and all other applicable requirements for our
industry.”
Again, you are able to clearly draw the lines from the company’s fundamental baselines into
their concise quality management statement.
These objectives should be measurable, quality-related goals that help drive your company’s
performance. For example, XYZ Products’ policy states their desire to address customer base
in “an accurate and timely manner.” One way in which they can actively demonstrate this
part of their policy is to create an objective that centers on the time it takes to send quotes to
customers. This might be written as “address all customer requests for quotes within 24 hours
of receipt.”
You can set quality objectives for any number of your company’s specific facets that relate to
and affect the quality of your deliverable. Some organizations may need to set quality
objectives around supplier lead times, while others may need specific objectives related to
customer complaints, productivity, or even maintenance workflows. If it impacts the
experience your customer has with your product or deliverable, it’s eligible to have a quality
objective related to it.
Above all else, make sure your ISO quality policy is specific to your business, setting the
base line for the quality objectives that will make the biggest difference for your
specific company.
So how can you possibly address all of the internal and external factors that apply to the
many processes that impact the quality of your output? Breaking down your workflows can
be overwhelming, which is why it’s helpful to seek the advice of expert consultants. They can
help you define not only what could be addressed with a quality objective, but more
importantly they will help you know which processes should be addressed – which
workflows make the biggest impact on your product – and they’ll help you manage the
objectives that tackle your organizations largest risks.
1.8 Maintaining Quality Policy & Quality Management System:
You’ll do the bulk of the work on your quality policy in the early stages of planning and
implementation of the ISO standard, but that doesn’t mean that you can close the book on it
and call it done. Your quality policy will be released as a controlled document and will
become a working piece of your quality management system. At least once a year, it should
be evaluated during a management review meeting and assessed for its continued suitability
to your company’s baseline. Business is always fluid, and your organizations purpose,
context, and strategic direction is always subject to change. When those changes occur, your
quality policy and the related objectives will likely need to be changed too.
Take the time to understand the impact your quality policy will have on your quality
management system and on your business as a whole. Be thoughtful and well-articulated in
the crafting of your quality policy statement, and use this exploration into your organizations
foundation to define clear intentions, create effective change, and set objectives for quality
and growth that will drive your company forward.