The quality policy definition is the quality that reckons in your company. Quality elements which are crucial to your business should be defined in your quality police included in any approach you take. These are elements that can be measured and monitored to follow the progress of your company and drive continuous improvement. These are also the elements used to define your quality objectives. Below are a couple of items to consider as part of your quality policy definition.
- It should be fully incorporated into the company’s concepts.
- The policy should be made on values and current objectives of the corporation.
Why Do Organizations Need To Have Quality Policy
Organizations need to have their quality policy definition well written to make the employees understand that their efforts make an impact on product quality, and hence play a vital role in the company’s success. The organization must notify their employees that their individual contribution is vital to the overall success of the business.
ISO 9001 Quality Policy Definition
The Quality Policy is a required document in an ISO 9001 Quality Management System. It is developed by the top officials of the management to aware the employees about the instructions and expectations of the officials for quality within the business.
Clause 5.2 of ISO 9001:2015 demands a well-defined and well-written quality policy which should be understood and communicated to the organization.
How to Establish the Quality Policy in the Organization
You can compare the requirements of the ISO 9001:2015 with the provisions of ISO 9001:2008 Quality Policy Clause 5.3. The top officials must check the evidence that the higher management has participated in the making of the quality policy. In addition, they must also keep their eyes on whether they are maintaining and reviewing it or not.
The concerned officials must do the Quality Policy review to regulate whether the Quality Policy is according to the organization’s purpose and its context. There should be a commitment to improving the Quality Management System continuously. Also, the quality objectives of the company must be consistent with the Quality Policy. They must demonstrate that it is compatible with the context and strategic direction of the company, as written in Clause 5.1.1b of ISO 9001:2015.
The leading management must make sure that organizations have:
- A quality policy that is according to the organization.
- A quality policy that includes a pledge for the continuous improvement and requirement.
- A quality policy which delivers a basis for quality objectives and establishing it.
- A quality policy that is understood and communicated to the organization.
- A quality policy that is periodically reviewed for suitability.
The organizations should look forward to making something memorable, but short and sweet. If top management writes the requirements of the ISO 9001: 2015 in order to satisfy the high officials only, then it is useless.
The management should follow the ISO 9001: 2015 quality policy requirements, but it should not be irrelevant to the company. The organizations should keep it simple and relevant according to the culture of the organization. It must be meaningful and accepted all across the organization to gain the desired results of quality policy.
An organization’s quality policy must act as the front seat driver for a continuous process of improvement. The organizations must make sure that the quality policy is improving to that extent where the services and products are meeting the customer’s needs and desires.
The improvement principal must be followed to a level where everyone adopts the thinking that the overall improvement is a process that never ends. On the other hand, the organization must conduct appropriate training sessions and workshops to introduce new tools and develop new skills to drive the process of improvement.
Communicating the Quality Policy
The requirement is new that ISO 9001: 2015 needs the policy to be kept as document information, referring to Clause number 7.5.1a. The top management staff needs to look at whether the policy has been functional all across the organization and it is available to every relevant and interested party.
Additional Items to Keep in Mind When Defining Your Quality Policy
The Quality Management System is not an add-on only for business. It is an essential need that it is fine-tuned with the strategic direction of the company. Any alterations and modifying in the strategic decision will need a complete look again on the quality policy and appropriate changes if necessary.
The ISO 9001: 2015 requires that the quality policy should be according to the organizational context and not only to satisfy the needs of ISO 9001: 2015.
