What is a quality policy?
A quality policy is a brief statement that aligns with your organization’s purpose and strategic direction, provides a framework for quality objectives, and includes a commitment to meet applicable requirements (ISO 9001, customer, statutory or regulatory) and continually improve. The quality policy is addressed in ISO 9001:2015 Clause 5.2. Often, the quality policy incorporates an organization’s vision or mission statement and core values. Standard Stores has created a form to help you answer “How to write an ISO 9001 Quality Policy”.
Quality Policy is a requirement defined in the ISO 9001:2015 Standard. Section 5.2 Quality Policy has two subclauses: 5.2.1 Establishing the Quality Policy and 5.2.2 Communicating the Quality Policy. If you are on track to becoming ISO 9001:2015 Certified, save time and money with our Quality Manual & Procedures.
Who is responsible for the quality policy?
Top management is responsible for establishing, documenting, and communicating the quality policy and making it available to relevant interested parties. Many organizations will accomplish these requirements by demonstrating the quality policy within their quality manual, communicating the quality policy to employees during a training session, and posting printed copies throughout the building.
ISO 9001 Quality Objectives:
These measurable steps towards achieving your quality policy are determined as you create your QMS or in your management reviews. You need to ask yourself: what will you do to meet the goals stated in the quality policy? Knowing that perfection is impossible, you must have some acceptable tolerance defined and measured.
Examples:
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% of on-time deliveries
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% of internal scrap
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% defects
Both of these are different for every business. Here is an example:
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Company’s goal: create the world’s best widget
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Your Quality Policy may state they will be 99% defect-free (among other things)
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The Quality Objectives put metrics on that, typically regarding the product or service. What do you consider a defect? (package is broken, the product fails, etc.)
When you are working on document control, make sure that you include your quality policy and quality objectives. They must be controlled. Control them by:
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Making them part of a procedure
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Making them part of the quality manual
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Making them their own numbered, controlled document
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You may want to handle the quality policy and objectives separately because the quality objectives might change more frequently than the quality policy.