Element 5.3 of ISO 9001 Standard requires an organization to establish a quality policy. More specifically, the standard requires: "The management" of an organization to "ensure that the quality policy":
- Is appropriate to the purpose of the organization;
- Includes a commitment to comply with requirements;
- Includes a commitment to continual improvement of the effectiveness of the QMS;
- Provides a framework for establishing and reviewing quality objectives;
- Is communicated and understood within the organization;
- Is reviewed for continuing suitability
Despite the fact that these requirements appear to be rather simple, most companies I worked with as a consultant or an auditor, had difficulties with documenting their ISO 9001 quality policies by not addressing all the requirements above. Establishing a quality policy that, as a minimum, addresses all the requirements above is important because of our commitment to establish a QMS that comply with a given standard. Therefore, we have to adhere to it's requirements. What if our quality policy does not require its review "for continuing suitability"? Most likely that this review will not be done.
To demonstrate my point, let's go to the Internet and check a few quality policies. Search for "iso 9001 quality policy" and you will find a list of companies that posted their quality policies on their Websites.
"It is the policy of [Company name] to provide a range of [services] which is reliable and consistent with the expectations and requirements of its clients; the Company's objective of consistent high quality performance is met by mandatory adherence to protocol, through staff training and the development of personal responsibility for all personnel, together with the provision of adequate resources, according to the principles of Quality Assurance. Company policy is to review and update as necessary the Quality System through the mediation of a Quality Team, whose members undertake the responsibility of ensuring that the Quality policy is understood, implemented and maintained at all levels within the Company." Can we say what standard this company is compliant with? Do you see a commitment for continual improvement of the effectiveness of the QMS? Do you understand how this company establishes and reviews their quality objectives? I did not find answers to these questions. However, the policy does commit to communication and understanding of its quality policy and review for suitability.
Let's take a look at another quality policy: "We at [Company name] are committed to value oriented quality from the perspective of the customer. Quality of workmanship and service are encouraged without adding unduly to cost. Quality is primarily dependent upon individual commitment and acceptance of responsibility by each employee for the quality of the products and services offered, both internal and external to the company. Efforts of continuous improvement focus on enhancement of product and process reliability and customer satisfaction." Besides questionable language, this quality policy really does not have anything to do with ISO 9001 2000 standard requirements. If we compare it to the set of requirements, we probably will not find a single requirement that is addressed in this policy.
I did not select these examples because they did not comply with the standard. I picked them from the top of the search results, just to show that most quality policies were not written to meet requirements of the standard. If you think these examples are bad, wait a moment. One of my clients came up with a quality policy that won my The Worst Quality Policy Prize. They simply said: "I improve the Quality of Patient Care and all things [Company name]" No! I am not kidding and I did not misspelled or took any words out of this regretful quote!
About the Author:
Mark Kaganov is a Director of Operations and a Lead Consultant with Quality Works. Before you spend your time into developing or tuning up your quality policy, make sure you check our ISO 9001 2000 Quality Policy.
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