ISO 9001 quality policy

To develop a Quality Management System (QMS) that works towards impactful and positive results, a company needs to direct its progress and success by defining its quality policy and objectives. Strategic decisions can be taken towards that direction when the purpose is clearly defined. This article will discuss why ISO 9001 quality policy is imperative for a QMS and its success.

What is a quality policy?

As per ISO, a quality policy is a generalised statement emphasising the organisation’s commitment towards quality. However, when one digs deeper into its purpose and function, we discover that a quality policy is a critical component of your QMS and its success, as it drives the function of your entire quality management procedures.

Essentially, a quality policy statement is a brief description that aligns your company’s strategic direction with all future quality objectives. It also serves as a channel to demonstrate the company’s commitment to meeting the requirements, including the requirements for ISO certification, customer requirements and other regulatory obligations. Hence, the quality policy also serves as a pledge, outlining the company’s commitment towards continual improvement.

Some companies utilise the quality policy as a top-level quality directive to further guide their initiatives. The customisable nature of the quality policy can make it multifunctional. For example, your quality policy can serve as a foundation for meeting customer requirements, directing workers on how they should represent the company and what kind of service they should provide.

Alternatively, the quality policy can also serve as a quality assurance policy, dictating how every product should be assessed or evaluated before it is sold. Overall, the quality policy is a necessary statement that helps to drive success in different areas of the QMS.

Understanding the requirements of ISO 9001 quality policy

A lot of thought must be put into creating a meaningful, purposeful, yet succinate quality policy. The statement should declare the fundamental subjects and how they can impact the output of a company.

The quality policy must also be in place to keep the organisation accountable towards achieving predetermined outcomes and expectations. ISO 9001 requires the quality policy to be appropriately written, documented, communicated and enforced by the organisation’s leaders, so that direction can be given to the higher level of knowledge within the company, expanding its growth.

There are a series of requirements that you must meet to achieve compliance with ISO standards. Firstly, the policy must help the company achieve its goals, including ISO 9001 compliance. Secondly, it should be customised and appropriate to your organisation’s purpose, serving as a template for you to actively carry forward your business.
The statement must also support the company’s strategic direction and plan to meet its quality objectives. In other words, the quality objectives must be smaller steps that help you work towards the overarching goal of materialising your quality policy. Lastly, ISO requires that the quality policy document be regularly updated and accessible to all interested parties.

Importance of ISO 9001 quality policy

The quality policy is a vital component in maintaining the functionality of your QMS, and therefore serves an essential role in your overall business. It delineates the highest objective for your QMS’s function, providing the foundation for every action or decision your quality team makes. When a quality policy is thoughtfully crafted, it can affect your organisation’s future culture, helping every team member prioritise quality.

For more information, see the iso 9001 auditor certification article

Communication of a quality policy statement

As quality policy plays a vital role in the success of a QMS, leaders must prioritise educating the team about the quality policy. Here, communication is critical. To communicate the quality policy to your team, you can either choose a town-hall meeting where you discuss the key features of the quality policy with the members of your organisation, or you can have your team leaders disseminate the information.

How to write a good quality policy?

As a quality policy reflects an organisation’s goals, it should be written in a clear and comprehensive manner. Begin by understanding your customer requirements. The key to any efficient QMS is understanding your customers’ requirements and successfully driving your QMS towards enhancing customer satisfaction. These requirements can be accumulated from industry standards, customer specifications or legal requirements.

After understanding your customers’ requirements, collect the inputs of interested parties to increase the practicality of the quality policy. Often, members of your organisation can identify flaws when they read the quality policy and relate it to their jobs. Collecting inputs from different employees across your organisation can increase the feasibility of your quality policy and prevent it from being merely a slogan on the wall.

Next, remember to include the required information on ISO 9001. The standard does not impose specific requirements on the organisation but urges leaders to show their commitment to comply with the requirements and to improve the effectiveness of the QMS. Hence, delineate the resources needed to materialise the quality objectives and how you plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the progress.

For more information, read the “what are ISO 9001 principles?” article.

Conclusion

In the simplest of words, a quality policy helps organisations materialise their quality objectives. To write a good quality policy, begin by identifying your customer requirements and collecting inputs from interested parties, delineating how the management is committed to improving the effectiveness of the QMS.