ISO 9001 2000 Quality Policy

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

You may wonder why we even started talking about this simple requirement of the standard. Well, while it is simple, my work as a consultant and an auditor convinced me that some time thi9sngs are not as simple as they appear. Most quality policies that I reviewed, did not meet all these requirements. A quality policy that meets all the requirements of the standard will help you to transfer required activities into your quality management system, and therefore, establishing compliance with the standard. What if our quality policy does not require a commitment to comply with requirements? In this case you may create your quality management system for any standard.

To illustrate my point, I invite you to browse the Internet and see what you find in response to "iso 9001 quality policy". If you are not at the computer, I will help you. Your search will show a list of companies that chose to post their quality policies on their Websites. Let's review a few examples:

"We at [company name] believe in total quality. We are committed to achieve total customer satisfaction. To fully realize this commitment we shall strive to: understand needs and expectations of our valuable customers through constant communication and exchange the process details with them; spread detailed knowledge about [] culture and art through out the world through our handicraft items; facilitate growth of local artists in the region; continually comply with the requirements of ISO 9001 : 2000 and improve effectiveness of our QMS." Comparing this set of commitments to the requirements of the standard, you should notice that perhaps the only requirement that is addresses here is to continually improve the effectiveness of the quality management system. While all those "believes" in customer service, understanding their needs and facilitation of growth of their artists are admirable, this quality policy does not meet requirements of ISO 9001:2000 standard.

The second example states: "Our goal is to exceed our customers' expectations continually by delivering the highest quality services. [Company name] complies with our quality policy by: Consistent management focus on quality, Continually improving the effectiveness of our Quality Management System; motivating our employees to take ownership of their work; understanding our customers goals and embracing them; providing ongoing training to advance the skills of our greatest asset, our employees; identifying and solving problems to avoid compromising the quality of our services. [Company name] places a premium on excellence of service. We clearly appreciate and respect today's market forces that mandate delivery of quality services and products. We know that our survival as a company depends on providing the highest quality of service on every engagement." This quality policy, while apparently customer-focused, still does not cover a framework for establishing and reviewing quality objectives and commitment to review it for continuing suitability.

One of my clients came up with a quality policy that won my The Worst Quality Policy Grand 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 sorry example! Obviously, this quality policy does not meet standard requirements.

About the Author

Mark Kaganov is a Director of Operations and a Lead Consultant with Quality Works. Before spending your time on developing or tuning up your quality policy, make sure you check our ISO 9001 2000 Quality Policy.