ISO 9001 5.2 Quality Policy
In this section Clause 5.2 ISO 9001 focuses on the Quality Policy. Management is required to establish, implement and maintain a quality policy. What is a quality policy? A quality policy is written as a formal statement outlining the commitment to quality and its goals for the QMS. The quality policy is a key document that provides direction for the organization and establishes a framework for setting and reviewing quality objectives.
In this blog post we will be discussing the following:
· What is it and why is it important?
· Establishing the Quality Policy
· Communicating the Quality Policy
· Example of a Quality Policy
International Organization for Standardization. ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems – Requirements:
5.2.1 Establishing the quality policy
Top management shall establish, implement and maintain a quality policy that:
a) is appropriate to the purpose and context of the organization and supports its strategic direction;
b) provides a framework for setting quality objectives;
c) includes a commitment to satisfy applicable requirements;
d) includes a commitment to continual improvement of the quality management system.
5.2.2 Communicating the quality policy
The quality policy shall:
a) be available and be maintained as documented information;
b) be communicated, understood and applied within the organization;
c) be available to relevant interested parties, as appropriate.
What is it and why is it important?
As previously stated, A quality policy is written as a formal statement outlining the commitment to quality and its goals for the QMS. It establishes a framework for the organization and its employees and provides a clear direction.
A quality policy, or sometimes known as a mission statement, will ensure that your employees understand how their jobs in the organization affect quality and control. Having this clear understanding of organizational roles and responsibilities will further lead to the company’s overall success and commitment to quality.
Establishing the Quality Policy (5.2.1)
Establishing the Quality Policy should be straightforward as going for something short, sweet and relevant to your organization. The quality policy should include these 4 things below:
Appropriate to the organization’s context and purpose
The quality policy must reflect your organization’s specific environment. This includes its external and internal factors which must align with the strategic direction of the organization.
Provides framework for setting quality objectives
The quality policy should create a basis for establishing measurable quality objectives within the organization. These objectives are intended to drive continuous improvement.
Includes commitment to satisfy applicable requirements
The quality policy must demonstrate a commitment to satisfy applicable organizational requirements such as meeting customer, regulatory and statutory requirements.
Includes a commitment for continuous improvement
The quality policy should express the organization’s commitment to improving the effectiveness of the quality management system (QMS) over time.
Communicating the Quality Policy (5.2.2)
Communicating the quality policy is the 2nd important part of this clause once the quality policy has been established. It includes the 3 parts below:
It must be available and maintained as documented information
The quality policy needs to be clearly documented and kept up to date to reflect the changes in the organization or its environment.
It must be communicated within the organization
All employees within the organization must be aware of the quality policy and procedures, understanding how it relates to their specific roles and responsibilities, and how to contribute to its objectives.
It must be available to relevant interested parties
The quality policy must be made available and accessible to external stakeholders, these include suppliers, customers, and regulatory bodies if its relevant.
Example of a Quality Policy
The actual quality policy statement of Toyota reads below:
We will continuously strive to delight our customers with outstanding Quality of our products and services.
In our endeavour to achieve this objective, we will;
Create and nurture people of quality by continuous education and training.
Maintain & improve standards of manufacturing.
Establish a “Total Quality” framework to continually improve the quality Management System and realise challenging Quality objectives.
Record and control the change points at each stage.
Prevent defect outflow to next process, and feedback to previous process for enhanced Quality Assurance.
Strengthen supply chain by effective traceability system.
We believe that our future lies in the hands of our valued customers.
Trying to write a quality policy of your own but you don’t know where to start? Try out our Quality Policy Template below!
Quality (QMS) Policy – Wilkshire Consulting Online Store (wilkshire-consulting-online-store.myshopify.com)
In conclusion 5.2 Quality Policy of the ISO 9001 standard, serves as the foundation for the QMS. It guides the decision-making and ensures consistency in quality throughout the organization. It provides employees with a clear understanding of what is expected of them and the organization’s quality goals. It ensures customer focus and commits ongoing improvement.
Related blog posts –
ISO 9001 – Leadership Overview Clause 5: 5.1 – 5.3
ISO 9001 5.1 Leadership and Commitment
How to determine your QMS Scope of Certification
Improvement- The Seven Quality Management Principles
4 Steps to Achieving ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification
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