How to Form a Quality Management Policy for Your Business

This article explains the cornerstones for developing the quality policy of an organization which is necessary to establish the QMS (Quality Management System) and qualify for the ISO 9001 certification.

Most businesses fail to see the importance of a quality policy to determine the appropriate standards for their products or services. A QA policy gives direction to organizations regarding how to produce their products or services so that the customer expectations are fulfilled. A quality policy in fact should reflect the commitment of the business towards its customers. It must be reviewed and revised from time to time to acknowledge their new requirements or expectations so you can adopt your processes and quality management methods accordingly. The quality policy is also the foundation of the QMS (Quality Management System) which is necessary for ISO 9001 certification. It is considered a requirement for the ISO 9001 standard. The senior management team, including quality managers, should develop and establish the policy.

In this article, we have given a quick guide to developing an all-encompassing quality policy that best outlines the scope of your QMS and helps to achieve the ISO certification. Here we go.

Guide to Develop a Quality Policy for the ISO 9001 Certification

The quality policy of your organization must be formed considering each of these factors.

Know the Purpose and Context of the Organization

The organization must have a definite set of objectives that explain what to achieve and where it wants to take its products or services. This means the organization should know the market where its products or services compete and decide how to make them unique as well as satisfactory to the customers. The policy should be made while considering the internal factors as well as external factors that can affect the quality standards of your products/services. Hence, in your policy, you need to express the purpose for your organization to produce some specific products/services and your strategic direction i.e., how you should be producing them to meet the customers’ expectations.

Decide the Framework for the QMS

Quality management objectives should be a vital part of the quality policy. They are the goals that your organization should achieve with its QMS. In other words, the quality policy aims at determining the framework for the QMS. It should define the objectives that should be achieved by operating the QMS. For instance, if an objective of your business is to respond to the customers’ complaints fast, then you should integrate a customer feedback/complaint register in your QMS. Therefore, an important role of the quality policy is to provide specific objectives to your organization that can be subsequently met by the QMS.

Consider the Applicable Regulatory Requirements

One key aspect of the quality policy is the applicable regulatory requirements that your organization should meet with its processes, management practices, as well as products/services. Therefore, it is necessary for you to include all the regulations such as governmental laws and industrial rules that are imposed on your business in the quality policy. A necessary criterion of the ISO 9001 standard is to make sure that your organization complies with all the requirements specified by the regulatory bodies, suppliers (in their contracts), as well as customers. Hence, make sure to include all regulatory requirements in the quality policy.

Decide the Management Commitment

Lastly, your organization’s quality policy should include the commitment and role of the management team in following the practices of quality management and continually improving the QMS. Hence, the policy should be formed by focusing on actions that should be taken by the management team to refine the procedures of QMS and improve the quality outcomes over time. Continuous enhancement of quality is also essential for fostering growth in your business. The quality improvement will turn your customers into loyal customers. Hence, you will have a growing customer base, and to consistently satisfy their requirements, you need to maintain a higher level of production and faster delivery. That’s why it is important to understand the importance of quality enhancement and consider it in your policy. More specifically, you should mention in the policy what your organization’s management should do to bring evolution in the quality aspect.

While the ISO 9001 certification is the top standard certification for a QMS, a quality policy is a basis or framework for implementing the QMS. In the above four points, we have discussed the key elements that you must include in your quality policy to make it effective for your organization’s objectives or goals. The policy should not only be comprehensive but should also blend with the organization’s purpose and help in establishing strong quality culture.

Author Bio:

Damon Anderson is the owner of a reputed ISO certification consultancy that assists organizations in diverse sectors to get ISO certifications in the shortest time and most cost-effective way. He is the lead ISO 9001 certification consultant in the consultancy who also likes to write articles on the same to make businesses aware of the quality management system.

Contact Details:
Business Name: Compliancehelp Consulting, LLC
Email Id: info@quality-assurance.com
Phone No: 877 238 5855