Writing Your Quality Policy
ISO 9001:2015 requires your organisation’s quality policy to be appropriate to both its purpose and context. This means that once your organisation has determined its context and the relevant requirements of its interested parties, Top Management must review the quality policy in light of that information.
You should review your organisation’s existing quality policy to determine whether it is appropriate to the context of the organisation and its purpose, that there is a commitment to continually improving the quality management system, and the quality objectives are consistent with the quality policy. Top management should demonstrate that the quality policy is compatible with the strategic direction and context of the organisation, as required by Clause 5.1.1 b.
Your organisation will need to review its policies as necessary to ensure that any changes in context, interested parties or their requirements is reflected in the quality policy and whether your organisation’s objectives are affected (6.2.1 a). The policy does not have to include objectives but should create a framework for establishing them.
The policy should be stated in such a way that it shows you are working towards continual improvement. It should be reviewed and possibly revised to meet higher aspirations. Develop and implement a policy that is consistent with the company’s codes of conduct and business practices. The policy should be signed by Top Management and commit to:
- Preventing process loss or quality impacts;
- Complying with obligations and legal requirements;
- Promoting continual improvement;
- Adopting best practice;
- Creation of measurable and achievable targets for performance improvement;
- Providing resources to achieve targets;
- Communicating and consulting with all stakeholders regarding the QMS;
- Meeting customer requirements.
The standard does not require that the quality policy includes the words ‘continual improvement,’ however it must be clear that processes of continual improvement are implied and known throughout the organisation. To meet the intent of this clause, you simply need a clearly defined management system quality policy that is sufficiently detailed to provide a framework for the subsequent objectives which can be monitored for continual improvement.
It’s there to assist an organisation in meeting their business objectives, better customer satisfaction and eventually more market share, which, in time, brings more profits for the organisation. For multi-site/corporate certifications, the policy must be applicable for all sites and be fully integrated with the objectives.
If you would like to look at how to implement an ISO 9001 quality management system, then simply contact us.
Or, if you want to see what’s involved in more detail, then get a completely free, no obligation, totally tailored ISO Gap Analysis for your business (only available to UK businesses).
