When it comes to the ISO 9001 Quality Management System, Clause 5.2 focuses on the Quality Policy. Setting a quality policy is crucial to show your commitment to quality and ensure that the policy aligns with the organization’s long-term goals. So, before setting a quality policy, it is important to understand its importance and how to establish an effective quality policy that could drive your organization in the right direction. We have also added some examples to help you understand what’s required in the quality policy.
Clause 5.2 Policy serves as a foundation for the overall Quality Management System (QMS). It is documented information about your organization’s commitment to quality that is maintained and communicated.
With the right quality policy, your organization follows a unified direction for QMS to drive your organization’s overall performance toward continuous improvement and success.
To understand clearly, the quality policy is your guide for setting measurable objectives and strategic direction that drives toward achieving the broader quality goals.
Quality policy ensures everyone in your organisation works toward the same quality goals and direction. Therefore, it is not just a policy; it is a commitment to quality that aligns with your business objectives.
Just imagine a business without a goal or clear intention; it has no direction and – thus – no continuous improvement.
When your organization crafts the right quality policy, it encourages everyone in the organization to commit to quality and provides a framework for all future quality goals.
That is why setting a clear and right quality policy can drive your organization toward achieving its goals and objectives with everyone working in the same direction.
Always remember that the success of your organization starts with its quality policy and people.
“When quality is at the core of your policy, success follows naturally.”
ISO 9001 Clause 5 has distributed Clause 5.2 into two sub-clauses. Here is a breakdown of Clause 5.2 to help you understand the specific requirements.
See also Guide to Clause 5.1 Leadership and Commitment in ISO 9001 Quality Management System With Examples
Establishing a well-crafted quality policy is important as it defines your organization’s commitment to quality and ensures customer satisfaction as well as achieving ISO certification quicker.
It also provides clear direction for all employees and a framework for setting measurable objectives to ensure quality, consistency, accountability, and long-term success.
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.
The quality policy should reflect the unique nature of your business and the organization’s context aligned with its long-term strategic goals. This ensures that your quality policy not only guides your daily operations but also helps your company reach its bigger goals.
This answers the following questions:
The top management should ensure that the organization’s context, interested parties, business objectives, and other requirements are reflected in the quality policy.
b) The quality policy provides a framework for setting quality objectives.
The quality policy is more than just a statement; it helps set quality goals and measurable objectives. Your quality goals guide in creating specific, measurable, and attainable objectives.
If you are familiar with the SMART way of setting goals, it applies not only to individuals but also to organizations.
Aligning objectives with the quality policy ensures that all efforts contribute to achieving quality results, continuous improvement, and regulatory and customer requirements.
c) The quality policy includes a commitment to satisfy the applicable requirements.
The quality policy should clearly state that your organization is committed to meeting all customer demands and complying with legal regulations and relevant standards. This ensures compliance with laws, industry standards, and contractual obligations.
Adhering to consistency, quality, and regulations drives continuous improvement and fosters trust with stakeholders.
d) The quality policy includes a commitment to continual improvement of the quality management system.
Quality Management Systems (QMS) are established to achieve continuous improvement. Your organization’s quality policy should state your commitment to continuously developing its overall quality performance.
This ensures your organization strives to enhance its products, services, and overall quality in operations to adapt to ever-changing demands.
Example 1 of Quality Policy
The Coca-Cola Company’s foundation is focused on quality and food safety. Its quality policy focuses on manufacturing and delivering the highest quality and safest products worldwide to its customers and consumers. To ensure the safety of their products, they select suppliers and business partners with a strong commitment to quality and the required processes, leadership, and capabilities to deliver quality products. The company’s operating requirements define the policies, standards, and requirements to responsibly manage their quality and food safety across the operations, such as implementing FSSC 22000 food safety standards. Its quality and food safety performance and objectives are regularly tracked by incorporating them into ESG priorities and annual reports. Its leadership is committed to integrating quality and food safety into business plans, reviews, and other business routines and regularly updating and communicating policy and safety objectives changes. Part of this is embedding quality and food safety culture through engaging with all levels of the organization, including capturing employee feedback and collaborating with stakeholders.
As required in ISO 9001, the established quality policy must be communicated to all relevant interested parties inside and outside your organisation; to ensure everyone knows and understands their role in implementing it.
The quality policy shall:
a) The quality policy should be available and be maintained as documented information.
As stated in ISO 9001 Clause 7.5.1, the quality policy should be maintained as documented information. This allows relevant interested parties in your organization to access it easily.
The top management should check it regularly and update the necessary information reflecting the changes in business needs, customer feedback, and compliance.
The documented information serves as evidence that the policy has been carried out as planned.
Your company may consider ways to document the quality policy, which can be done manually, digitally, or visually. It can be stored in your company’s external and internal quality management systems.
You can include it in business manuals, employee books, work instructions, labels, etc., or shared digital formats so everyone can access it anytime and anywhere. The top management should then update it regularly to maintain relevance and accuracy.
b) The quality policy should be communicated, understood, and applied within the organization.
Having a documented quality policy is not enough. The top management should ensure that it is communicated and understood by everyone in your organization.
If some employees are unaware of the measurable objectives of your organization, it will reflect negatively on the top management. Thus, the quality policy should be communicated, understood, and applied throughout the organization so everyone knows their role and can apply it in their daily work.
Auditors may also wish to interview employees to determine if the quality policy is communicated and understood.
Your company may consider conducting training and meetings regularly to keep employees updated on the policy and its changes. Employees don’t have to memorize everything written in the policy, but at least the primary policy and company objectives.
You may also consider making a short version of the primary policy and adding it to the company’s bulletin or employee’s ID badge, where employees can read it daily.
c) The quality policy should be available to relevant interested parties, as appropriate.
The quality policy should be made accessible by external parties when necessary. Putting transparency into the system shows that you are committed to quality which will eventually build trust among relevant interested parties.
Pro Tip: Posting a quality policy on your company’s website or sharing it with clients and suppliers shows your organization is committed to meeting quality standards and building credibility and trust among partners.
Example 2 of Quality Policy:
The Vinci Construction Company is a global leader in construction. Its quality policy is committed to the following: Safety First Commitment – the company makes health and safety its top priority on all its worksites and production sites. Its safety culture is founded on three pillars: Transparency, Exemplarity, and Dialogue. Its main goal is to achieve zero accidents.Environmental Commitment – when constructing infrastructure, civil works, and buildings, the company is committed to protecting natural environments and climate and optimizing resources through the circular economy. Its environmental impact is decreased by developing efficient innovations and solutions.Exemplarity Commitmet – to set an excellent example for all its stakeholders, the team is committed to following all regulations per the company’s commitments outlined in its code of ethics, conduct, and manifesto. The Vinci company strives to be the leading construction company by providing safety, sustainable, and innovative solutions while maintaining high-quality standards and environmental responsibility.
It sets a clear quality commitment from top management, drives a quality-focused culture, and is required for ISO 9001 certification.
Top management creates and maintains the Quality Policy, ensuring it aligns with the company’s strategic direction.
It must align with the company’s purpose, support continuous improvement, meet customer needs, and be communicated internally.
Regularly, typically during management reviews or when there are significant changes in business goals.
Through meetings, training, and internal postings to ensure everyone understands and aligns with it.
Yes, it should be updated as needed to stay relevant with any strategic or operational changes.
In summary, Clause 5.2 Quality Policy of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System emphasises the importance of having a clear, relevant policy that aligns with the organisation’s quality goals and objectives. When the quality policy is actively supported by management and employees, well communicated, and regularly updated, it helps drive continuous improvement, enhance processes, and meet customer needs, making it an essential element of long-term success.
🎯 ISO Certification Auditor – QHSE Professional
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