1.

0 QUALITY POLICY (ISO 9001:2015)

The quality policy is the only true definition of quality that counts in your organisation.
Provided that the policy builds on current corporate objectives and values and is fully
integrated with those concepts, you can define and measure quality any way you choose.

1.1 Ensure You have a well written policy:

Part of the reason why you need a well written quality policy is to make your employees
understand that their job affects product quality, and therefore the success of the company.
Employees must be made aware that their individual contribution is important to the
company’s overall success.

1.2 Establishing Quality Policy:

This requirement is comparable to the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 Clause 5.3 – Quality
Policy. You should check that there is evidence that Top management have participated in the
creation of the quality policy, and are reviewing and maintaining it.

You should review the quality policy to determine whether the quality policy is appropriate to
the context of the organization and its purpose, that there is a commitment to continually
improving the QMS, 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 organization, as required by Clause 5.1.1b.

Top management must ensure that the quality policy:

 Is appropriate to the organisation

 Includes a commitment to requirements and continual improvement
 Provides a basis for establishing and quality objectives
 Is communicated and understood within the organisation
 Is periodically reviewed for suitability

Go for something short, sweet and memorable.

If the quality policy is simply written to satisfy the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 then it
might be worthless. You should keep it simple and keep it relevant to your organisation.
Make it meaningful to the people in your organisation.

The quality policy should act as a driver for continual improvement. You will be required to
ensure that you continually improve the degree to which the organisation’s products and
services meet customer requirements and to measure effectiveness of the processes
responsible. To this end the continual improvement principle implies that you should adopt
the attitude that improvement is always possible and that organisations should develop the
skills and tools necessary to drive improvement.

1.3 Communicating the Quality Policy:

This is a new requirement. ISO 9001:2015 requires the policy to be maintained as
documented information, refer to Clause 7.5.1a. You should check whether the quality policy
has been applied throughout the organization and that the quality policy is available to any
relevant interested parties.

Remember, Auditors will wish to test staff's understanding; so internal communication is

vital.

1.4 Understanding the ISO Quality Policy:

To develop a quality management system that works toward effectiveness and positive
results, organizations must clearly define their purpose, context, strategic direction, and
quality policy and objectives. Together, these fundamental subjects form the basis for
directed progress and success. The quality management statement is a key piece to achieving
compliance to ISO standards.

A high-level planning topic, this statement must resonate with and be understood by all
members of the team. During the certification audit, the registrar will ask employees to tell
them about the company’s quality policy, and they are expected to be able to convey the main
themes of the policy and how it relates to their day-to-day actions in a succinct and well-
understood manner. It isn’t required for them to recite it verbatim, but it’s crucial that they
are able to demonstrate their understanding of the policy’s goals.

Because of its importance in the success of the management system as a whole, writing a
quality policy statement can cause a lot of anxiety for project directors, especially as they
prepare for audit. Naturally, they seek out quality control policy examples, quality policy
samples, and information on the proper quality policy format to ensure they are well-prepared
to meet compliance requirements and achieve certification.

But it’s more than just finding a good quality management policy sample, copying it, and
calling it done. To create a quality policy that works for you and provides guidance for your
company to see real improvement, you must dig deep to discover what drives the company at
its core – it’s purpose, issues, and goals.

Start by evaluating your business at its roots:

1.4.1 Purpose:
The fundamental reason an organization exists

1.4.2 Context:
The internal and external issues that affect the company, and the parties involved

1.4.3 Strategic Direction:

The desired path of progress for the organization as a whole

Taking your discovery into consideration, you will draft your quality policy statement:

1.4.4 (As defined by ISO) Quality Policy:

A general statement of the organization’s commitment to quality

You will then use your quality policy statement to develop quality objectives for your
organization:

1.4.5 Quality Objectives:

A desired, measurable result regarding quality

1.5 Understanding the requirements of the ISO Quality Policy statement:

Creating a purposeful, meaningful quality management policy statement is more than just
writing a slogan. The carefully-crafted declaration must clearly convey how those
fundamental subjects make an impact on the output of the company and be put in place to
hold the organization accountable to achieve the stated expectations. The standard requires
the statement to be written, documented, communicated, and enforced by top management,
with the goals and direction gleaned from their high level of knowledge and rooted
experience with the company’s growth.

There is a series of further requirements that must be met in order for your quality policy to
meet ISO standards. The policy must both meet the goals set forth by ISO for compliance and
appropriately relate to the purpose and context you have determined for your organization,
actively (and properly) serving your business.

The statement must also clearly support the company’s strategic direction and serve as a basis
for establishing quality objectives (that being, when you determine an objective, it must work
toward the overarching goal of the policy). Be sure to include your company’s pledge to
fulfill all applicable requirements and your commitment to continued improvement of your
quality management system.

By way of documentation, the quality policy must be kept up-to-date and be made easily
available to all interested parties. Again, it is imperative that it is understood and applied by
all employees, so easy-access is key.

1.6 Quality Policy Sample:

As we have discussed, to fully understand a company’s quality policy, you must first know
some of the fundamental drivers of their business. There is no specific quality policy format
that organizations must follow, but they should be sure to address their purpose, context, and
strategic direction through their statement.

Take for example XYZ Products:

XYZ Products Commitment to Quality Statement Example

1.6.1 Purpose:
Manufacture precision products

1.6.2 Context:
Small workforce, new fierce competitors entering the market
1.6.3 Strategic Direction:
Maintain and expand market share and offer new, innovative products

Taking these baseline factors into consideration, XYZ Products crafted the following quality
management statement.

“XYZ Products is committed to manufacturing cutting edge products of an extremely high

quality to our existing and growing customer base in an accurate and timely manner. We
satisfy customer and ISO 9001:2015 requirements and continually improve our processes to
enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.”

Review again the company’s purpose, context, and strategic direction. Can you draw the
parallels to the quality policy?

Let’s examine another statement, this time for a service-oriented company.

Widget Services, Inc. Commitment to Quality Statement Example

1.6.4 Purpose:
Provide network management and support services

1.6.5 Context:
Consistently changing technology, high-cost industry, large number of competitors

1.6.6 Strategic Direction:

Provide superior services to edge out competition in order to maintain existing client
relationships and expand into new markets.

These fundamentals translate to the following quality policy.

“Widget Services, Inc. strives to provide superior consulting services in network management
and to assist clients by completing tasks in a prompt manner, without compromising quality
and customer service. We will assist our customers in product and solution development to
achieve top quality at the lowest possible cost. We are committed to continual improvement
of our services and proudly adhere to ISO requirements for excellence. It is essential that we
meet or exceed our customers’ expectations and all other applicable requirements for our
industry.”
Again, you are able to clearly draw the lines from the company’s fundamental baselines into
their concise quality management statement.

1.7 Determining Quality Objective:

Once your organization has determined and documented their quality policy, you can then
begin to develop your quality objectives, relating them back to your policy and the over-
arching goals of your business.

These objectives should be measurable, quality-related goals that help drive your company’s
performance. For example, XYZ Products’ policy states their desire to address customer base
in “an accurate and timely manner.” One way in which they can actively demonstrate this
part of their policy is to create an objective that centers on the time it takes to send quotes to
customers. This might be written as “address all customer requests for quotes within 24 hours
of receipt.”

You can set quality objectives for any number of your company’s specific facets that relate to
and affect the quality of your deliverable. Some organizations may need to set quality
objectives around supplier lead times, while others may need specific objectives related to
customer complaints, productivity, or even maintenance workflows. If it impacts the
experience your customer has with your product or deliverable, it’s eligible to have a quality
objective related to it.

Above all else, make sure your ISO quality policy is specific to your business, setting the
base line for the quality objectives that will make the biggest difference for your
specific company.

So how can you possibly address all of the internal and external factors that apply to the
many processes that impact the quality of your output? Breaking down your workflows can
be overwhelming, which is why it’s helpful to seek the advice of expert consultants. They can
help you define not only what could be addressed with a quality objective, but more
importantly they will help you know which processes should be addressed – which
workflows make the biggest impact on your product – and they’ll help you manage the
objectives that tackle your organizations largest risks.
1.8 Maintaining Quality Policy & Quality Management System:
You’ll do the bulk of the work on your quality policy in the early stages of planning and
implementation of the ISO standard, but that doesn’t mean that you can close the book on it
and call it done. Your quality policy will be released as a controlled document and will
become a working piece of your quality management system. At least once a year, it should
be evaluated during a management review meeting and assessed for its continued suitability
to your company’s baseline. Business is always fluid, and your organizations purpose,
context, and strategic direction is always subject to change. When those changes occur, your
quality policy and the related objectives will likely need to be changed too.

Take the time to understand the impact your quality policy will have on your quality
management system and on your business as a whole. Be thoughtful and well-articulated in
the crafting of your quality policy statement, and use this exploration into your organizations
foundation to define clear intentions, create effective change, and set objectives for quality
and growth that will drive your company forward.

2.0 Quality Policy of Sitara Chemical Industries Ltd.

Sitara Chemical Industries Ltd. is committed to remain alert and advance to continuously
grow as a Quality Symbol for its products and in meeting industrial and consumer
requirements, through training, team work, and procedures, on time, every time.
ISO 9001:2008 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (QMS) CERTIFICATION