I've always stuggled with this one - to me quality policies are in the same area as mission and vision statements: nicely crafted and published words that are not always backed by action and are often regarded with cynicism by the workforce.

But ISO9001:2000 requires a Quality Policy - my plan is to finalise this when the company I'm working with has achieved a recognisable management system that everybody understands and uses. Basically, write it a the end of the project just to comply with the standard.

Is this a good idea or am I missing something vital? And what value does a quality policy add?

Thanks for any comments that help me understand this one.

Brian

To me, the Quality Policy allows our employees to understand how their job/function/tasks impact our ability to meet Customer requirements and, in essence, to stay in business. We want everyone to know that they are important...not only to their individual process but to the overall System.

If the Quality Policy simply spits back what the Standard states, then yes, it is meaningless. Through in some vital and meaningful words like Teamwork, Communication and Integrity and suddenly we're getting somewhere.

The Quality Policy reminds everyone why we have a System, and why the System has parameters. Don't get me wrong...I like Mission Statements and Value Statments, too...we have them...but they're primarily WHAT we're going to do or WHAT we want....a Quality Policy gives not only WHAT, but reminds us of HOW.

May be the same purpose of wedding vows? :eek: commitment to something.

The purpose, in my opinion, is to provide a written demonstration, endorsed by the organization's senior management. that quality is one of the top priorities, so everyone working for that entity needs to pay attention to quality.

Unfortunately, in my experience, a large number of organizations don't mean what they state in their Q policy. They become fluff, a bunch of buzzwords and jargons blowing in the wind . . . :nope:

Brian,

I agree with you. The quality policy is something that management sits around and agonizes over forever to get just the right wording. The policy gets signed off, communicated, posted on walls etc. Management has contributed their part to the quality effort and then no one ever thinks about it again until an auditor asks about it. Workers don't need a finely crafted policy to understand what quality is. They also know when the quality policy is just words on a paper by observing the actions of management.

Now if your company already has a culture of providing good quality and service to the customer, you probably have something that is generally known and communicated even if it is not called a quality policy. You are more likely to see that type of quality when a company is founded and then passed on through the years as part of their culture.

Bill Pflanz

Thanks Roxane - that explains the quality policy . I think I've seen too many bad example though.

But I can't take mission and vision statements seriously - the last company I worked for (large, international technology company in trouble) got all its directors and senior managers from around the world for a two day off site meeting. Not to get a shared understanding of the issues and what to do about them but to produce a vision statement

Mass redundancies followed two months later.

Brian

Thanks for the comments Bill

Management walkingthe talk and getting to know the shop floor is a more powerful way of communicating a shared culture. A signed and framed quality policy tends to be ignored.

Brian

Thanks for the comments Sidney

Maybe the best approach is to get the people at the bottom of the organisation and the customer contacting employees to state what they think the quality policy is to start with. If they are then involved in defining the official policy, it has more chance of being real.

Brian

Am I missing something here?? I think I need to answer the latter part of the post. . .

IMHO, if you are implementing a ISO or TS QMS, there are requirements that link directly to the QP. . . You may be able to formulate parts of the system, but to complete the implementation, and even setup some of the process inputs, outputs, and criteria, you need the focus that the QP is intended to give. Most of the process measureables are geared to satisfying the goals and objectives stated in the QP. The business plan is "supposed" to be used to deploy the QP. :soap:

Now that I have that out of the way. . . I really feel that the QP merely forms the target (Goals and Objectives) that the company is to try and hit. By each employee understanding how their job helps achieve hitting those targets, you get awareness and teamwork.

Is there a Motherhood and Apple Pie Icon Marc??

Now that I have that out of the way. . . I really feel that the QP merely forms the target (Goals and Objectives) that the company is to try and hit. By each employee understanding how their job helps achieve hitting those targets, you get awareness and teamwork.

Is there a Motherhood and Apple Pie Icon Marc??

Dr. Deming said to eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force. His reasoning for the elimination was that they are directed at the wrong people. Since most of the trouble comes from the system, only management can change the system. Goals are not inherently bad. When they are set by other people with no plan and no support, then they are meaningless.

Deming did support one goal - constancy of purpose - but that was for management not the workers. I am not sure which is worse - a quality policy that everyone ignores or constantly changing objectives that just frustrate the workers.

Bill Pflanz

Am I missing something here?? I think I need to answer the latter part of the post. . .

IMHO, if you are implementing a ISO or TS QMS, there are requirements that link directly to the QP. . . You may be able to formulate parts of the system, but to complete the implementation, and even setup some of the process inputs, outputs, and criteria, you need the focus that the QP is intended to give. Most of the process measureables are geared to satisfying the goals and objectives stated in the QP. The business plan is "supposed" to be used to deploy the QP. :soap:

Now that I have that out of the way. . . I really feel that the QP merely forms the target (Goals and Objectives) that the company is to try and hit. By each employee understanding how their job helps achieve hitting those targets, you get awareness and teamwork.

Is there a Motherhood and Apple Pie Icon Marc??Taz makes meaningful points, but I think Brian and Sidney are looking at "real world."

In the real world, there may be strong personalities [like Wes?] who can use powers of persuasion and reason (sometimes ridicule works, too) to get an organization to agree on and implement a meaningful Quality Policy. More likely, there are folks in the Executive suite who have a favorite Wordsmith craft a long and flowery Quality Policy which is as meaningless as a beauty queen's turn at the microphone when she says, "I want to work for Peace in the World [by taking appearance money for showing up at County Fairs, mall openings, and car dealer sales.]"

Personally, I look at an organization's Quality Policy statement with one hand held ready (if I'm in the presence of anyone from the organization) to stifle a giggle (pretend it's a coughing fit) if it turns out to be one of those sappy, saccharine ones.

When I see one that is meaningful and capable of being understood and implemented by the entire organization (rare, very rare), I practically gush with praise.

Example: I asked the President for input on the QP, no response for months
New president- repeat- no response with new president.
I then wordsmithed and wrote one myself- submitted for approval-no response
I kept badergering my boss to get the president to respond. He finally said get it translated into (a not to be foreign language) and take it to him.
I did, 2 days later he signed it.
1 year later we were to be audited ny Corporate Headquarters, the day before the president asked my boss if we have a quality policy? duh?
Told him yes you signed it and it is posted every where and all employees have a copy.
He said he wanted it re formated with same words but bigger and laminated, and brig it to him to sign again. I did, he did.
Reposted bigger, better, fancier format with colored pictures.
Nuff said

Ralph. . . give the guy a break! It doesn't show up on the P&L! :lmao:

Wes and I had long discussions in the ASQ Forum recently in a similar topic.
I see Quality Policy as the direction and Quality Objective as magnitude. Quality Policy provides framework for development of Quality objectives.

The use of Quality Policy comes from how applicable it is to the organization's purpose.Since Quality Policy is reviewed and approved by the Top Management, the commitment provided in the statement has to be supported by their actions.

I agree in many organizations, Quality Policy is treated like just another statement that is required to pass the ISO audit. If the internal auditors and External auditors start to link systemic issues to lack of implementation of Quality Policy, then organizations who ignore Quality Policy will get serious about the commitment made. (or the Registrars will be changed? :rolleyes: ) How many times we see findings against Quality Policy implementation? Very Rare.
Govind.

I see Quality Policy as the direction and Quality Objective as magnitude. Quality Policy provides framework for development of Quality objectives.

Agreed, quality policy would be with vision statements organisation's purpose, also commitment on requirements satisfaction ( internal/external environment) & continual improvements.
the QP shoul be understood throughout organisation so that all employee understood where they will go and How they will contribute to reach it.
You know, operators who knew why they are doing could reduce waste and prevent defect positively.