Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen?

[JaneB]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Nope, sorry, but it isn't the worst I've seen - in fact, it's sadly normal enough for
a/ a 'canned' off the shelf-type quality system
b/a 'consultant' who isn't worthy of the name
c/a company management who didn't insist on something that spoke their own language - ie, made sense to them, was readable and that they would be fine with putting their name to.

I've seen plenty worse. Lots better. And far too many not dissimilar.

Grr. Consultants putting out this kind of spam garbage make it that much harder for the professionals in the field.

 

[Howard Lee]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

With the handy Copy/Cut and Paste feature in computing, anyone can be a plagiarist. I'm suprised someone would pay money for that.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

With the handy Copy/Cut and Paste feature in computing, anyone can be a plagiarist. I'm surprised someone would pay money for that.

As I wrote earlier:
"The practice merely points up the desperation and gullibility of the top management at such organizations."

Most of us have seen what FEAR and DESPERATION can do to anyone of ANY rank within an organization. Dr. Deming always talked about driving out FEAR, but some folk are so discombobulated by their fear [of losing job, customer, status, etc.] that, like a drowning man, they begin to panic and clutch at any straw, regardless of whether it can keep them afloat.

Some of us here in the Cove made small [and large] fortunes exploiting that fear once OEMs began REQUIRING third party registration to an ISO or QS Standard. Most of us gave good value for the money; others, alas, delivered dreck like the example in the original post to this thread.

We were ALL on a learning curve, managers and consultants alike. Some of my own early efforts for ISO and QS in the middle 90s are embarrassing for me to read today. With luck, the author of the example will feel similar or worse embarrassment when he/she reviews the work in a few years. The worst offense is to repeat the same errors year after year.

Regardless of how embarrassing the material from an aesthetic viewpoint, it is not an urgent or critical matter to repair or replace it immediately. As I further wrote above:
"You may very well be able and capable of redrafting all the quality documents to a more fluid and readable form, thus making them more utile for the employees, suppliers, and customers of the organization. The challenge is to make the case to the top management WHY it is to the organization's benefit for you to do so."
I probably should have added the phrase, "in the immediate future." at the end of that sentence.

 

[Colin]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

OK, so its not the most aesthetically pleasing nor maybe the most grammatically perfect of quality policies but it ain't that bad is it? Lets be honest about this, how many companies regularly use their quality policy anyway? How many customers would turn away a supplier because their quality policy was not ideal?

Why don't some of you offer your improvements on how it should be worded - its always easier to amend than create.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

OK, so its not the most aesthetically pleasing nor maybe the most grammatically perfect of quality policies but it ain't that bad is it? Lets be honest about this, how many companies regularly use their quality policy anyway? How many customers would turn away a supplier because their quality policy was not ideal?

Why don't some of you offer your improvements on how it should be worded - its always easier to amend than create.

You're right. It's wordy and mostly meaningless, but that describes most written quality policies. The actual quality policy, as evidenced in the output, isn't something that can be, or even needs to be, expressed in writing. My favorite quality policy is something I've seen attributed to Stanley Marcus, of Neiman Marcus fame, in slightly different renditions:
We sell products that don't come back, to customers who do. Q.E.D.

Of course, the elegant simplicity of that statement doesn't meet the ISO requirements, where subtlety and eloquence give way to obnoxious hammering.

 

[Colin]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Jim

I too like that simple policy you quote but as you say, clause 5.3 would not be satisfied with it. Maybe that's where the real problem lies - the demands of the clause.

 

[Stijloor]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Jim

I too like that simple policy you quote but as you say, clause 5.3 would not be satisfied with it. Maybe that's where the real problem lies - the demands of the clause.

Hello,

I had this in another post, but here is something that I use to help my clients develop their quality policy.....

A good Quality Policy comes from "the heart"; articulates clearly Top Management's intent and message what existing and future customers can expect from the organization; is aligned with the organization's Vision (where it sees itself in the future); Mission (how it plans to get there) and Values (the beliefs and principles that guide the organization on its road to "greatness.")

 

[Britman - 2012]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Hello,

I had this in another post, but here is something that I use to help my clients develop their quality policy.....

A good Quality Policy comes from "the heart"; articulates clearly Top Management's intent and message what existing and future customers can expect from the organization; is aligned with the organization's Vision (where it sees itself in the future); Mission (how it plans to get there) and Values (the beliefs and principles that guide the organization on its road to "greatness.")

A few comments please Stijloor (Policy Attached), be kind willing to learn!!!

Thanks:

 

[Pazuzu - 2009]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

We sell products that don't come back, to customers who do.

In fact...when I rewrote our QM I used a virtually similar phrase.

We want our customers to come back, not our product.

Good to see there's another one out there!

 

[Britman - 2012]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

I like them Pazuzu / Jim.

Simple, clear, short and snappy ...........