QUALITY POLICY

An Organization should have a Quality Policy. This policy is meant to be an outward statement of its commitment to its customers and to the provision of quality products. The Quality Policy is a more abstract concept. It finds its practical and measurable expression in the Quality Objectives. The Quality Policy should be in line with the purpose and mission of the organization or company it is written for. It also should be understandable by all members of the organization, employees, managers as well as other stakeholders. The Quality Policy definition of ISO 9000:2000 is "The overall intentions and direction of an organization related to quality as formally expressed by top management."

NEED FOR QUALITY POLICY

Top management has to demonstrate Leadership. Providing unity of purpose through an appropriate quality policy, ensuring that measurable objectives are established, and demonstrating that they are fully committed to developing, sustaining and improving the QMS. Managers must ensure that there is Involvement of People at all levels in the organization. This includes ensuring that there is an awareness of the importance of meeting customer requirements and responsibilities in doing this, and people are competent, on the basis of appropriate training and experience.

QUALITY POLICIES FOR FUNCTIONS

Focus on customers ensures that their needs and expectations are identified, converted into requirements and their realization assured in order to achieve customer satisfaction. Planning ensures that quantifiable quality objectives are established for all relevant functions and levels in accordance with the quality policy, including a

commitment to continue improving and attain the goals necessary to fulfill the product requirements. Internal communication ensures that the management lead communication through management group meetings, department meetings, project meetings, communication between various levels and functions Management evaluation of the quality control system ensures that it continues to be suited, complete and effective, as well as include an assessment of improvement possibilities and the need for changes in the quality control system, quality policy and quality objectives. Resource control ensures that personnel have the relevant education, training and competence for the relevant processes through identification of the necessary competences - especially for those personnel who have an effect on product quality - training and education as well as evaluation of the aforementioned activities. Infrastructure ensures that the necessary equipment for attaining product conformity, including buildings, work places and related aids, process equipment, hardware and software as well as support functions such as transport and communication, are identified, procured and maintained. Planning of product generating processes ensures that quality objectives and requirements as far as necessary pre-exist a product, that the need for the establishment of processes and documentation has been identified, that the resources and equipment are available, and that the necessary verification and validation activities, monitoring and measuring activities as well as the criteria for acceptance of the product are documented. Development and construction ensures that defined activities are planned and controlled. To ensure the ability to fulfill requirements the result is examined. Furthermore development and construction results are verified to ensure that these meet the defined standards and needs. Changes are controlled and encompass an evaluation of the effect these changes have on the existing parts and delivered products as well as being verified and validated in to an appropriate extent, and are approved before introduction.

Purchasing ensures that processes are controlled so that the product purchased meets the requirements. The supplier is evaluated and chosen on the basis of their ability to deliver the product in accordance to the specified requirements. Choices are made according to set criteria and periodical evaluations of suppliers are carried out. Production, installation and service ensures that these activities are planned and controlled. The processes are carried out in accordance with the correct method, with the correct equipment and by qualified personnel. Where this is not possible to verify the resulting product through monitoring and measuring the processes concerning a product or service are validated to demonstrate the ability to achieve the planned results. Product preservation ensures that the agreement of the product with the customer's requirement is maintained. These preservation activities encompass identification, handling, packaging, storing and protection, and are also applicable to product parts. Control of monitoring and measuring equipment ensures that equipment is protected during handling and maintenance, and is stored as well as calibrated regularly, where possible and relevant, so that measuring - performed by qualified personnel- is in accordance with the specified requirements.

QUALITY POLICIES FOR SPECIFIC PARAMETERS

Two principles included in QA are: "Fit for purpose", the product should be suitable for the intended purpose; and "Right first time", mistakes should be eliminated. QA includes regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies, products and components, services related to production, and management, production and inspection processes. Quality is determined by the product users, clients or customers, not by society in general. It is not the same as 'expensive' or 'high quality'. Low priced products can be considered as having high quality if the product users determine them as such. If the specification does not reflect the true quality requirements, the product's quality cannot be guaranteed. For instance, the parameters for a pressure vessel

should cover not only the material and dimensions but operating, environmental, safety, reliability and maintainability requirements.

FORMULATION OF QUALITY POLICY

The format and content of the quality policy is the responsibility of the individual company. Management or executive management determines who writes and edits the individual quality policies. Some policies are undoubtedly the responsibility of executive management, but many can be handled primarily at the department level. However it is important to keep the policies simple and in the same format. Policies should contain minimal information on specific procedure and detailed information on structure, responsibility and review. The total number of pages for each policy should be kept to a minimum. Definitions within policies are important to ensure that all parties are speaking same language. The policy should define the responsibility of individual departments implementing the policies. Each policy should be reviewed annually to ensure that it is current and applicable to changing environment.

QUALITY POLICY & QUALITY OBJECTIVE

Quality Policy - This should be a brief statement the shows a commitment by the top management to the quality management system. It should also describe the commitment to continuous improvement of the effectiveness of the system as well. A mention about establishing and reviewing objectives relevant to the business needs would also be required. It should be stated that the success of the system involves the participation of all employees. Objectives - Set by the top management in the company, these need to be 'SMART' goals. i.e. Specific, Measureable, Accountable, Realistic and Time.