Maintaining the Quality Policy as Documented Information

Maintaining the quality policy as documented information over time means that the document must be classified as information that requires periodic review and reassessment because it must always be suitable to support the mission of an organization.

Even if the mission does not change, the environment in which the company operates could change (economically, socially, technologically, etc.), and these changes must always be reflected in the policy. Any modifications to the quality policy have a significant impact and should therefore not be taken lightly. They should always be reviewed and approved by the management during the periodic strategic planning review or process review.

How can it be practically demonstrated that this requirement has been met? Through these three steps:

1. Presenting documented information serving as the quality policy, which at a minimum satisfies the aspects identified in paragraph 5.2.1 of ISO 9001:2015;
2. Providing evidence that the policy has been agreed upon by top management and is under control;
3. Allowing people working under the organization's control to be asked whether they have access to the contents of the policy

Communicating and Applying the Quality Policy

In order for a policy to be communicated, it is necessary to bring it to the attention of the staff and make them aware of how this policy relates to what they do, so that they understand how to act before performing any work. Without this step, there is no way to prove that the communication was effective. It is not enough, in fact, to hang the document on a wall. If people do not adopt the right attitude, efforts will need to be made to fundamentally change the corporate culture because this is the only way to ensure that the quality policy becomes the reality that is being envisioned.

To truly apply the quality policy, top management needs to establish a process that involves employees and creates a culture where people are willing to participate in the life of the organization. For the policy to be genuinely adopted in thought and action by all employees, it is necessary for leaders to become role models who exemplify through their actions and decisions what is contained in the document.

But how can we be sure that the quality policy has been adequately understood by everyone? It’s simple; top management should:

1. Start the process by explaining how the policy aligns with the organization's purpose and strategy;
2. Discuss the contents of the policy with employees and answer any questions they may have;
3. Ensure that the policy is presented in a user-friendly way;
4. Show different examples explaining what will happen if the policy is implemented correctly;
5. Explain that the quality policy applies to everyone, starting from the top, and why it is necessary to adopt it;
6. Ensure that everyone can easily consult the policy, perhaps by placing it in commonly frequented areas of the organization and drawing attention to its contents;
7. Provide all necessary supporting training;
8. Start using the policy to measure the success of a process;
9. Regularly verify employees' understanding of the document's contents (e.g., during meetings, when new instructions or procedures are published, when delays occur, when costs rise, or when something goes wrong);
10. Periodically verify decisions made within the organization and trace back to who made them if they are not in line with the policy’s contents;
11. Take corrective actions whenever misunderstandings arise;
12. Restart the entire process every time the quality policy is changed;
13. Give people time to understand and absorb the contents of the policy.

To demonstrate that the quality policy has been effectively communicated, understood, and is consistently being acted upon, one can:

1. Present evidence of the process used to engage employees and make them aware of the quality policy;
2. Select a sample of people working within the organization (managers, operators, new hires, etc.) and ask them the following questions:
   • How does the quality policy relate to the purpose and strategy of the company?
   • How does the quality policy reflect on your work?
   • What happens if you do not complete the tasks assigned to you within the expected time frame?
   • What would you do if you discovered a non-conformity just before shipping a product to a customer?
   • What would you do if a problem kept recurring despite all the corrective actions taken to address it?
   • What would you do if you were asked to ignore a requirement of the quality policy that applies to the work you are responsible for?
   • What would you do if you were under pressure to ship a product to a customer or provide a service and knew that you had not met all the policy’s requirements?
   • How would you manage a customer who keeps complaining about the products or services provided?
   • What action would you take if you were asked to perform a task for which you were not trained?
   • How would you handle a situation where you discovered that a product for which you are not responsible is at risk of being damaged?
   • What would you do if you ran out of tested materials necessary to ship a product to a customer on time but had other untested materials available?

Making the Quality Policy Available to Relevant Stakeholders

This requirement asks for the quality policy to be made available to customers, potential investors, suppliers, and generally to stakeholders who have an interest in knowing what kind of policy an organization has regarding products and services and how seriously it takes quality.

How can this requirement be fulfilled? For example, the policy could be included in company brochures, annual reports, or the company’s website. In any case, it is necessary to:

1. Identify the methods to be used to make the quality policy available;
2. Present the documents where the policy can be found;
3. Provide evidence showing how stakeholders have been informed of how they can access the contents of the quality policy.