- Is appropriate to the purpose of the organization;

- Includes a commitment to comply with requirements;

- Includes a commitment to continual improvement of the effectiveness of the QMS;

- Provides a framework for establishing and reviewing quality objectives;

- Is communicated and understood within the organization;

- Is reviewed for continuing suitability

One my ask, why do we even talk about this requirement of ISO 9001 2000 standard? I believe, there is a very good reason to do so. Quality policy defines the top-level commitment of your company's management to establish a quality management system in accordance with a particular standard. In other words, what standard will you write your quality manual for, if your quality policy did not specify it? Another reason to talk about it is that most quality policies, per my experience as a consultant and an auditor, do not meet requirements of the standard.

Let's take a look at a few examples of quality policies. If you open your browser and type "iso 9001 quality policy", you will see a list of companies that placed their quality policies on their Websites. For example, let's take a look at a few of them:

"We at [company name] believe in total quality. We are committed to achieve total customer satisfaction. To fully realize this commitment we shall strive to: understand needs and expectations of our valuable customers through constant communication and exchange the process details with them; spread detailed knowledge about [] culture and art through out the world through our handicraft items; facilitate growth of local artists in the region; continually comply with the requirements of ISO 9001 : 2000 and improve effectiveness of our QMS." Comparing this set of commitments to the requirements of the standard, you should notice that perhaps the only requirement that is addresses here is to continually improve the effectiveness of the quality management system. While all those "believes" in customer service, understanding their needs and facilitation of growth of their artists are admirable, this quality policy does not meet requirements of ISO 9001:2000 standard.

The second example states: "Our goal is to exceed our customers' expectations continually by delivering the highest quality services. [Company name] complies with our quality policy by: Consistent management focus on quality, Continually improving the effectiveness of our Quality Management System; motivating our employees to take ownership of their work; understanding our customers goals and embracing them; providing ongoing training to advance the skills of our greatest asset, our employees; identifying and solving problems to avoid compromising the quality of our services. [Company name] places a premium on excellence of service. We clearly appreciate and respect today's market forces that mandate delivery of quality services and products. We know that our survival as a company depends on providing the highest quality of service on every engagement." This quality policy, while apparently customer-focused, still does not cover a framework for establishing and reviewing quality objectives and commitment to review it for continuing suitability.

I did not select these examples because they did not comply with the standard. I picked them from the top of the search results, just to show that most quality policies were not written to meet requirements of the standard. If you think these examples are bad, wait a moment. One of my clients came up with a quality policy that won my The Worst Quality Policy Prize. They simply said: "I improve the Quality of Patient Care and all things [Company name]" No! I am not kidding and I did not misspelled or took any words out of this regretful quote!