How do you document and control your quality policies and procedures?

1 Define your quality objectives and scope

The first step to document and control your quality policies and procedures is to define your quality objectives and scope. This means identifying what you want to achieve with your product, what are the requirements and expectations of your customers and stakeholders, and what are the boundaries and limitations of your project. You should also define the criteria and methods for measuring and evaluating your quality performance, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), quality audits, customer feedback, and defect rates.

2 Establish your quality policy and manual

The next step is to establish your quality policy and manual. Your quality policy is a statement that expresses your commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, and provides the guiding principles for your quality management system (QMS). Your quality manual is a document that describes the scope, structure, and processes of your QMS, and references the relevant documents, such as procedures, work instructions, forms, and records. You should ensure that your quality policy and manual are aligned with your quality objectives and scope, and comply with the ISO 9001 requirements.

3 Document your quality procedures and work instructions

The third step is to document your quality procedures and work instructions. Your quality procedures are documents that specify the activities, roles, and resources involved in each process of your QMS, such as planning, design, production, testing, delivery, and improvement. Your work instructions are documents that provide detailed instructions on how to perform a specific task or operation within a process, such as using a tool, filling a form, or reporting a problem. You should ensure that your quality procedures and work instructions are clear, consistent, and accurate, and follow the ISO 9001 format and terminology.

4 Control your quality documents and records

The fourth step is to control your quality documents and records. Your quality documents are the documents that define, describe, or support your QMS, such as your quality policy, manual, procedures, and work instructions. Your quality records are the documents that provide evidence of your QMS performance, such as test results, audit reports, customer feedback, and corrective actions. You should ensure that your quality documents and records are identified, approved, reviewed, updated, distributed, stored, retrieved, and disposed of according to your QMS procedures and ISO 9001 requirements.

5 Implement your quality policies and procedures

The fifth step is to implement your quality policies and procedures. This means putting into practice what you have documented and controlled, and ensuring that everyone involved in your product development process understands and follows your quality standards and expectations. You should also provide adequate training, communication, resources, and support to your staff, suppliers, and partners to enable them to perform their quality roles and responsibilities effectively.

6 Monitor and improve your quality policies and procedures

The final step is to monitor and improve your quality policies and procedures. This means measuring and evaluating your QMS performance against your quality objectives and criteria, and identifying and implementing opportunities for improvement. You should also conduct regular internal and external audits to verify your QMS compliance with ISO 9001 standards, and address any nonconformities or issues that arise. You should also review and update your quality policies and procedures periodically to ensure their relevance and suitability for your product development process.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?