Quality Policy or Quality Objectives – what comes first?

The ISO 9000 standard is absolutely clear on thisown right as opposed to being just a part of quality
question; the policy comes first and the objectives arepolicy. They must be established in support of the
then developed in support of the quality policy.policy and must focus on meeting product
Quality Policyrequirements and achieving continual improvement.
The quality policy is the only true definition of qualityIncorporate your Quality Objectives into reporting
that counts in your organization. Provided that you takeWhen your quality objectives are defined they must
into account the few important items the standardreflect the quality policy, be coherent, and align with the
asks for, you can define and measure quality any wayoverall corporate objectives and customer
you choose.expectations. Clearly defined quality objectives should
Make sure the policy builds on current corporatealso be closely linked to your key performance
objectives and values - it must be fully integrated withindicators or other pre-existing indicators; otherwise
those concepts.they become meaningless. They must be set by Top
The quality policy is considered to be the driving forceManagement and be incorporated into reporting.
of the QMS as it commits your organization toKeep your objectives up-to-date
meeting its objectives. It is also one of the keyObjectives are not static and need to be updated in
documents against which the performance of yourview of the prevailing business climate, customer
QMS is measured.expectations and continual improvement activities.
Once you have a set of measurable quality objectivesDon't be afraid to revise your quality objectives (either
which suit you and your customers, you can drop theup or down) but ensure that personnel are made
vague word 'quality' and focus your energies andaware that they have changed!
your quality system on achieving those objectives.It's worth remembering that even partial achievement
Your Quality Policy should drive continual improvementof you quality objectives demonstrates continual
You will be required to ensure that you continuallyimprovement. 
improve the degree to which your products andOnce you have a set of measurable quality objectives
services meet customer requirements andwhich suit you and your customers, you can drop the
to measure effectiveness of your processes. To thisvague word 'quality' and focus your energies and
end the continual improvement principle implies that youQMS on achieving those objectives.
should adopt the attitude that improvement is alwaysSummary
possible and that organizations should develop the skillsThere are many formal definitions of quality but for all
and tools necessary to drive improvement.practical purposes you can ignore all of them since the
Quality Objectivesonly definition that counts is the one on which Top
The translation of the quality policy into practice isManagement agree and communicate via the quality
made by defining the supporting quality objectives butpolicy.
ISO 9001 does not specify how quality objectives areRemember that there is a clear link between the
documented; they may be documented in businessdynamic aspect of revising the quality policy and the
plans, management review output, annual budgets, etc.quality objectives and the commitment of the
Quality objectives are now a clear requirement in theirorganization to continual improvement.