18.8.
Quality policy refers to the basic principles which are to guide the actions of the company. Regarding Quality functions to be carried out in the company, it is essential to enunciate the company’s Policy on the following basic and important questions :
(a) The standard of outgoing Quality—whether the Policy is to strive for Quality leadership or price leadership or no leadership at all;
(b) The pattern of customer leadership including guarantees of the product, the extent of rigidity oAr flexibility in settling customer’s claim for defectives ;
(c) The extent of leadership in meeting customer Quality needs ; and
(d) The pattern of vendor relations.
18.8.1.
Documenting the Quality Policy.
It is important to document the Policy. Putting the Policy in writing has the following advantages :
(a) Compels those responsible for policy formulation to think on the problem to a depth never before achieved;
(b) Renders the communication authoritative and uniform ; minimises misinterpretation ;
(c) Provides a basis for management by agreed objective rather than by crisis or opportunism;
(d) Allows for auditing the performance against the Policy.
The experience in this regard in several establishments in different parts of the country shows that the absence of a clear Quality Policy is the main limitation to a company’s progress in solving major Quality problems. It is generally observed that middle management, in general, is aware of the need for a clear Policy ; but does not take initiative because of a feeling : the ‘setting Policy, is a Top Management responsibility. It is a mistake for Middle management to sit back on any such theory. Instead, Middle Management should draft its proposals for Quality Policies and submit these to Top Management for approval.
Quality Target is a specific attainable aim, result or goal.
Example : To hold scrap losses to 3.5% during 1996.
It should be stated in a way that serves as a basis for action. For such targets to be clear, they must be stated quantitatively. Objectives expressed quantitatively helps to :
Unify the thinking of managerial personnel;
Stimulate action ;
Run the company on a planned basis rather than on a crisis-to-crisis basis ;
Compare the performance against objective.
Development of a positive programme to accomplish these above is not an easy task. The main difficulty is to reach agreement on company objectives. This requires co-ordination of the views of executives. For this purpose, organisational machinery must be used for securing the proposals and views of the executives ; estimating the relative importance and potential gains of the various proposals and agreeing on the targets to be achieved.
If such a co-ordinated approach is not evolved in the company, each executive is forced to work at what he regards as important, based on his departmental and personal aspirations.
Based on these ideas, one company has accepted the following quality objective :
“To achieve and sustain a reputation for quality at competitive prices in the national and international markets for our entire product range”
To fulfill the above Objective, company has outlined the following Quality Policy :
(i) Product design to fully meet customer Quality requirements including functional, aesthetic and life characteristics, with adequate attention to economy of manufacture.
(ii) Strict adherence to specifications during manufacture, despatch, erection and commissioning with emphasis on defect prevention.
(iii) Use of scientific selection, development, evaluation, surveillance and technical assistance to our Suppliers and Sub-contractors.
(iv) Planned and systematic programme for acquainting our Customers adequately on proper usage of our products.
(v) Continuous product review and improvement based on market survey and feed back of field performance.
