ABSTRACT
QUALITY POLICY The first step in the quality management process is up to top management. What is the company's policy toward quality? While this may seem simple, it is the essence of the entire quality effort. The policy
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should be given a great deal of thought. Platitudes won't do ("XYZ corporation believes in quality"). The quality policy should be a guide to everyone in the company. If the policy is to provide competitive quality at a lower price, then the decisions of marketing, engineering, and production will be different from the decisions that would be made if the policy was to be the quality leader at a premium price. Everything from the advertising campaign to vendor selection to employee training depends on the policy of top management.
