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The Dow Quality
Management
System Manual
CONDENSED
EDITION
A Corporate Overview
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requirements. NO WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN. ALL IMPLIEDWARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 4
COMPANY OVERVIEW 4Quality Policy 4Dows Vision 4
Global Quality Systems Corporate Structure 4 Six Sigma 4
Quality Measurement Systems 4
Employee Involvement/Teamwork 4
Customer Focus 5
Responsible Care 5
THE DOW QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMPurpose 6
Quality Management System
Management Responsibility
Resource Management
Product Realization
Measurement, Analysis and Improvement
GLOSSARY 8
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Introduction
This manual describes, in a condensed
format, how The Dow Chemical Company
assures quality to its customers. Themanual covers most of the main topics
found in the companys quality
management systems:
Company overview and asummary of the systems in place
to assure product and service
quality,
Overview of the qualitymanagement system,
Glossary of terms.The manual has two purposes:
It briefly outlines the companysquality standards for use by Dow
people.
It also provides an easy-to-followoverview of Dows quality
systems for use by customers and
other interested audiences.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
The Dow Chemical Company is a global
science and technology based company
that develops and manufactures a portfolio
of chemical, plastic and agricultural
products and services for customers
around the world.
Quality Policy
Dows Quality Policy is described belowin the companys Quality Performance
statement:
"Quality Performance is a
commitment to excellence by each Dow
employee. It is achieved by teamwork
and a process of continuous
improvement.
We are dedicated to being the
leader in providing quality products and
services which meet or exceed theexpectations of our customers."
Quality management plays an important
role by assuring that the company can
produce and deliver the quality products
and services expected by its customers.
Global Quality Systems Corporate
Structure
Dow has established infrastructure and
support organizations to assist
management in implementing Quality
Systems in a consistent and coordinated
manner globally. Under the sponsorship
of the Vice President of Operations, the
Global Quality Systems Leadercoordinates the implementation of the
Dow Quality Management System
throughout the company.
The company has also established a global
Business Quality Leader network. The
members of this network implement the
systems, policies and standards that assure
quality products and services are delivered
to Dows customers. In addition, they
manage their global business product
documentation systems that support theintroduction and sale of Dow products and
services.
Six Sigma
In addition to a number of specific quality
programs, Dow embraces the toolset,
methodology and mind set of Six Sigma.
Dows Six Sigma commitment coordinates
with and builds on other quality initiatives.
The rigor and data-driven decision makingof Six Sigma is at work in every Dow
business and function, driving out defects
and variation.
Dow is applying Six Sigma in order to
improve current operations and develop
innovative new solutions. An important
aspect of Dows commitment is a focus on
applying the power of Six sigma to
increase customer satisfactionbuilding
to establish an unprecedented level of
customer loyalty. The desired outcome isunparalleled business excellence.
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Quality Measurement Systems
Dow has established quality measurement
systems to measure its progress in
continuous quality improvement. Some of
the tools used to monitor progress in each
business include external and internal
customer surveys, auditing or
organizational self-assessments, customer
complaint and resolution systems, and
statistical tools.
Employee Involvement/Teamwork
All Dow people play important roles in
quality. To foster an environment where
involvement, continuous improvement,
and teamwork (including cross-functional
teamwork) flourish, managers are
encouraged to:
Treat employees as valued teammembers.
Actively solicit ideas on problemsand solutions from all people inthe work group.
Remove barriers as identified byemployees.
Empower people to makedecisions and implement solutions
Push decision making down to thelowest possible level.
Collaborate with the entire workgroup to develop a mission.
Customer Focus
Dow views its product and service quality
as being defined by its customers. Dow
works closely with its customers to
understand their businesses and their
expectations. This close working
relationship helps Dow to better meet its
customers expectations today and to
anticipate and meet their future needs.
RESPONSIBLE CARE
Dow has a long-standing commitment to
safety, health and the environment. The
company is committed to implementing
the Responsible Care initiative a
continuing effort to improve the chemical
industrys health, safety and
environmental performance.
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The Dow Quality
Management System
Purpose
Assuring quality is a multi-functional
effort covering many aspects of
operations. It is a continuous process
involving:
The identification and documentationof customer needs.
The development, manufacture anddelivery of products and services to
meet those needs consistently.
Feedback from the customer to assessthe companys performance.
Action on the customers feedback toimprove the companys performance.
Developed and endorsed by company
management, the Dow Quality
Management System ensures that
customers receive quality, reliability and
integrity in the products and services Dow
provides to them, and that customers
needs and requirements are met. The
system calls for strict adherence to
specifications, as well as regulatory and
quality requirements.
Product quality is maintained through
systems of standardization and process
control. Service quality covers all aspects
of customer transactions and is ensured by
the function that is providing the service.
Both product and service quality
characteristics are agreed upon by Dow
the customer.
Quality Management System
Dow's Quality Management System is not
a stand-alone system, but is integrated
within Dow's Operating Discipline
Management System, which encompasses
the policies, requirements and work
processes of Environment, Health, Safety,
Manufacturing, Human Resources and
Quality. The Operating Discipline
Management System is compliant with
ISO 9001:2000, as well as ISO 14001:
1996 and ISO/TS 16949:2002.
This approach to an integrated system
ensures implementation of a management
system that promotes business excellence
through leveraging of best practices.
Leadership Responsibility
Dow Leadership takes a visible and
leading role in creating and sustaining core
values, policies, strategies, directions,
performance expectations, and customer
focus. Leadership approves and leads the
implementation of a management system
that promotes performance excellence for
business success. Leadership from all
levels of the company plays an active role
in verifying the effectiveness and
efficiency of the quality managementsystem, and ensuring that resulting actions
lead to continuous improvement.
Resource Management
Dow Leadership ensures that resources
essential to the implementation,
maintenance and improvement of the
quality management system are identified
and made available. Particular importance
is placed on ensuring that people reachtheir full potential in an empowering
environment. This process leads to
competent individuals and teams carrying
out their tasks with an understanding of
the importance of their activities in
achieving the organizations' goals -
especially customer satisfaction.
Product Realization
Dow Leadership ensures the effective and
efficient operation of manufacturing and
support processes to the benefit of
satisfying customer requirements. Work
processes form the cornerstones of Dow's
ability to convert customer input into
output, as demonstrated by our wide -
ranging product family offerings.
Measurement, Analysis and
Improvement
Dow Leadership ensures that
measurements form the basis of making
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fact-based decisions. Effective and
efficient measurement, collection and data
analysis techniques are used to monitor the
organization's performance and customer
satisfaction. The analysis of data within
the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle ensures fact-
based decisions are made to the benefit of
all our stakeholders.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
BUSINESS QUALITY LEADER
NETWORK:A network made up of the top quality
representatives for each global business.The Network, sponsored by the Vice-
President of Operations and the Global
Business Quality Systems Leader, has the
charter to guide company policy on
Quality Management Systems.
BUSINESS QUALITY LEADER :The person with responsibility for
coordinating business quality efforts and
assuring quality for a particular product
line.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM:All planned or systematic actions
necessary to provide adequate confidence
that a product or service will satisfy given
requirements for quality.
QUALITY CONTROL:The operational techniques and activities
used to fulfill requirements of quality.
QUALITY POLICY :A document issued by The Dow Chemical
Company President and C.E.O.
formalizing the companys commitment to
Quality Performance. Business Leaders
may also issue similar statements in their
respective businesses.
RESPONSIBLE CAREA continuing initiative by chemical
manufacturers designed to improve the
chemical industrys health, safety andenvironmental performance.
SIX SIGMA:A company quality objective that provides
businesses with a series of interventions
and statistical tools that can lead to
breakthrough profitability and quantum
gains in quality.
SPECIFICATIONS:
The prescribed requirements to which aproduct, service or plant must conform.
Registered Service Mark of the American
Chemistry Council.