ISO 9001 Management Review

• Free PDCA Guidance
• PLAN your quality system
• DO day-to-day tasks
• CHECK the results
• ACT to improve

• ISO 9000:2005 Principles
• Factual decision making
• Supplier relationships

• ISO 9001:2008 Base Clauses
• 4.1e Monitor and analyse

• ISO 9001:2008 Requirements
• 8.2 Monitor and measure
• 8.3 Control of non-conformance
• 8.4 Data analysis
• 5.6 Management Review

5.6.1 General

The objective is to ensure that the ISO 9001 Quality Management System remains suitable, adequate and effective. The review should assess opportunities to improve (see 8.4) and the need to change the QMS, quality policy and quality objectives.

There is considerable emphasis on top management as being seen to be on-board. Top management is defined as those person(s) who direct the organisation at the highest level. The principal message that top management must convey is that the objective of the business is to keep the customer happy.

When should we schedule a management review?

Aim to do a management review at least once a year or more often if appropriate. Little and often is best; there is nothing to say that you have to go through the full agenda each time, nor is there any need to duplicate effort if you cover certain aspects as part of other management meetings.

What should the management review include?

• Requirements of the quality management system e.g. results of internal audits
• Quality management system performance and trends
• Opportunities for continual improvement (8.5.1)
• Monitoring of quality objectives
• Results of the regular reporting
• Evaluation of the cost of poor quality

5.6.2 Review Input Agenda

The management review process should focus on the following inputs:

• Audit results
• Product conformity
• Improvements opportunities
• Customer feedback , positive and negative
• Process performance and product conformity
• Status of corrective actions and preventive actions
• Changes that might affect the system e.g. changes to standards, legislation, technology, business activities
• Suitability of previous review outcomes and actions

5.6.3 Review Output Minutes/Actions

The management review process should generate the following outputs:

• Process improvement actions
• Quality Management System improvement actions
• Product improvement actions
• Resource provision actions
• Management meeting minutes

Management review meeting records must be retained as quality records in accordance with the Control of Records procedure.

Should I document our management review procedure?

It is not a mandatory requirement to document the management review procedure for acheiving ISO 9001:2008 certification, however you should always look to adequatley define and control any operational processes that forms an integral part of your overall management system.

If the need for a planned and controlled management review process is vital in acheiving product quality; then a documented procedure is generally required.  

How's best to document management reviews?

Develop and implement a management review procedure that defines:

• Management review responsibilities
• Management review scheduling
• Management review inputs
• Management review outputs

Looking for help documenting the procedure?

We provide a template for the operational procedure '5.6 Management Review' to help you document this process in many of our ISO Templates.

Measuring management review effectiveness

The management review process can be measured by assessing the effectiveness of key decisions that they relate to, e.g. budgetary changes, forecasts, revised resources plans or changes to the quality policy or objectives. Management review outputs are intended to improve your business; auditors will look for evidence that this is being achieved.