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A management review for ISO 9001 is a critical process that makes sure your organisation’s quality management system (QMS) remains effective and relevant. Conducted by top management, this review is more than just a compliance requirement — it’s an opportunity to assess the overall health of the QMS, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to drive continuous improvement.
Purpose of an ISO 9001 management review
The main purpose of an ISO 9001 management review is to evaluate your QMS to make sure it’s still suitable for your organisation and effective in its aims. It involves a thorough analysis of things like audit results, customer feedback and more to see how everything is performing. The review helps to identify opportunities for improvement, keep up with any changes and make sure your QMS stays aligned with your business goals.
Reasons to conduct a management review
- Maintain the QMS: Management reviews help identify any gaps or weaknesses in the existing QMS, allowing for timely adjustments and improvements.
- Improve the QMS: By examining the system’s performance, management reviews can reveal opportunities for streamlining processes, enhancing efficiency, and improving overall effectiveness.
- Align with strategic direction: The review process ensures that the QMS remains aligned with your organisation’s overall strategic direction and objectives.
- Drive continual improvement: It builds a culture of continuous improvement by regularly evaluating performance, setting new goals, and implementing necessary changes.
- Ensure customer satisfaction: Management reviews consider customer feedback, helping your organisation to address concerns, meet expectations, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Benefits of conducting a management review
- Enhanced efficiency: By identifying areas for improvement, your organisation can streamline processes, eliminate redundancies, and optimise resource allocation.
- Improved product quality: Addressing non-conformities and implementing corrective actions leads to better product quality and reduced defects.
- Increased customer satisfaction: By focusing on customer feedback and addressing concerns, your organisation can build stronger customer relationships and improve satisfaction levels.
- Greater employee engagement: Involving employees in the review process fosters a sense of ownership and encourages their participation in improving the QMS.
- Improved business performance: An effective QMS can improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase profitability.
- Competitive advantage: Your organisation can gain a competitive edge in the market by consistently meeting customer expectations and demonstrating a commitment to quality.
Inputs for management reviews
According to ISO 9001:2015, certain inputs are mandatory for a management review. These include:
- Audit results: Internal and external audit findings provide insights into the QMS’s effectiveness. These results highlight areas that need attention and help management understand how well the QMS is performing.
- Customer feedback: Customer satisfaction is a key indicator of QMS performance. Feedback, both positive and negative, should be reviewed to identify trends, address complaints, and improve customer relations.
- Process performance and product conformity: This involves reviewing key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess how well processes are running and whether products meet specified requirements.
- Resource adequacy: Ensuring that the necessary resources, including personnel, infrastructure, and environment, are in place to support the QMS effectively.
- Risk and opportunities: Reviewing risks and opportunities helps in adapting the QMS to changes in the internal and external environment, keeping organisations prepared for potential challenges.
- Follow-up actions: Reviewing the effectiveness of actions taken in response to previous management reviews and audits ensures continuous improvement.
Outputs of a management review
The outputs of the management review are as important as the inputs. They usually include:
- Decisions on improvement opportunities: Based on the review, managers may decide to implement changes to better the QMS. This could involve revising processes, reallocating resources, or setting new objectives.
- Updates to quality objectives: The review might lead to changes in the organisation’s quality objectives to ensure they remain relevant and achievable.
- Resource allocation: Decisions on whether additional resources are needed to address identified issues or opportunities.
- Risk management adjustments: Any necessary updates to risk management strategies based on new insights gained during the review.
ISO 9001 management review best practices
To make the most of a management review, your business should focus on:
- Regular reviews: Conducting reviews at planned intervals to keep the QMS aligned with your business goals.
- Engagement: Involving key stakeholders in the review process to gain perspectives and make sure that decisions are well-informed.
- Documentation: Keeping detailed records of the review process, decisions made, and actions taken to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Continuous improvement: Using the management review as a tool for driving continuous improvement, not just for compliance.
ISO 9001 management review examples
Here are some examples of topics and questions that can be included in a management review:
Review of customer feedback and complaints
- What were the most common customer complaints?
- How effective were the responses to customer complaints?
- Are there any trends in customer feedback that need to be addressed?
Analysis of internal audit results
- What were the major non-conformances identified in the internal audits?
- What corrective actions have been taken to address the non-conformances?
- Are there any systemic issues that need to be addressed?
Assessment of process performance
- Are all processes operating effectively and efficiently?
- Are there any bottlenecks or areas where improvements can be made?
- Are the processes aligned with our organisation’s quality objectives?
Evaluation of resource adequacy
- Are there sufficient resources available to support the QMS?
- Are the resources being used effectively?
- Are there any training needs for employees?
Get ISO 9001 certification with Citation ISO Certification
If you’re not yet certified, don’t worry! You can join us on a journey to ISO 9001 certification, and we’ll help you every step of the way. We can even help you create your quality management system and support you to meet the ISO 9001 Standard.
Want to understand ISO 9001 more? Read our guide to ISO 9001 in the workplace if you’d like some more information on the Standard. Contact us today to speak to a member of our team!
