What is a management review for ISO 9001?

So many articles describe that the Quality Management System (QMS) efficiency depends on how well you conduct management reviews. However, have you ever stopped to wonder what a management review actually is? This article will address all the queries related to ISO 9001 and management reviews.

What is a management review?

Management review can be described as a formal meeting that occurs at different intervals throughout the year between the top management and different sectors of employees. This type of meeting is necessary for operating and maintaining an ISO-compliant management system. Such meetings aim to assess the effectiveness of an organisation’s QMS. Ideally, a management review should cover topics such as:

• Current status of the issues uncovered in the previous meeting.
• Alterations that may impact the ability, effectiveness or functionality of the QMS.
• Appropriateness and adequacy of available resources and how they are being evaluated.
• Assessment and determination of opportunities for growth and improvement.

Objectives of an ISO 9001 management review

Many significant objectives should be objectively discussed in management reviews, including:

• Any imminent or upcoming changes in the organisation.
• How the highlighted areas of improvement should be explored.
• How to appropriately engage with the employees to boost their motivation.
• How to uncover any possible risks.
• Analysis and identification of learning objectives from previous mistakes.
• Current status and evaluation of ISO 9001 compliance.
• Tracking strategic growth of business and focusing on its goals.

What does ISO 9001 say about management reviews?

Clause 9.3 of ISO 9001 outlines the guidelines for management reviews. It states that the top management should regularly evaluate the appropriateness, adequacy, effectiveness and suitability of the QMS. They also urge the top management to address the need to include any changes to the objectives, targets and quality policy as the QMS continues to improve or mature.

The inputs that are studied in a management review should include the following:

• Risks and opportunities.
• Customer satisfaction rates.
• Changes that impact the QMS.
• External supplier performance.
• The audit results.

It is not mandatory to record the proceedings of a management review for an ISO 9001:2015 certificate, but it is essential to document the date of the review, the decisions taken, discrepancies identified, participants in the review and recommendations for improvement. This is because the record of the management review output serves as a resource, highlighting that the management took the necessary actions to monitor their QMS.

Measuring the effectiveness of a management review

Assessing the effectiveness of the outputs is a key factor in determining the success of a management review. Several areas are evaluated to determine if the review was effective, such as:

• Key decisions were taken during the review
• Completion status of previous tasks
• Employee motivation levels, especially towards new goals
• Current projects and work in progress
• Estimates for the budget
• Forecasts

Management review follow-ups

After the management review has ended, the general rule of practice is to circulate the action plan to the individuals delegated the new tasks. Adding the name, roles, responsibilities, specified tasks, and the stipulated timeline is also recommended. Additionally, the date of the next scheduled meeting should also be included to give a heads-up to every department so that task completion can occur before the agreed-upon date. The more regularly management reviews are conducted, the easier it will be for your organisation to adopt a culture of efficiency and vigilance.

As we are talking about adopting a culture of evaluation, we cannot skip the topic of ISO internal audits. Internal audits are the predecessor to effective management reviews. Management reviews are a waste of time without an internal audit. Both internal audits and management reviews are compliance obligations for ISO 9001 certification. The purpose of conducting an internal audit is to find discrepancies and areas for growth in the QMS. The report is what is discussed in the management review.

Conclusion

Achieving compliance and implementing a QMS is not an easy task. You have to conduct a gap analysis to identify where your management system is not compliant and where it just needs a tweak. Unless you are well-versed in the intricacies of the ISO 9001 standard, you will find implementation extremely discouraging. Thankfully, ISO 9001 Consultants can help you untangle the process by providing the appropriate guidance to implement, maintain and improve your QMS so that your certification and compliance journey is a breeze.

The ISO 9001 certification costs depends upon many factors, such as the maturity of your current quality management practices, the number of processes in your organisation, the specifications of your industry, the scope of your QMS and the number of employees who regularly interact with your management system. As a rule of thumb, medium-sized organisations are charged between $13,000 and $15,000 annually.

The management review is a process that requires the top management to systematically, periodically, and objectively review the QMS to ensure its continued suitability.