How to Conduct ISO 9001 Management Review Meeting

The management review

The management review is one of the cornerstones of the ISO 9001 Standard.

In fact, although the ISO 9001 Standard is reviewed at least once every five years, with requirements updated and additional layers added as needed, the management review has remained a constant mandatory requirement.

So, what exactly is a management review? Why is the requirement to conduct a management review so detailed in the Standard? What exactly are the inputs and outputs required for a management review discussion? We will answer all this and more in this article.

The purpose of the management review is to present us with a mirror. Sometimes we tend, for various reasons, to set aside critical issues that need to be considered during the year and even on a regular basis, such as:

• How many customer complaints were received?
• What is the feedback from customers?
• Does our supplier performance satisfy us?
• Did we meet the quality goals we set for ourselves?
• Are the quantity and quality of resources in the organisation appropriate?

Therefore, it is not for nothing that the management review constitutes a requirement that has existed for decades in the Standard.

Who should take part in the management review?

A management review is a meeting of the organisation’s senior management to discuss the status of the company.

The concept of “senior management” varies from organisation to organisation. Naturally, this will include the CEO and VPs etc., but there are other staff that may be involved. For example, in manufacturing organisations it is customary and even desirable for the management review to include the Production Manager and the Quality Auditor.

Organisations that develop innovative products and services may also involve the company’s Engineer and Development Manager in the management review meetings. In organisations whose core business is importation, it is required that senior procurement personnel take part, and so on.

When is a management review conducted?

In the ISO 9001 Standard there is in fact no reference to times or schedules for execution.

The requirement is that the review must be conducted at regular and pre-planned intervals. The usual practice is to conduct the review at least annually. Some organisations conduct the review at the end of the financial or calendar year, and others choose to conduct the review according to the date of their annual certification audit. All these options are acceptable.

What do we discuss and why do we gather?

The purpose of the review is to bring together the organisation’s senior members to evaluate the company’s performance over the past year in order to make operational decisions to continue on the path of continuous improvement. The management review discussion requires many inputs, and we list some of the main inputs below.

As is well known, the ISO 9001 Standard was updated in 2015. The essence of the change can be summarised in two words: customer focus.

This is naturally also reflected in the management review requirements. Some of the inputs required for discussion are:

• Corrective actions following discrepancies that arose (customer complaints, among other things)
• Customer satisfaction monitoring results
• The degree of suitability of the product or service provided, and the level of performance of the core processes
• The degree to which the organisation met the goals set the previous year
• The review of the results of internal and external audits, and the examination of trends in these
• Requirements to adjust the organisation’s resources, and more

Completion of the management review

Now that we have put our performance on the table, before all relevant parties, it is time to draw conclusions, make decisions, and set goals for the way forward.

We will identify opportunities for improvement and recognise the need for changes in the quality management system and resources. We will also derive quality objectives that will constitute benchmarks for the core activities in the relevant quality management departments.

It is important that these decisions and goals be practical and logical and that we strive to meet them, because non-compliance with these may lead to lack of confidence in the system among senior management and other members of the organisation.

It is important to communicate the results of the management review meeting to all relevant members of the organisation, as an organisation that understands the importance of human resources and the dedication of its staff will surely succeed.

Author: Avital Koren

Avital Koren

Avital is passionate about small business and working with entrepreneurs. She was the first to identify and address the needs of small businesses in management systems.

Learn more about Avital