Management Review

ACI Animal Genetics

Management Review

A management review is a regular evaluation of the performance of management

systems based on their purpose and goal, as well as whether they are producing
desirable results aligned with the organization’s needs. Often, an organization’s top
management conducts management reviews to continuously improve processes
and standards toward proactively addressing concerns and issues.

Purpose

While management review meetings aren’t part of the requirements of running a

management system certified by the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO), companies’ top management teams still have to conduct management
reviews. This is because they are an essential component of completing and
following the compliance requirements in the management system performance
evaluation set out by the certification standard.

Commonly, a management review is used to assess an organization’s Quality

Management System (QMS). This is in preparation for when a company or
business applies for and maintains compliance with an ISO certification,
specifically the QMS standard called ISO 9001. In fact, Clause 9 of the ISO 9001
standard outlines the requirements for a management review, especially its
necessary inputs and outputs.
Apart from the quality management review, other management systems that also
require conducting management reviews are the following:

 ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS)

 ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System (EMS)
 ISO 27001 – Information Security Management System (ISMS)
 It’s also worth noting that management reviews play a significant role in an
organization’s collective efforts toward continuous improvement. Reviewing the
standards and guidelines set out in the management system helps leaders and point
persons address areas to be corrected or improved so they can be aligned with the
organization’s goals and objectives.

Management Review Inputs and Outputs

A management review, being part of the requirements of an ISO-certified

management system, has specific inputs and outputs that must be taken into
account by the top management. The inputs are key elements in such a way that
these serve as the basis for the review to be conducted. The outputs, on the other
hand, are the items or steps to be taken as a follow-up from the management
review.

What are the inputs of management review?

 Results of past audits (e.g., internal audits)

 Relevant customer feedback
 Process performance
 Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) progress
 Follow-up from previous management reviews
 Changes that have a direct impact on the management system (e.g., incident
statistics and review of recent accident investigations, environmental impact and
aspects, and relevant legislative changes)
 Improvement recommendations from internal audit results

What are the outputs of management review?

 Action items for improving the management system

 Product improvement steps to address customer requirements
 Resource needs
 Opportunities for investments and expansion
 Employee development programs
 A Practical Guide to the Process

Conducting management reviews can become time-consuming and seemingly

complicated. Without an established process and guidelines to help make it
practical, the results may fail to satisfy the management system’s goals and
objectives.

That said, it’s crucial to understand and implement the overall management review
procedure, which involves 3 critical stages:

1. Preparation and Planning

Establish a clear agenda for the review to be conducted. It’s also best to set out a
feasible schedule and make sure to let everyone required to attend the meeting
know the specifics of the review.

Preparation is key in ensuring that such reviews are going to be practical and well-
thought-out. During the first stage, gather insights and data that represent actual
 results of how your organization’s management systems are performing.
Depending on the format that’ll best demonstrate and summarize such data, collect
reports from respective departments or point persons to prepare for presentation
during the review meeting. These can then serve as guiding documents for
discussion and evaluation.

Some guide questions to ask while collating insights and data include the
following:

 What is the status of the conducted internal audits? Are there any risks and
opportunities discovered?
 Any progress on our CAPAs?
 Are the current suppliers we have continuously supported the organization during
the past 6 months?

2. Management Review Session

As a requirement of an ISO-certified management system, the discussions,
evaluations, and results from management reviews must be well-documented. This
is where the management review outputs come into play. The most common ones
include the minutes of the review meeting, the recommended next steps, and key
resource needs to carry out the goals and objectives of the improvement plan.

The plan must now include the following and more, depending on the discussion:

 Clear details of what needs to be done

 Defined roles and responsibilities of people in charge
 Feasible timelines and schedules to accomplish the next steps and plan the
necessary follow-ups
 Outlined resources and other requirements
 Established metrics and processes for evaluating results
3. Monitoring and Follow-Up
Reviewing the performance of management systems doesn’t stop at documenting
the required inputs and outputs. It’s also important to set up a process of
monitoring, reporting, and following up on the status and progress of the action
plan.

As a management best practice, make sure to establish a culture of accountability

and ownership so that each aspect of the improvement actions needing to be
implemented are continuously being worked on and monitored. With this, having
Objective Key Results (OKRs) in place can help in objectively measuring the
success of every action item. Lastly, ensure that there’s an agreed-upon schedule of
the succeeding reviews and/or follow-up review meetings to be conducted.