Clause 5.6.1 General

“Excellent firms don't believe in excellence - only in constant improvement and constant change.”

Thomos J. Peters () 

Top management on a regular basis should review the complete quality management system. Management decides the frequency, but it should be frequent enough to ensure the effectiveness of the system (usually once or more per year).
Management reviews make quality management systems dynamic. Without these reviews, a system may become ineffective over time. Organizations change, customers/markets change, and people change. These changes require modifications in the quality management system. Regular management reviews ensure that the quality management system is still suitable, adequate, and effective in a changed environment.

In order to be effective, management reviews should be well prepared. As a minimum, this preparation needs to include the information as described in clause 5.6.2. This allows top management to assess the effectiveness of the quality management system based on the quality policy and the quality objectives, and to define opportunities for improvement and the need for changes.

The results of management reviews should be in the form of specific actions, ensuring that improvement are made in products, processes, and the management system, and that resource needs are identified. The results of management reviews should be recorded (clause 4.2.4) in some way; perhaps in minutes, checklists, or to-do lists (tasks master).

A management review does not necessarily have be conducted in one meeting (i.e. once per year). A series of meetings can be held, each covering a part of the quality management system, or a part of the organization.

External Document Reference: Documentation Kit

Management Review Process Chart

Yearly Plan for Management Review

Minutes and Action Plan: Management Review