What the clause requires
The management review is the point at which top management looks at the quality management system as a whole and decides whether it remains suitable, adequate, effective and aligned with the strategic direction of the organization. It is not an operational meeting about last week problems: it is where the direction of the system is set, where resources are committed and where changes to the system are decided by the people who have the authority to decide them.
The standard lists the inputs that have to be considered: the status of actions from previous management reviews; changes in external and internal issues relevant to the system; information on performance and effectiveness, covering customer satisfaction and feedback from relevant interested parties, the extent to which quality objectives have been met, process performance and conformity of products and services, nonconformities and corrective actions, monitoring and measurement results, audit results and the performance of external providers; the adequacy of resources; the effectiveness of actions taken to address risks and opportunities; and opportunities for improvement.
The outputs have to include decisions and actions related to opportunities for improvement, to any need for changes to the quality management system and to resource needs. The record, usually the minutes, has to show those decisions with an owner and a due date attached. Minutes that only report figures, however complete the figures are, without a single decision recorded against them, are the classic nonconformity raised against this clause year after year.
What changes in ISO 9001:2026
ISO 9001:2026 strengthens the role of top management in the quality culture and ethical behavior of the organization, in clause 5.1, and makes the leadership of continual improvement more explicit. The core requirements of the management review remain, but the review is expected to look at these themes as well. See everything that changed in the revision.
What the auditor asks to see
- Minutes or record showing the date, the participants including top management, and the agenda
- Every input required by the standard addressed with real data from the period under review
- Decisions recorded on improvement, on changes to the system and on resources
- Resulting actions carrying an owner and a due date, tracked through to the next review
- The planned interval actually met, which for most organizations means at least once a year
Where companies most often get it wrong
- Top management absent, with the review effectively carried out by the quality function alone
- Missing inputs, most often the performance of external providers and the effectiveness of risk actions
- Minutes containing no decision, only a presentation of indicators
- Actions from the previous review never followed up or closed out
- Review carried out hastily on the eve of the external audit to produce a record
Example of a nonconformity
- Requirement
- ISO 9001, 9.3.3: the outputs of the management review shall include decisions and actions related to opportunities for improvement, any need for changes to the quality management system and resource needs.
- Evidence
- Management review minutes dated February 20, 2026: the indicators for the year are presented, including the complaints objective that was missed, 14 against a target of 8, but no decision or action is recorded about the shortfall or about resources.
- Finding
- The management review did not produce the required outputs in the face of an objective that was not met.
How to comply using PrismaBiz
Ready-made templates for this clause
Frequently asked questions
Does the management review have to be a meeting?
Not necessarily. The standard requires the review and the record, not a particular format. A meeting is the most common choice because it makes top management participation easier, but the review can be carried out in stages through the year as long as every input is covered.
Who has to take part?
Top management, because they are accountable for the system and are the only ones who can commit resources. The quality function usually prepares the data and runs the session, but it cannot stand in for management.
How often should the management review happen?
The standard says at planned intervals. Annual is the most common practice, with larger organizations, or those going through many changes, reviewing every six or three months.