Traditionally, the management review is an extensive report in which all elements are discussed and highlighted in detail. As a result, the management review is seen by many organisations as a paper tiger.
There is an alternative approach. In order to explain this, we will look at the purpose of the management review first. It consists of a review of the functioning of the elements of the management system. This is done by assessing a number of so-called inputs (subjects from the management system) in order to arrive at clear conclusions (the so-called outputs).
The requirement from most standards is that these inputs are demonstrably considered/discussed. The outputs must actually be determined and documented. For example, it is possible to add the reports that already exist of the various inputs as an appendix to the management review. In that case, only a report on the conclusions to be drawn needs to be written. This will save a lot of reporting work.
Efficient reporting
Ultimately, the intention is that the conclusions come from the management. A good method is for every person responsible for a certain section to put the most important results in a PowerPoint presentation. This is presented to the management during the management review.
Extensive writing is not necessary; a graph with the results for each component is sufficient. The advantage of using PowerPoint is that not too much time is used for drafting texts, which do not have an immediate added value.
Based on the presentation of the management system results, the management draws their conclusions. The conclusions to be drawn differ per standard and are processed in a report. In addition, the PowerPoint presentation is part of the management review. This demonstrates that all subjects have been covered, without having to write extensive reports.
Our experience is that this method not only saves a lot of time, but also leads to a better assessment. By splitting the input and output, the management only has to make concrete conclusions and decisions regarding the management system.