Management system guidance
Evidence‐based decision making
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Our range of ISO templates cover the requirements of ISO 9001:2026, ISO 14001:2026 and ISO 45001:2018, and offer an easy way to implement your next management system.
Key benefits of evidence‐based decision making
Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information. Other performance statistics or indicators, such as timeliness and conformance to the specification, user satisfaction survey results and supplier performance records should also be collected in the data and analysis process.
The information generated by the quality management system must be analysed; see data analysis and statistical process control (SPC). Key benefits of evidence‐based decision making include:
- Improved decision-making processes;
- Improved assessment of process performance and ability to achieve objectives;
- Improved operational effectiveness and efficiency;
- Increased ability to review, challenge and change opinions and decisions;
- Increased ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of past decisions.
Actions you can take to enhance evidence‐based decision making:
- Determine, measure and monitor key indicators to demonstrate the organization’s performance;
- Make all data needed available to the relevant people;
- Ensure that data and information are sufficiently accurate, reliable and secure;
- Analyse and evaluate data, and information using suitable methods;
- Ensure people are competent to analyse and evaluate data as needed;
- Make decisions and take actions based on evidence, balanced with experience and intuition.
Evidence‐based decision making in ISO 9000:2026 and ISO 9001:2026
ISO 9000:2026 lists risk-based thinking among its fundamental concepts, and information management and knowledge management among its additional concepts. Good decisions rely on reliable information, an honest view of uncertainty and the knowledge to interpret both.
The ISO 9001:2026 clauses most closely linked to this principle are:
- Clause 9.1.1 and Clause 7.1.5 - deciding what to monitor and measure, using methods and resources that give valid results;
- Clause 9.1.3 - analysing and evaluating data, now with separate evaluation of the effectiveness of actions to address risks and of actions to address opportunities;
- Clause 6.1.2 and Clause 6.1.3 - risks and opportunities must now be determined, analysed and evaluated before actions are planned;
- Clause 5.1.1 - top management must promote risk-based thinking and opportunity-based thinking;
- Clause 9.3 - management review inputs now include changes in interested party needs and the effectiveness of actions on risks and on opportunities;
- Clause 7.5 - documented information available as evidence, protected from unintended alteration.
More information on quality management principles
| Customer focus | Meeting customer requirements, exceeding expectations and customer experience |
| Process approach | Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA), sequence and interaction, inputs, activities and outputs |
| Leadership | Establishing strategic direction, purpose and a quality culture |
| Improvement | Innovation, opportunities, root cause analysis, and change management |
| Engagement of people | Competence, knowledge, empowerment and quality culture |
| Relationship management | Maintaining relationships with interested parties and providers in the supply chain |
More information on PDCA
Planning
Context
Planning
Support
Doing
Support
Operations
Checking
Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation
Acting
Improvement
How to apply the latest quality management principles
The latest and current quality management principles (QMPs), stated in ISO 9000:2026, are intended to provide the foundation by which any organization can continually improve its performance.
You can learn to apply the latest quality management principles in the context of your business's own particular operations by reviewing and documenting its activities in the context of each quality management principle.
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ISO Navigator™ is our FREE online training tool that shows you how to apply the principles of PDCA to your operations. We also offer many helpful templates that get you on the road to documenting your management system, please visit the download page.