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Management systemTerm

Evidence (objective evidence)

Evidence is the record that shows you do what you say you do, such as records, reports, signatures, photos and logbooks with a date and a responsible person.

Explanation

An auditor does not just believe what you say, they want to see it. Evidence can be a completed inspection, a signed attendance list, a calibration certificate, a photo of a completed measure or an email confirmation. It shows that an agreement was kept and does not only exist on paper.

Good evidence is traceable and reliable: it states who did it, when, what it relates to and under which version of the procedure. It can be found without long searching and has not been altered afterwards. What you keep and for how long depends on legislation and on your client.

Distinguish documents from records. A procedure is a document: it describes what you agree. A record is evidence: it shows what happened. Both belong to a management system. Without evidence it is hard to demonstrate in an audit that an agreement is also being kept.

Example from practice

For the agreement that machines are inspected periodically, the evidence is the inspection report with the date, the name of the inspector and the handling of any findings, kept with the object concerned.

© 2026 BrydgeOne. General information, not legal or other professional advice. No rights can be derived from this explanation.

In BrydgeOne

Where you work with Evidence

Standards frameworkStandard clauses linked to your own evidence. Project logbookDocument projects with supporting evidence. Document managementOne current version, with read confirmation. ISO 9001Quality ISO 14001Environment ISO 45001Health and safety
Knowledge base

Keep reading

Document control for your management system: versions, approval and reviewDocument control in a management system ensures that employees always work with the current, approved version. ISO 9001 speaks of documented information and mainly asks for control, not a mountain of paper. Here is how to arrange it practically. Preparing for a certification audit: checklist for the final weeks and the day itselfPreparing for a certification audit is mostly about making sure you can show what you already do. This guide gives a checklist for the final weeks and audit day, describes what auditors often ask and explains how to handle findings.
Glossary

See also

Being audit-readyBeing audit-readyInternal auditInternal auditCertificationCertificationBOCFBrydgeOne Control FrameworkGap analysisGap analysis

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