DRY ISO 9001: Don't Repeat Yourself

We recently came across a handy principle borrowed from software engineering: DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself). The idea is to reduce the repetition of information by ensuring every piece of knowledge has a single, unambiguous, authoritative representation within a system. In plain terms, a single source of truth.

Consultant streamlining documentation — The DRY principle, borrowed from software engineering, keeps every piece of management-system information in one authoritative place instead of repeated (WET) across documents.

Applying this methodology to your management system makes for a more maintainable, extensible system that is easy to navigate and quick to locate information in. It works just as well for an ISO/IEC 27001:2022 information security management system or an ISO 42001 AI management system as it does for ISO 9001 quality, ISO 45001 safety and ISO 14001 environmental management systems.

So the next time you are preparing or developing a management system, ask yourself: is it DRY, or is it WET (Write Everything Twice)? Documenting something once, in one authoritative place, and referencing it everywhere else keeps your system lean and far easier to keep current as your business grows.

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General guidance only. This article is general information, not legal, financial, safety or compliance advice, and it does not take account of your specific circumstances. Streamline ISO Consultants are ISO management-system consultants, not lawyers or licensed advisers. Standards, laws and regulator guidance change, and details were correct only at the time of writing. Always seek professional advice before acting. See our full Disclaimer.