The key to an effective Integrated Management System is designing the processes for efficiency and ease of use. All processes must be carefully thought, organised and designed to work together and lead your business to continuous improvement. But take a moment to look at any weaknesses already in your ISO 9001 system from when it was first developed and address them prior to merging your systems.
The steps to get to an Integrated Management System are:
- Analyse the management system in place (QMS/ENV/H&S) processes, documents, forms applicable to each of the management systems you have (or require).
- Identify the processes and documents required – checklists can be developed to help you to:
- Identify the requirements you already have for each of the management systems
- Identify the process owner Check all relevant legislation and regulations
- Identify gaps for any missing procedures (if any)
- Make a list of contents using the matrix for each ISO standard
- Policy
- Planning
- Document Management
- Monitoring and corrective action
- Competence management system
- Reporting
- Management review
- Continuous improvement
- Internal auditing
Integrate your requirements:
- IMS Manual should be developed with both common and specific parts.
- Procedures should be developed, incorporating common and specific parts. Each part pertaining one specific management system should be referenced.
- Develop templates – some will be integrated and some will be specific to certain standards
- Map the document requirements and cross reference to enable a good review.
- Develop an integrated audit programme
- Train auditors in integrated auditing.
Implement and monitor the IMS to ensure you can:
- Monitor the effectiveness of arrangements
- Audit for both compliance and effectiveness
- Implement the necessary preventive or corrective actions
- Verify and check the effectiveness
The main differences in the management systems is the Scope and Objectives so ensure when planning and operating your IMS that it is necessary to analyse and take account of different types of business risks. You must consider:
- Using appropriate and often different techniques
- Allocating different responsibilities or structures for supervising and monitoring
- The above should all be evide3nt from reading the IMS documentation