Facts on integrating your management systems…

A good integrated system means combining all your internal management practices into one system to become an integral part of your company’s management system. The linkages have to be seamless between the processes and this includes people, equipment and culture as well as processes and documented procedures.

You can integrate anything and everything which has an effect on business results must be part of the management system. Therefore, an IMS should integrate all currently formalised systems focusing on quality, health and safety, environment, personnel, finance, security etc. What this means is that all the processes and the documents that describe them would be integrated.  Remember integration means combined not just sitting next to other components!!!

The Reasons why should management systems be integrated?

There are several good reasons for integration, to:

• reduce duplication and therefore costs
• reduce risks and increase profitability
• balance conflicting objectives
• eliminate conflicting responsibilities and relationships
• diffuse the power system
• turn the focus onto business goals
• formalise informal systems
• harmonise and optimise practices
• create consistency
• improve communication
• facilitate training and development

For integration…… start with ISO 9001

If an organisation has a certificated QMS, it can build upon that by adding the necessary processes to cater for health, safety, environmental and other requirements of management system standards. All systems should share the following processes:

• document development and control
• training
• internal audit
• management review
• corrective action
• preventive action

There are a few important additions:

• risk assessment – this should address safety risks, environmental impacts and process failure modes. By having a common approach it will be easier to compare risks occurring in different parts of the business
• regulations management – this should cover the capture of regulations on health, safety, security, etc and their analysis and impact
• programme management – this should focus on specific improvement programmes such as safety, environmental and security improvement
• public awareness – this should address the notification aspects of health, safety and environment

 In the Spring Newsletter follow this blog to find out how to Merge all your Management Systems…….