Benefits of Integrated Management System

Overview

Latter-day growing regulatory environment has emerged organizations to deal with managing of several compliance frameworks simultaneously. The fulfilment of legal obligations is only one factor that shove the organizations to robust their management systems. A management system is the framework of processes and procedures used to ensure that an organization can fulfill all tasks required to achieve its objectives.

Most commonly, these management systems are being developed around the certification requirements of ISO standards for ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

Provision of quality products and services usually has a direct positive impact on organizational performance. However, other areas of management such as protection of environment and promotion of employee’s health and safety may be seen as a burden for some of the stakeholders of an organization. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) surveys of management system standard certifications show a steady increase in the number of organizations and companies obtaining certifications against international standards of management systems. These standards provide a model to follow when setting up and operating a management system, and each of them provides a framework with a focus primarily on achieving specific objectives. These management standards mentioned, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, are intended to be implemented alone. However, each of these standards involves some topics required by the others such as:

• Document management
• Training and awareness
• Internal audits
• Management review
• Corrective action
• Preventive action

The structural similarities between international standards have led to the evolution of integrated management systems. An integrated management system integrates all components of a business, such as quality, environment, health and safety, into one coherent system so as to enable the achievement of its objectives and mission. 

Benefits of Integrating Management Systems

In addition to quality, environmental and occupational health and safety, an integrated management system of an organization can include many other different management systems, such as a financial management system, an information security management system, a business continuity management system, a food safety management system or a social responsibility management system. An integrated management system is an effective organizational approach to simplify the work, to avoid conflicts and to reduce duplication of documents. Integrating management systems may possibly lead to cost savings and efficient utilization of resources within an organization.

There are several good reasons why integration of management systems is beneficial for the organizations. Here you can find only ten of them listed: 

1. Harmonizes and optimizes practices
2. Eliminates conflicting responsibilities and relationships
3. Balances conflicting objectives
4. Formalizes informal systems
5. Reduces duplication of effort and therefore costs
6. Reduces risks and increase profitability
7. Turns the focus into overall business goals
8. Creates consistency
9. Improves internal and external communication
10. Facilitates training and awareness

To thrive in global competitiveness and to survive in today's markets, organizations and companies need to look at every aspect of their business processes. While providing quality product and service, they should consider other management areas as well, well-being of their employees, their environmental impact, their use of available resources, and so on. Thus, the properly integrated management systems will help companies remain competitive while coping with many other aspects could be important for the company strategy.

PECB (Professional Evaluation and Certification Board) is a certification body for persons for a wide range of professional standards. Besides many others, it also offers ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) training and certification services for professionals who want to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the main processes of a management system; project managers or consultants wanting to prepare and support an organization in the implementation of a management system; auditors who want to perform and lead certification audits of the relevant management system; and staff involved in the implementation of the management system standards.

ISO Standards and Professional Trainings offered by PECB:

• Certified Lead Implementer courses (5 days)
• Certified Lead Auditor courses (5 days)
• Certified Foundation courses(2 days)
• Introduction courses (1 day)

Narta Voca is the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Product Manager at PECB. She is in charge of developing and maintaining training courses related to HSE. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact her at training@pecb.com.

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