ISO is making it easier for organizations seeking sustained success to integrate management systems such as ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety. This approach not only simplifies management system implementation but also helps organizations meet the needs and expectations of their interested parties.
In 2012, ISO decided that its management system standards would follow the same structure and outline. This decision resulted in the publication of ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex SL, Appendix 2, in May 2021.
Many organizations quickly discovered an uncomfortable reality: It is easier to combine management system standards than it is to integrate cultures, risks, priorities, and operational behaviors.
The success of an integrated management system depends far more on leadership behavior and organizational maturity than on document structure. This is the part that many organizations underestimate.
What Is an Integrated Management System (IMS)?
An integrated management system, or IMS, combines multiple management systems and their processes into a unified framework. This allows an organization to manage common requirements, responsibilities, risks, and objectives more efficiently.
Because ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 follow the Annex SL structure, organizations can align the common requirements found in Clauses 4 through 10, including:
- Leadership
- Context of the organization
- Risks and opportunities
- Competence
- Internal audits
- Management review
- Improvement
Why does this approach work?
The key is understanding that organizations have five fundamental areas in common, regardless of their size. This applies whether the organization is an early-stage startup with one product that is not yet profitable or a global organization with multiple products and services.
These five areas are:
- Governance, including the policies, vision, and principles used to operate the organization
- Management of risks and opportunities
- Compliance management
- Operational processes
- Performance evaluation and improvement
What Are the Benefits of an IMS?
There are many benefits to implementing an IMS, including:
- More efficient processes
- Greater focus on resources and activities that add value
- More efficient risk and compliance management
- Identification and elimination of redundant requirements
- Consistent terminology across the organization
- Establishment of meaningful, shared business objectives
- Support for a culture of continual improvement
- Employee support for the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, regardless of their role within the organization
Why Do Many IMS Implementations Struggle?
One of the most significant challenges is that organizations often fail to integrate their documentation and management processes. For example, quality teams focus on defects, environmental teams focus on environmental impacts, and health and safety teams focus on injuries.
Each of these areas requires specialized attention. However, leadership must clearly communicate how these groups share priorities, metrics, terminology, and risk tolerances. This alignment should be evident through the organization’s use of one integrated management system manual, one coordinated audit schedule, and one integrated management review process.
Human behavior and organizational culture can have a significant positive impact on an IMS. Organizations can strengthen employee engagement by involving employees early and helping them understand how their individual responsibilities contribute directly to the shared management system.
When employees understand their roles and contributions, operating, maintaining, and improving an IMS becomes more efficient. The overall impact can be seen through refined processes, better use of resources, increased efficiency, and improved effectiveness for both the organization and its interested parties.
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