Integrated Management Systems

An organization’s management system can include different management systems, applicable to quality, environment, service management of information technology, documentation, risks, social responsibility, safety, and other functional areas. This management systems diversity makes more complex relationships in many interfaces and less efficient in a joint or integrated management as there is a set of processes common in nature that can be performed in a more simple and economical way.

Why should management systems be integrated?

There are several reasons for integration:

  • Align common requirements of various standards and frames of reference used.
  • Reduce duplication.
  • Reduce processes and procedures where they can be combined.
  • Improve organization effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Provide assistance to staff in the process of understanding the needs of the Management System and how to participate to ensure its efficiency.

What provides an integrated approach?

An integrated approach is performed, among other things, by:

  • Developping a joint policy.
  • Establishing consistent goals and objectives.
  • Identifying issues and hazards and assessing related risks and impacts.
  • Defining business planning process.
  • Jointly defining risk management.

Integration of Management Systems presents many difficulties and serious problems to be solved, for example:

  • Difficulty in assigning a responsible committed and able to carry out the integration.
  • Effective communication throughout the organization on the integration process reporting why and what it does.
  • Rupture of thought.
  • Vision of the organization as a single entity focused on customers and not as a series of internal functions geared to the interests of its members.

Organizations that have independently developed and implemented specific management systems are evaluating their effectiveness in operational and economic terms in order to make the decision to integrate all or some of their systems according to their strategic opportunity and a set of criteria such as economic, organizational and technical affordability among others.

Regardless of this fact, there are many organizations that have not yet considered in their strategies the integration of all or part of their existing systems by various, and sometimes inexplicable, reasons and justifications.

Systems integration strategies are multiple, and should be discussed which of them are most suitable and appropriate for each organization based on their interests and systems implemented or being implemented.

You can also make standardized management systems integration in other settings to improve management and improvement internationally recognized and used such as ITIL, COBIT, CMMI, EFQM, which help the implementation of specific sectorial or general process.

Achievable benefits of an Integrated Management System

They have different nature.

  • Strategic benefits. All systems will be considered as a single management system, contributing to the continuous improvement of the results and related business objectives.
  • Organizational benefits. Employees contribute to a unique mission as a comprehensive and well coordinated team.
  • Cost reduction. Avoid waste and duplication of activities on system,  audits, documentation, report maintenance and corrective and preventive activities
  • Operational profit. This helps to ensure that all the consequences of any action will be taken into consideration. Thus, a change in a product design may affect its quality but also safety and environment during use.

THINK&SELL provides a global service for any potential system integration need already implemented or being implemented or services to solve specific needs of smaller scope.

THINK&SELL applies an integration strategy that considers the scope, organizational culture, levels of competition available, legal and regulatory requirements, clarity and correctness of the objectives for the integration, understanding the benefits to be gained and ROI.