Integrated management systemsIn this post, Eva Gómez, Professor of the Master in Quality Management and Excellence in Organizations at Bureau Veritas Formación, talks to us about the integration of Management Systems.
A few days ago I read a comparison that I thought was very good for understanding what system integration is all about in a simple way. It said something like this : system integration plays the same role in companies as a translator who helps people who speak different languages communicate and understand each other . And it's true!
Systems integration, beyond definitions and technicalities, is a fundamental tool that organizations have to promote and enhance communication and synergies between the different Management Systems that may coexist within it, and consequently, misunderstandings and duplications are avoided, and resources and costs are optimized.
15 or 20 years ago, when only two people lived in the cryptocurrency data house, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 were relatively easy to understand, as they are two standards that, despite having different objectives, had many points in common from the beginning , and in fact, they are becoming more and more similar.
You are probably aware that the latest versions of these standards are scheduled to be released in 2015, and as far as we know, ISO intends to further facilitate their integration . But that is another topic.
The point is that, as the years have passed, the house has become more crowded, with more standards that establish requirements for developing Management Systems on various topics. Now there are standards for everything: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), information security, R&D, supply chain, medical devices, food safety, etc.
Today's organizations can be true Towers of Babel if there is no tool that links these systems and helps manage them as if they were one, and that is where system integration plays a fundamental role .
So, when we talk about Integrated Management System, we are no longer referring only to Quality, Environment and Prevention. The range has widened so much that there are as many integrated systems as companies developing them, since depending on the sector to which each company belongs, it may have one combination of standards implemented or another .
Fortunately, however, all the rules are based on the same fundamental pillars, which favours the relationships between them:
Management commitment and leadership , key to success.
Seeking the satisfaction of stakeholders : customers, staff, shareholders, and society in general.
Dynamic project , working towards innovation and continuous improvement.
Planning preventive actions . It is essential to act before failures occur.
Measurable system , since what cannot be measured cannot be controlled.
Staff involvement and training . Staff must have the necessary skills to ensure that activities are carried out properly.
Life cycle analysis of products, services and processes.
Establishment of a documentary system : policy, objectives, procedures, instructions and records.
Measurements and monitoring of processes , activities and tasks, to control those results or processes that do not satisfy specifications.
Evaluating system performance through internal audits .
Periodic review of the system by management.
Therefore, an organization that, for whatever reason, has several standards in place must seek out the relationships between them and integrate their Management Systems ; because only in this way will they be able to enjoy continuous innovation, improvement and learning, leading to sustainable business development .