Simplify systems, reduce duplication, save time and money
What is an integrated management system?
The integrated management system approach has evolved as companies have increasingly adopted more than one management system. Often, these systems were developed and operated independently from one another. However, at Statius, we
have yet to come across a business or organisation that thinks in this functionally fragmented fashion; most think in terms of the activities necessary, the things that need to be done to deliver value to the customer. These activities
or processes can be simplified as in the following integrated management system diagram:
Integrated management systems
Consequently, in our view, heresy perhaps, but it is much more important that the focus of the “integration” reflects the activities that are actually undertaken in the business, rather than the artificial focus on the system or the standard. It is only once the activities that are actually undertaken are properly defined that the requirements of the relevant management systems can then be integrated into the natural flow of these activities.
Similarly, many organisations were thinking the same way and some were asking for a single system that would give them one set of policies, procedures and processes for all of their management systems. As a result, the British Standards
Institute (BSI) published PAS 99; the world’s first specification for an integrated management system. The thinking behind PAS 99 has now been widely adopted in Annex SL which forms the basis for the latest range of management system
standards.
What are the benefits of an integrated management system?
The more the management system can reflect the activities the organisation undertakes, the more useful it will be, and the more used it will be. Work can then begin on the ongoing process of creative destruction which is necessary to eliminate non-value adding activities in order to reduce waste and increase profitability.
Other benefits of an integrated management system include:
• A greater focus on company objectives, targets and goals
• Attention is focused on delivering real value to the client base
• The development of a platform for real and quantifiable improvement
• Simplified systems that are easier for management and staff to understand and follow
• Simpler and more integrated auditing structures
• Reduced documentation and the elimination of duplication
• More concise reporting structures