Quality Management Series - Book 3
Quality Standards-Based Integrated Management and Systems
Companies in all sectors of business and commerce recognise the need to be forward- thinking and innovative to ensure that their activities remain at the forefront of customer demand. This thinking has led many companies to institute a fundamental restructuring of their business processes and operational management practices. Such reconfiguration has been reflected in the use of management systems to support and deliver business services and products. Management systems - the formal structure, organisation, resources and procedures that facilitate the delivery of specialist management functions - have developed greatly in recent times. Companies have found that they are the focus of increasing pressure from their commercial marketplace to provide services and products which are of high quality using safe and healthy working methods delivered in an environmentally friendly way in addition to supply on time and to budget. The response of many companies has resulted in a shift in the orientation of their corporate and operational organisational systems to structure and manage these explicit management functions - quality, health and safety, and environment. There is today, widespread recognition for the use of formal, or documented, quality management systems [QMS]. Many companies have developed and implemented an environmental management system [EMS] and a health and safety management system [H&SMS] as add-ons to quality management. Such management systems have developed independently as market demands, legislation and management system standards have evolved. Quality management systems have led the way since the 1970's and are now firmly embedded within business practice. BS EN ISO 9001:2000 - the international specification for quality management systems has been followed by BS EN ISO 14001:2004 addressing environmental management systems and the British Standards Institution [BSI] Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 [OHSAS]. In recent times a convergence of management systems developments has led industry in a number of sectors to challenge the conventional practice of using individual and separate systems to manage quality, environment and health and safety and, indeed, other organisational management functions. Some companies have pursued an approach of bringing management systems together into a semi-integrated format or, in some instances, a single fully-integrated system. Such innovative approaches are seen by many to enhance corporate and operational efficiency and effectiveness, improve holistic company performance and add real value to their business.
This publication examines the relationship between QMS, EMS and H&SMS and how the integration of these systems can assist companies to initiate more focused business policies and strategies, simplify organisation and resources, enhance communication, reduce bureaucracy and paperwork and implement more effective processes and procedures. The concepts and principles of integration are described and examples given to illustrate how the approach can be applied. It is stressed however, that not all companies require a complex and all pervading approach, but rather one which is tailored to and best fits with their individual business orientation, operation, scale and marketplace. There is no one right way to configure a management systems approach and so the publication provides food for thought, a source of information and aspects for a company to consider in determining the need, type and scale of a management system.