Integrated Systems
To what extent is your management system integrated?
Integrating your management systems can reduce duplication and improve efficiency. If you are currently running separate management systems, get in touch to see how you could make potential savings.
An integrated management system is a single system designed to manage multiple aspects of an organization’s operations in line with multiple standards, such as those for quality, environmental and health and safety management.
Since the introduction of Annex SL, many standards for management systems follow the same structure and therefore can be easily implemented in an integrated manner to avoid duplication of processes, documentation and auditing. This helps organisations work towards the goal of becoming more effective and efficient.
What is an Integrated Management System?
There are three definitions of an integrated management system.
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Fully Integrated - Management systems covering two or more standards are entirely integrated to avoid duplication or effort. Responsibilities for the management system covers all standards. Scope of all standards is identical
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Partially Integrated - Management systems covering two or more standards are partially integrated and have some elements of duplication. Responsibilities for the management system may covers all standards, or different people/ departments may cover different standards. The scopes of the management systems/standards may vary.
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Not Integrated - Management systems covering two or more standards are implemented as entirely stand alone. Each management system solely focuses on the elements and requirements in one ISO Standard. Responsibilities for the management system may cover all standards, or different people/ departments may cover different standards. The scopes of the management systems/standards may vary.
How integrated is your management system?
To find out how integrated your management systems are, use our simple table below.
If you answer yes to all of the questions, then you can work off the basis that your management system is fully integrated.
If you answer no to any of the questions, then you can work off the basis that your management system is partially integrated.
If you answer no to all of the questions, then you can work off the basis that your management system is not integrated.
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Yes |
No |
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All document sets including work instructions are integrated across multiple standards |
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Our management reviews cover all standards and consider overall business, strategy and aspects relating to the management system |
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Internal audits cover all standards simultaneously and by the same person |
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The management systems policy and objectives are common across multiple standards |
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The management system processes cover multiple standards within them. There are not separate processes for quality and environment for example |
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Improvement mechanisms (such as CAP measurement etc.) strategy and aspects relating the standards cover all standards and are not solely focussed on one area |
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Management support and responsibilities are common across all standards |
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If you would like some further assistance on integrating your management system, or would like some support on how to internally audit an integrated management system, check out our integrated training courses.
