IMS is a management system that integrates all elements of an organization into a single comprehensive system to achieve its goal and objective. As previously stated, IMS is the integration of quality, environmental, and occupational health and safety systems, as well as processes, practices, and documentation. Three major management systems are integrated: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001. As an addition to the IMS, the ISO 31000 Risk Management System was proposed. After a business has a certified Quality Management System (QMS), risk assessment is a key consideration.
The benefits of IMS implementation include improved business focus, a holistic approach to managing business risk, reduced clashes between individual management systems, reduced duplication and bureaucracy, more effective and efficient internal and external audits, and simplified facilitation of the requirements of any new management system standard that the organization wishes to adopt. Furthermore, the deployment of IMS can simplify the certification process, save human resources, reduce management costs, and reduce the complexity of internal management. System integration can help organizations save time and money. Furthermore, the benefits of having an integrated system include operational benefits, a better external image, increased customer satisfaction, and increased employee enthusiasm.
The seamless integration of all critical management systems into one place results in an Integrated Management System (IMS). This centralized approach allows the business to streamline its management activities, increase efficiency, and save time. It enables them to address all management areas from a single system, reducing the possibility of duplication. In short, the IMS eliminates the need to administer various management systems. It enables a company to work with a single approach and simply meet the requirements of many ISO standards. If your company is currently using different management systems, read this article to learn what an IMS is and how it might benefit your company.
Most organizations have various management systems in place, either explicitly or implicitly, to address critical areas such as quality management, environmental impact management, information security, workplace health and safety, asset maintenance, and so on. They fail to acknowledge, however, that having standalone or distinct management systems for each area increases staff effort, causes uncertainty because of multiple processes, and leads to mismanagement. All management systems ultimately funnel down to make the organization more effective, meet consumer needs, and protect stakeholders' interests. As a result, they share many characteristics. If they are operated individually, it results in repeating processes that waste your time and resources.
When various systems are combined into one IMS, the organization can apply a single set of procedures and best practices required for satisfying ISO management standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, and so on. The Plan-Do-Check-Act strategy, internal audit, IMS documents, and management review are all standard practices. With an IMS, you must do these operations merely once and afterward maintain compliance with various requirements.
However, to achieve several ISO management requirements with a single integrated system, the firm must consider numerous variables.
• The specific requirements that your company must meet to comply with the IMS must be made clear. There is no restriction on which standards or how many can be taken into account for the IMS. They should be discussed with the staff and included in the organization's management policy, although.
• Any action made must be consistent with the IMS's primary aims, i.e., it must support the company's achievement of its organizational objectives and be appropriate for the scope or size of the organization.
• To make sure that the complex procedures of the IMS are consistent with the organization's existing processes, culture, and documentation structure, you need properly record them.
• The IMS should be put into use in a way that has a significant beneficial impact on the company's management and improves operational efficiency.
