An Integrated Management System (IMS) combines all aspects of an organisation’s systems, processes and ISO standards; it merges your ISO management processes, reducing hassle, cutting waste and refining compliance. With pre-defined processes and procedures, it gives businesses like yours a helping hand in achieving best practices for quality, transparency, environmental impact, occupational health and safety, and many more. 

Integration is now seamless, thanks to the Annex SL high-level structure. Annex SL-based Standards share a similar structure of 10 clauses, which makes it much easier to see the similarities and shared processes of each Standard.

An IMS allows these processes to be combined to cover all Standard-specific requirements simultaneously. This will positively impact efficiency levels by boosting output through fewer processes and maximising internal resources saving time and money. A successful IMS cuts the unnecessary hassle and work of multiple management systems; i.e. instead of holding audits for each Standard, you will only need to hold one.

What are the benefits of an IMS?

1. High Performance/ Improving Performance: Streamlined procedures and continual improvement will have a positive impact on your organisation and business outcomes, such as improvements in quality, safety, risk, and productivity.
2. Cost-effectiveness/ Cost Reduction: IMS with shared tasks and processes mean the cost of implementing and maintaining your system could be reduced. By conducting one integrated audit and one management review, you can save money and time. Senior staff can move on to other essential tasks- optimising processes and resources, eliminating the amount of time interrupted and reducing costs.
3. Consistency (Establishing Consistency): It will make common business goals stand out and give your business clearer, more defined objectives for success. Consistency will create an improved focus on achieving a common set of essential objectives for the organisation. When you use an integrated approach, your organisation can create better consistency of the management systems—integrating your systems strips away complexity, therefore, is easier to understand.
4. Streamlined management: Take advantage of aligned objectives and processes and tackle them simultaneously for streamlined efficiency.
5. Faster Implementation: With just one system, you can develop and implement new management systems in far less time, allowing you to start reaping the rewards of greater efficiency more quickly.
6. Co-operation and coordination: Coordinate your efforts towards continual improvement and use your multiple Standards to support your company’s growth.
7. Eliminating Redundancies: One of the top benefits of implementing multiple management system standards is aligning the Standards to find common or single management system components. These may include policies, objectives, processes or resources. For example, you may be able to have a single procedure for training, document control, management reviews, internal audits or improvements. When you implement more than one Standard at a time, you can find these similarities, saving your organisation a great amount of time and money.
8. Accountability: When you integrate multiple management systems at a time and establish cohesive objectives, processes, and resources with the alignment of the systems, you will see improvement in accountability.
9. Reducing Bureaucracy: Reducing bureaucracy stems from eliminating redundancy. Often when multiple management standards are implemented and not integrated, dilemmas can arise by the inability to streamline decisions because of the layers of hierarchy. When the management systems are integrated, your organisation can take a systematic approach. The processes can better accommodate changes. When changes and decisions are easily made, this will reduce bureaucracy. Establishing process owners with a cross-functional team can significantly benefit an effective approach. These teams take on responsibility and accountability in an effective approach to breaking down barriers to decision making and deployment. You may also want to consider a SHEQ Manager who can be called upon to support and respond to all ISO-based issues.
10. Optimise Processes and Resources: When viewing standard requirements, do not consider them an added load or task to the organisation; instead, remember that they are a way to implement expectations from customers, interested parties and the organisation and create a smooth and effective process. Resources can be optimised by focusing on process implementation and adding value rather than additional system maintenance.
11. Reducing Maintenance: Maintenance refers to the ongoing compliance checks and ensuring that you uphold the management system standard requirements. With an integrated management system, you can maintain the requirements concurrently, streamlining the process and allowing the organisation to focus on improvements rather than maintaining multiple systems when that is unnecessary.
12. Integrated Audits: You can then have integrated audits when you start with an integrated management system. There are many great benefits to having integrated audits if you are interested in learning more contact us for Integrated ISO Management System Audits
13. Facilitating Decision Making: Eliminating redundancy and creating consistency within the organisation allows for a complete view of the functional needs and performance. This integrated approach also allows the organisation to analyse functional and department barriers and improve communication and decision making.

Which ISO Standards can be combined?

A common framework, known as the Annex SL, means that several ISOs now share their ten clauses with other Standards that fall into this group. As a result, ISO standards work well together in an integrated system, and changes and improvements are easier to adopt and understand throughout your business.

Our ISO options combine popularity with the flexibility to give businesses a streamlined route to multiple ISOs. Choose the best fit for your business and your business goals. You can make your procedures more logical and coherent with aligned systems and shared processes.

How much does an IMS cost?

The pricing of our Integrated Management Systems depends on the combination of Standards you choose and other factors related to your business.

ABAC® programs can be tailored in accordance with your organisation’s requirements. Get in touch with us to discuss your needs or get a bespoke free quote.

GET A FREE QUOTE

What IMS options does ABAC offer?

At ABAC®, we can provide you with training and certification for ISO 37002 Whistleblower Management System, ISO 37000 Governance of Organisations, ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS), ISO 37301 Compliance Management System and ISO 31000 Risk Management – Guidelines. ABAC® works with clients of all industries, sizes and organisation types to develop robust programs using the latest techniques and best practices that help foster an ethical business culture.