More and more market-leading businesses are recognizing the importance of management systems to key business functions and understand the significance of certification – it’s their proof point that gives them the competitive edge.
There has been a considerable increase in management systems certifications recently, reinforcing their importance in the market.
In this blog, we will uncover the following topics, including some complimentary, supportive resources for you to download and share:
- The Importance of Management Systems
- 8 Step Implementation Plan
Management systems are important tools for supporting competitive organizations that must adhere to legal and tender requirements for production, services, and business activities.
Businesses today face increasing levels of complexity and risk, which has been further compounded by the global pandemic. In a recent American Institute of Certified Public Accountants survey, 57% of respondents perceived an increase in the volume and complexities of risk for their business. In addition to facing increased demands, organizations often find the performance requirements conflict with strategic goals.
For instance, an organization may strive to:
- Deliver high quality products at a low price
- Achieve global scale while retaining local knowledge or
- Guarantee fast and reliable supply of quality products
This growing complexity requires a more sophisticated approach to risk management as organizations take a more progressive approach to certification. They recognize that standards are more than just a checkbox to remain compliant with regulators or request for proposal reviewers. Certification to one or more ISO standard can support a risk-based-thinking culture that promotes: ‘whole organization’ involvement and commitment, continuous improvement, competitive advantage, and greater efficiency.
Many organizations have realized the value from having certifications aligned to their strategic priorities, including Quality, Environment, Health and Safety and Information Security.
The Importance of Management Systems
A management system is a key tool in helping to streamline your business processes and build-in efficiency. Implementation of the appropriate management system and certifying to the appropriate standard to your business improves business performance and embeds safe and sustainable practices into your operations. On a practical level, it demonstrates your capability to meet the needs of your customers and in doing so, empowers your business to improve its relationships with them too. An effective management system looks at managing and optimizing risks, improving performance and transparency, and fueling a culture of continual improvement. Implementation of the standard for that system is often the key driver to customer’s expectations being met around the quality or trustworthiness of a business.
This can be achieved by adopting management system standards and getting ISO certified. Taking this approach is not just about box ticking either – for many businesses adopting management standards is a fundamental part of their growth strategy. By ensuring consistent improvement to their products and services as well as efficiency and performance, they secure a more robust and sustainable business, which in turn achieves the goal of meeting or exceeding customer expectations.
5 Steps to Certification – 1 Step Closer to Winning
Management systems are important tools for supporting competitive organizations that must adhere to legal and tender requirements for production, services and business activities. Savvy companies adopt standards to gain a competitive edge, manage and optimize risks, improve performance & transparency and fuel a culture of continuous improvement. Download this whitepaper to get an introduction to management systems and certification, and more specifically understand:
- What Management Systems are
- The benefits of a Management System
- Certifying your Integrated Management System
- The 5 steps to certification
- The four most popular ISO Standards
Below is a list of the most common standards adopted by businesses looking to align with international best practices, and accelerate business growth:
ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems
An Environmental Management System is a set of business processes and documentation that control the conditions and factors that affect, or could affect the environment (including; air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, human, and their relationship) to protect the environment and respond to change in environment.
ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems
A Quality Management System based on the ISO 9001 principles is a set of business processes and documentation that focuses on the enhancement of customer satisfaction by meeting customer requirements.
ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
OH&S Management System is a set of business processes and documentation that control the conditions and factors that affect or could affect the health and safety of workers (including temporary workers and contractor personnel), visitors, or any other person in the workplace, to avoid their ill health and/or injury.
ISO 27001 Information Security Management Systems
Organizations and their information systems are at risk of security threats from sources including; fraud, espionage, sabotage, and natural causes. ISO 27001 enables organizations to align with global best-practice for information security management. It offers organizations a robust and practical framework to assist with the improvement of information security, focusing on the preservation of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
8 Step Implementation Plan
The Storage and Distribution network is key to ensuring that the product retains its quality and safety before it arrives at the customer door.
Once you have adopted the appropriate Standards for your organization, follow a structured and systematic approach to implement your management systems. This includes developing documentation to meet business and standards requirements, training staff and implement systems in the business, conducting internal audits, and management review meetings.
Effective Management Systems focus on the organization’s performance, where key priorities and objectives are clear, and the system compliments business processes.
Below is an 8 step guide to assist with this process:
- Provide awareness and training
- Define strategic objectives
- Design and document processes
- Implement the new processes
- Conduct a gap analysis
- Assign corrective action to any gaps identified in the previous step
- Schedule and complete a certification audit via your chosen Certification Body
- Continually measure, monitor and review
Why QCI Global
The most successful companies invest in their people and develop leaders. Without continuous professional training, you’ll get left behind in today’s hyper changing business world. Continuous learning leads to long-term success for you and your organization. QCI Global Assurance can guide you on your learning journey.
Being an accredited certifying body, we have developed training courses that better enable you to get the most out of your management system and standards adoption for your business.
Learn to plan, implement, assess and improve your management system across your organization, according to best practice.
QCI Global’s world-class experienced specialized trainers are some of the world’s foremost authorities in their fields. We receive an average consistent satisfaction score of 98% from over 100,000 trained individuals each year. Separate your organization apart from the pack and keep in touch with best practice through a practical and applied learning experience.
Related Content
For more information and guides to assist you with your journey to management systems certification, follow the below links.
