Integrated management and integrated management systems
Integrated management is a holistic 'joined up thinking' approach to management and embraces concepts such as sustainability and ethics. It covers all types of management and every aspect that an organisation is required to manage including corporate leadership, management system, organisation culture, competence base, systems, processes, and stakeholder interactions.
Integrated management systems are designed to manage all management objectives, adopted standards and stakeholder requirements (including regulatory) via a single management system.
An integrated management system embraces personnel, quality, health, safety, environment, security, financial, public relations, ethics etc. Integrated management systems use less resource and if properly designed are more effective than fragmented management systems. The following have been identified as key advantages of integrated management and integrated management systems.
- More concise minimalist management system with all aspects adding value without redundancy
- Enhanced communication through simplicity and uniformity
- Easier compliance, less violations, greater employee participation and ownership leading to reduced stress and better utilisation of creativity
- Better quality/risk issues conflict resolution and management
- Enhanced stakeholder understanding and satisfaction
- Accelerated training and reduction in training needs
- Reduced monitoring (audits/inspections) including certification surveillance
- Improved management and process transparency leading to more efficient and effective management review and action planning
- Faster change dynamics supporting optimal organisational evolution
- Better implementation and return from initiatives such as the business excellence model, TQM, Investors in People, 6 sigma, ISO standards and regulations etc.
- Enhanced competitiveness and business security
- Increased profitability through lower costs, improved productivity and creativity