A management system for your business offers structure, accountability, and direction to those who work in it. It’s the framework of your company for the strategic goals you set and the tools that your team utilizes to achieve the goals you set in order to achieve certain standards of quality, to comply with the legal requirements for occupational safety, or to increase profitability through leaner processes.
Management systems are based on the idea that when all processes are documented and responsibilities are clearly defined, and success indicators are clearly defined, tasks can – according to theory be handled by themselves. It’s not always the case in reality however it is the goal that businesses strive to achieve when introducing a company management system.
This principle is applicable to all management systems, regardless of whether they are used for quality, sustainability or energy. All of them are essentially identical in their core tasks: Plan activities, execute, review metrics and continuously improve. This is why you can discover a myriad of similar tools available on the market.
It is not logical to run multiple systems simultaneously because management systems are used across all areas of a company and typically have a cross-functional focus. Creating an idea management system to go along with the one you have for quality management, for example, creates unnecessary burdens for employees and does not make sense from an ISO standpoint either. For this reason, it is increasingly crucial to use a management system application that integrates several existing and new systems under one umbrella.