How to integrate your management systems into a powerful compliance engine for your company
Most companies that have been FSSC 22000 certified for a few years now are looking at integrating their food safety management system with the ISO 9001 standard, Occupational Health and Safety Standard (ISO 45001) and / or the Environmental Management System (ISO 14001). An integration strategy is vital and will help you stay focused and keep your integration plans on track.
What does implementing an Integrated Management System mean?
To combine the management systems (e.g FSSC 22000, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001) in such a way that it streamlines, pools resources, and optimises the performance of the management system elements whilst still meeting the requirements of the individual standards and company business objectives.
What are the benefits of an Integrated Management System?
• Optimises business efficiency, productivity and effectiveness of the management systems by streamlining the processes using the same approach, documents, tools and methodologies.
• Captures data across all systems into a single stream making it easier to understand and apply for management and frontline employees (IRQA Food Safety Webinar).
• Uses a common risk-based approach.
• Provides uniformity.
• Reduces duplication – saving money, time and resources.
• Management can have a consistent high-level overview of the performance of a combined management system.
• Can combine expertise from the different fields to learn from each other when doing risks assessments.
• Can combine certification audits into a single integrated audit which can reduce certification costs.
• Can have a single management review with all stakeholders and management system experts together to review the integrated management system as a whole.
We provide an outline of the integration path in 10 key steps:
Step 1: Define your business goals and objectives
The leadership of the company needs to analyse the context of your organisation (the environment in which your organisation operates), the expectations from interested parties as well as your company vision and mission statement to set your business goals and objectives which may include food safety, quality, health and safety, and environmental management goals.
Step 2: Establish the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for the business goals and objectives set
Depending on your company goals and objectives, the KPIs may include quantifiable results for performance over time for specific Food Safety, Quality, Health and Safety and Environmental Management System objectives.
Step 3: Identify the Key Business Processes required to achieve the KPIs
Using the risk-based approach, which is a fundamental principle in the ISO family, involve the leadership of your company to identify which processes in your business are key to achieving the KPIs established. The management and control of the processes required to ultimately achieve the company goals and objectives becomes part of a single business operating system which will include a combination of all the required management systems (FSSC 22000, ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001).
Step 4: Define the roles and responsibilities of staff that will manage and control the Key Processes
The integration of Health and Safety, and Environmental Management systems standards will require additional skills, resources and time to implement and maintain. You will need to identify who and how the management system requirements will be managed, measured and reported.
Step 5: Establish the KPIs for the Key Business Processes
Top Management who is responsible for each of the key business processes should establish the KPIs for each of the key business processes. The KPIs will include Food Safety, Quality, Health, and Safety and Environmental KPIs.
Step 6: Document Integrated Control Measures based on the risk assessment
The leadership should involve their teams to develop and document the required integrated checklists, work instructions, procedures, and policies. The integration will streamline workflows and ensure that data is captured in a single integrated stream which makes it easier for the frontline staff to capture and understand and can be managed from a single dashboard.
Step 7: Compile an Integrated Management Systems Navigational Guide
Use the ISO management system approach to identify the common components of the management systems. Although a documented systems manual is no longer required by the ISO 9001 standard, having a manual does provide value when integrating systems since it can serve as a map to management and auditors as to how the various systems have been integrated and where the evidence of the individual management system requirements can be found. Instead of a manual you can compile an Integrated Management Systems evidence matrix taking the various clause requirements per standard and cross-referencing these to combined or individual Policies, Procedures, Work Instructions and checklists which provides the evidence as to how the requirements of each standard are addressed. We believe this to be an essential navigational tool.
Step 8: Establish an integrated auditing programme
Having an integrated auditing programme will save a lot of time and resources and your auditing team will need to have multiple skills/management systems training required to conduct the integrated audits. This would require compiling integrated audit schedules, integrated audit checklists and combining auditors where auditors lack training/experience in any of the other management systems.
Step 9: Review the Performance of the Integrated Management System
Conduct a single management review with all stakeholders and management system experts together to review the integrated management system as a whole.
Step 10: Implement a continual improvement program
Having a high-level overview of the integrated performance data against company goals and objectives as well as KPIs for the Key Business Processes will enable you to identify areas that require improvement based on risks and opportunities for the business.
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