Requirements for a successful integrated management system: the experiences of Australian organisations

Management systems and standards have become a key part of the organisation's lifeline and a prerequisite for survival in the twenty first century. Systems for quality (which can also include product and process based individual systems), environmental and occupational health and safety (OHS) now form the three main pillars of the organisation, the fourth one being financial accounting. In light of the increasing pressure and demands from different stakeholders, it is becoming necessary for the organisations to adopt the different systems/standards. However, to achieve the benefits from the implementation and subsequently maintenance of these systems it is only a practical and logical step that the existing management systems/standards be integrated into a single system. This paper presents the experiences of three Australian based organisations that have successfully undertaken the integration of their management systems/standards. Data for this paper was collected through in-depth interviews conducted with the managers responsible for quality, environment and OHS systems. The paper discusses the drivers, benefits and impediments experienced by these organisations during the integration process and the lessons learnt. These lessons would act as a set of recommendations for other organisations contemplating to integrate their systems/standards