Towards effectiveness of integrated management systems for enterprises

As there is an increasing number of firms implementing ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards, they experience some extra work and new challenges in these three separate systems. For example, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 require all working procedures to be traceable and auditable. To meet satisfactory requirements, each management system demands a lot of documentation, written procedures, checking, control forms and other paper work. It has been proved that it is a challenge to handle three separate management systems to ensure their alignments with the organization's strategy. An Integrated Management System (IMS) has thus been advocated. This paper explores empirically motivations and benefits obtained in implementing an integrated management system (IMS) for enterprises. The aim of this paper is to understand challenges and critical issues involved in implementing IMS. In this study, questionnaire survey and interview discussions are conducted in China. Technique of power spectrum is used to analyze the experience of the firms in operating the IMS. It is revealed that the main motivations for implementing IMS are: to satisfy customers' requirements, to respond to government's appeal and to cope with stress from competitors. The noticeable benefits obtained are: to simplify certification process, decrease management costs and decrease paper work. From an empirical perspective, the study provides a better understanding for enterprises in implementing IMS