A framework for implementing the ISO 14000 standards through business process improvement techniques.

In a changing business environment, organizations are being forced to explore new opportunities for establishing an environmental advantage. The challenge is going out for organizations to continually improve themselves and to become more environmentally lean. Business Process Improvement (BPI) considerations enables the continual improvement process. In this thesis, a framework for implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) according to the ISO 14000 standards is proposed. This framework attempts to carry out the implementation of an EMS using the IDEF methods (IDEF0 and IDEF3) and BPI considerations. The framework incorporates the following: (1) the establishment of IDEF0 model from top level processes to bottom level processes through the prerequisites established by the standard ISO 14001, (2) capturing environmental processes using the IDEF3 method, (3) application of process improvement considerations of the IDEF0 model to be implemented, (4) implementation of the EMS using the refined IDEF0 model and the environmental data gathered using IDEF3 and (5) 17 areas of self-assessment checklists. Each area evaluates the performance of the organization by establishing the core processes of the standard 14001. The framework could be applied to the overall management system integration, business process reengineering (BPR), and qualitative evaluations of business processes. A computer software tool has been developed which defines the high level interactions within the ISO 14001 standard. The tool allows the user to check for consistency of the ISO 14001 standards with the EMS.Dept. of Graduate Studies and Research. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1997 .L59. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-05, page: 1790. Adviser: Michael Wang. Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1997