Quality and Environmental Management System Integration

[RyanFleser]

I'm interested to know how companies are integrating their QMS and EMS - specifically from the resource/reporting side. Specifically for larger multi-site organizations.

Is the EMS and QMS handled by the same department?

Are they integrated by software more than reporting?

How many have a Director or VP of Quality, EH&S?

 

[RoxaneB]

Welcome to the Cove!

I'm interested to know how companies are integrating their QMS and EMS - specifically from the resource/reporting side. Specifically for larger multi-site organizations.

If you scroll down to the bottom of this thread, you will find links that discuss integration of management systems. Or you can use the 'Search' function (upper right). We have had several discussions on how organization can/have integrated their systems. My own experience is with combining quality, environment, H&S, finance and company requirements.

Is the EMS and QMS handled by the same department?

In my experience, no...but one person/department was responsible for the business system tools that the Environment and Quality groups used.

Are they integrated by software more than reporting?

The are integrated by culture. When everyone speaks the same language of the organization. So, let's talk corrective action. The same form can be used...the same software can be used...no matter if the department is Environment, Quality, Human Resources, Accounting. Using the same tools and same language promotes cross-functional teams and facilitates understanding.

How many have a Director or VP of Quality, EH&S?

It really depends on the company. We had a Director of Management Systems (oversaw the majority of the common business tools used by all)...and one for Quality (who focused on ISO 9001 and Customer stuff)....and Environment (who focused on ISO 14001 and keeping us as green as possible)...and so on. Again, the common tools and the common languaged allowed each of these different areas to work together and created an organizational culture.

 

[isoalchemist]

Great advice from RC Beyette.

IMHO the mindset of QMS and EHS is totally different although they both share similar tools, audit, corrective action, etc. their approaches are different and the larger and more diverse an organization gets the more two different individuals need to head up the efforts. With that said you need a single unifying presence to keep the tools consistent.

 

[reynald]

Well lately I have been hearing about IMS (Integrated Management Systems) which combines the certification audits for ISO9001, ISO14000, and OHSAS. Im not sure about the details though.

 

[rgc1433]

From my side since this is my first time i really find hard in doing this IMS for Quality I need someone to help me from the scratch as I'm not used to it. I'm not good analaysization and management issue.

 

[RoxaneB]

Well lately I have been hearing about IMS (Integrated Management Systems) which combines the certification audits for ISO900, ISO14000, and OHSAS. Im not sure about the details though.

If you have questions on how to intergrate the various management systems, reading some of the threads here in the Cove may help.

From my side since this is my first time i really find hard in doing this IMS for Quality I need someone to help me from the scratch as I'm not used to it. I'm not good analaysization and management issue.

Can you explain what you mean when you say you are doing this IMS for Quality, please? Is there another department or person responsible for the integration project overall?

 

[rgc1433]

Hi Ms. Roxan,

Thanks for your response, I have no idea what to do on the Internal Audit for Quality IMS... I was just browsing the previous Internal Audit of the companies how it was done but it makes me STUPID to read all the MANUAL, PROCEDURES and STANDARD so i can get some ideas but it really seems it will not work for me to understand all. We have to conduct Internal Audit in the Office twice a year and External would be yearly. I need some samples, ideas or link how to conduct an Internal Audit in each Department.

Thanks a lot...

 

[RoxaneB]

Hi Ms. Roxan,

Thanks for your response, I have no idea what to do on the Internal Audit for Quality IMS... I was just browsing the previous Internal Audit of the companies how it was done but it makes me STUPID to read all the MANUAL, PROCEDURES and STANDARD so i can get some ideas but it really seems it will not work for me to understand all. We have to conduct Internal Audit in the Office twice a year and External would be yearly. I need some samples, ideas or link how to conduct an Internal Audit in each Department.

Thanks a lot...

Hi, rgc1433...

Okay, first things first, please do not feel stupid! When I first started the process of trying to integrate our various systems, I was overwhelmed and confused - feelings that you are probably experiencing, as well. It's completely understandable.

Is there a matrix available to you that shows how the various systems are integrated in your organization? When I integrated our systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISRS (also safety), Sarbanes-Oxley, and our own business requirements), I created a matrix that showed the structure of our integrated Business Management System. This matrix had Plan-Do-Check-Act along one axis and each clause from each standard along the other axis. From there, I worked with the various experts for each standard to determine how the requirements aligned. There were some cases where clauses belonged to multiple aspects of PDCA.

For example - Internal Audits. There is strong overlap between the standards in this area. Internal Audits fell under the "Check" portion of our integrated system.

Another example - Corrective Action. Again, strong overlap between the standards in this area. We created one common tool to be used for Corrective Action that could be used no matter what type of discrepancy was identified. A financial issue, a safety concern, an environment nonconformance, a quality problem...all could use our Corrective Action system.

Rather than audit a DEPARTMENT, we audited PROCESSES. However, the audit was conducted within a department. To accomplish this, we developed another matrix showing Processes along one axis and departments along the other. We showed if there was a strong application of the process within the department.

To provide an example, when we audited the department of Shipping/Warehouse, we would audit their conformance to their own procedures as well as the requirements of the following processes:

• Document Control
• Identification and Traceability
• Corrective Action
• Calibration
• Operational Control
• Data Analysis
• ...and so on...

What we ended up with was a "systems audit" of the Shipping Department. We were able to determine the overall health of the Shipping Department through the lens of the integrated management system. This style of audit also tested the inputs (and outputs) from the Shipping Department and if there were issues in those areas impacting the Shipping process.

If your focus is soley on Quality, I'm not sure how your organization integrates the management system. Or are you focusing only on those requirements that are purely Quality?

Again, I ask if there is a person or department responsible for the actual integration of the management system and all the requirements. Can they provide some support for you?

 

[Colin]

Great advice from Roxane, if I can add a few thoughts.

I have developed and implemented a number of integrated systems over the last 2 or 3 years, mostly 9001, 14001 and 18001, though sometimes I have included 27001 too.

Probably because of my background I tend to use 9001 as the 'spine' of the integrated system. It gives me the processes and their sequence and interactions and it is the one which most people are most familiar with.

Having built the QMS, I then extend each of the processes to include the EMS and OHS requirements e.g. for a construction company, when they prepare a tender they don't just look at whether they can do the job but also what environmental and OHS consequences are involved.

I then usually need to add the additional controls for OHS and EMS that haven't been picked up so far, such as accident reporting, aspects and impacts etc.

Some of the systems have had the 'big bang' approach to certification - all at once whilst others have had a 'staged' approach to certification e.g. 9001 followed a few months later by the others. I am sure it can be done in other ways too but this has worked so far.

 

[Samiam1089]

"I created a matrix that showed the structure of our integrated Business Management System. This matrix had Plan-Do-Check-Act along one axis and each clause from each standard along the other axis. From there, I worked with the various experts for each standard to determine how the requirements aligned. There were some cases where clauses belonged to multiple aspects of PDCA."

Is it possible to get a copy of this matrix? We are currently working on this same adventure and I believe this is what we actually need to help us.

Thanks for any help.