Integrated Management Systems

The Position of Quality Austria

Edition 03/2013

OHSAS 18001
ISO/TS 16949
SCC
ISO 9001
ISO 14001
ISO 22000

ISO 26000

ISO 50001

PEFC CoC

www.qualityaustria.com
Integrated Management Systems Accredited by BMWFJ, Austria
www.qualityaustria.com 1
 Editorial Contents

Starting Point and Aspirations 3

Context of the organisation 3

Dimensions of management system integration 4
Integrated Management Systems and the
Benefits of Certification 5
Benefits of certification at ISO 9001-certified
organisations 5
Benefits of certification at IMS-certified
businesses 5
The Development towards Integrated
Management Systems 6
Quality Austria’s position paper on integrated manage- Quality Management as an Integration Platform 7
ment systems has already been revised and updated for
The concept of performance 7
the second time, with the third edition being published
at the beginning of this year. The first edition appeared Shaping corporate policy 7
in September 2011. Looking back, the qualityaustria Plan-Do-Check-Act 8
position paper on integrated management systems has
Integration models 8
proven a success. The first and second editions with
more than 8,000 printed copies are now out of print. Upsizing/downsizing 8
Almost 6,300 downloads from the qualityaustria web- Twelve Approaches to Integration 10
site were recorded in 2012 alone. It has been referred 10
1 Approach through the context of the
to as the “most compact” paper and the “most up-to- organisation
date” document on understanding integrated manage- 2 Approach through strategy consolidates the
ment systems. Statements from the position paper have operating business 10
also been included in strategy papers of qualityaustria 3 Approach through risk and opportunity
clients. All this shows that our expectations have been management guarantees future viability 10
clearly exceeded, which obliges Quality Austria to reflect 4 Approach through organisation creates
on and update this position paper on a regular basis. effective structures 11
5 Approach through employees fills a
management system with life 11
A few figures are not the only things that have changed.
Due to the advanced international discussions in the 6 Approach through process management provides
a basic framework for designing processes 11
course of the revision and harmonisation process of the
7 Approach through audits provides a strong
major system management standards such as ISO 9001, development lever for all organisations 12
ISO 14001 and others – Thomas Szabo, standards expert
8 Approach through established methods makes
and qualityaustria network partner, has been intensively successful implementation easier 12
involved on several levels – significant, far-reaching and 9 Approach through documentation reduces
partly radical changes are on the horizon. We have taken effort and boosts acceptance 12
these upcoming changes into account in the revised 3rd 10 Approach through key performance indicators
edition. Important new aspects are, for instance the “con- makes effects measurable 12
text of the organisation” and the expansion of the integ- 11 Approach through legal certainty creates a
court-proof organisation 13
ration approaches from ten to twelve. The understanding
of the concept of performance has also been broadened. 12 Approach through rules and standards creates
an overview and synergies 13
Developments and Trends 13

IMS help cope with complexity 13

Status quo of revision and harmonisation 14

Konrad Scheiber Increasing corporate quality with IMS 14

CEO Quality Austria Literature 15

Quality Austria’s Participation in

Standardisation Bodies 15
Imprint 16

2 www.qualityaustria.com Integrated Management Systems

Starting Point
and Aspirations
Every company and every organisation has its very own
management classification which governs and maps me-
chanisms and modes of action of relevance within the
organisation and, in doing so, encompasses different ma-
nagement systems.
In most cases, the build-up of these management sys-
tems follows certain thematic approaches. Virtually every
organisation has installed a performance-oriented ma-
nagement system that illustrates the most important to-
pics of order fulfilment and resource management and,
through expenses and result, also serves the purpose of
operational control. Many forward-looking companies al-
so have in place quality, environmental or safety manage-
ment systems. Today, these approaches to management
systems are governed by international standards or in-
dustry standards. New standards reflecting valuable ex-
perience are created on a regular basis and made availa-
ble as an additional thematic approach to a management
system, e.g. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), risk
management, energy management.
From the point of view of Quality Austria, an organisation’s
integrated management system (IMS) serves to integrate
the systematic and coordinated implementation of the re-
quirements laid down in various international standards
and industry standards in a SINGLE uniform management
system. If organised adequately, there are, in principle,
various benefits in integrating different management sys-
tems. In particular, areas identified by the organisation as
being of material importance are consistently addressed.
Integrated Management Systems www.qualityaustria.com
This position paper aspires to provide a summary of the
dimensions and approaches of the integration of ma-
nagement systems from a modern point of view and to
illustrate beneficial aspects, thereby offering clear starting
points for designing integrated management systems.
Context of the organisation
In the course of the revision and harmonisation of
system management standards, understanding the
organisation’s context has become the central point of
analysis. This is based on the assumption that systematic
management is only possible if an organisation recognis-
es its own specific context. A differentiation is made bet-
ween “external context” and “internal context”.
From an external context perspective, the analysis of
the relevant parameters includes political, legal and re-
gulatory, economic and financial, technological and com-
petition-related framework conditions as well as regional,
cultural and social aspects. What is important here is to
establish the trends and forces that have a significant im-
pact on the organisation’s objectives.
The analysis of relevant parameters from an internal
context perspective describes the role of governance,
the organisational structure including roles and respon-
sibilities as well as policies, objectives and the strategies
in place to realise them. The analysis of internal parame-
ters questions the organisation’s capability of managing
resources and knowledge, e.g. capital, time, people,
processes, systems and technologies. In addition, when
analysing the internal context, the following questions
are asked: What information systems are provided? How
are information flows and decision processes designed?
What models, standards and guidelines are taken over by
the organisation? What form do contractual relationships
take? What values are truly embedded in the organisati-
on? What shapes the corporate culture?
Context also includes the perceptions, aspirations and
values of internal and external stakeholders.
As a consequence, the previously applied approach
based on points of view of five groups of stakeholders,
namely staff, clients, owners and investors, suppliers and
partners, as well as neighbours and the public (see IMS
Position Paper, 2nd Edition, p. 2) needs to be defined mo-
re broadly.
3
 Dimensions of Integration
It makes sense to break down the successful integrati-
on of a management system into several dimensions
(cf. Illustration 1).
Top down integration
from mission statement/policy to operational
implementation of consistent frameworks and values

The integration of topics and requirements such as

quality, the environment, occupational health and safety,
risks, social responsibility and industry-specific require-
ments is, in most cases, given utmost priority when de-
signing an IMS.
The different requirements resulting from standards
and industry standards often also correspond to the
demands made by the individual stakeholders. In the Integration Integration of
past, these requirements were often viewed in an iso- in day-to-day topics/requirements
lated manner and presented in separate systems and processes with each other
structures.
In an increasingly complex and challenging environment,
qualities like speed, flexibility, operational perfection and
Illustration 1: Dimensions of the integration of management
agility are expected from organisations. This can be systems.
best guaranteed by understanding the connections and
interrelations of processes, integrating the different re-
quirements and keeping the documentation simple and The integration in day-to-day processes supports
comprehensible as well as easy to amend and improve. the two other integration topics and takes account of the
fact that a lack of consistency in implementation is more
Top down integration is a fundamental requirement likely than consistent practice. Here, the importance of
which is more than plausible in the light of the clear re- the leadership tasks of implementation and enforcement
quirement that an organisation’s mission statement and becomes apparent. The role model of the top manage-
strategy should be reflected in its processes. A manage- ment ist essential for the successful fulfillment of the IMS
ment system serves no purpose in itself, but is oriented requirements. By rooting the management system in day-
towards the company’s success. It is the system that to-day processes, the economic benefit becomes alive
serves the organisation’s interests and not the other and effective.
way round. Value is added through the best possible Clarity in one’s daily work, the use of synergies and the
integration in the value-creation processes. Moreover, bundling of scarce resources are thus at the fore when it
standards require the management to clearly formula- comes to the integration of management systems.
te the company’s policies and thus provide a precise
framework for action. An integrated management sys-
tem thus supports a consistent leadership framework
which allows both executives and employees to clearly
understand the different requirements of the individual
management areas and to satisfy them in line with the
company’s values.

4 www.qualityaustria.com Integrated Management Systems

Integrated Management Systems
and the Benefits of Certification

Quality Austria stands for the certification of integrated Benefits of certification at

management systems and thus keeps highlighting the be- IMS-certified businesses
nefits of certification of integrated management systems.
The periodical audits of the IMS from different points of In how far has the certification/assessment of your
organisation contributed to the following aspects?
view and with the objective of achieving continuous im-
85
provement promote knowledge transfer within the orga- 81
Please assess each of the influencing fac-
tors. So far, the IMS certification has made
nisation as well as a continuous learning process. After a strong to very strong contribution to ...
74
all, audits are a learning platform. Quality assurance, legal
65 65
certainty, improvement of environmental performance, en- 63
61
hancement of motivation and staff competences, consoli-

Increasing environmental performance

55 54
52
dation of an authentic image both within the organisation 47

Stuff training quality management

39

Control of environmental impacts

36

Increasing process performance

and towards the outside, as well as a reduction in acci-

Consolidating market position

Lowering exposure to liability
31
dent figures are major beneficial aspects of an integrated

Reducing accident figures

Staff training environment

Relations with authorities

management system. This is the result of a survey carried

Customer satisfaction
Staff training safety
out by Quality Austria among its certified clients.

Legal certainty
The qualityaustria survey on the interplay of the impact

Eco-design
of integrated management systems and the implemen-

Image
tation of EU environmental policy identified the legislator
as the central driver when it comes to environmental is-
All figures in percent.
sues. Legal aspects mattered much more than funding
programmes and environmental protection had been put Illustration 3: Benefits of IMS-certification
on top of the agenda. This trend was more distinct in the
case of IMS-certified businesses than with ISO 9001-cer- Two major core requirements of environmental manage-
tified businesses. The survey, carried out in 2009, invol- ment systems, namely legal compliance and the assess-
ved 135 ISO 9001-certified and 115 IMS-certified orga- ment, evaluation and improvement of environmental im-
nisations in Austria. The respondents were managing pacts, are reflected in the statements that the certification
directors and quality managers. has made a strong to very strong contribution to higher
legal certainty and the control of environmental impacts.
Benefits of certification at The call for improvement of the environmental perfor-
ISO 9001-certified organisations mance is further underlined by the fact that increasing en-
vironmental performance ranks number 5. What is striking
So far, the ISO 9001 certification has made a strong to is the strong to very strong impact of the certification on
very strong contribution to: the training of staff in the fields of environment and safe-
66
65 ty. The focus in this connection is on environmental ma-
nagement and risk management as well as on training to
56
51
become an internal auditor. It is obvious that it matters to
46 companies that their staff are aware of environmental and
Consolidating the market position
performance

41
safety issues and also have the corresponding abilities.
Increasing customer satisfaction
processperformance

Enhancing the company’s image

This safety awareness in turn has a positive effect on the

Consolidating staff training

Increasing legal certainty

reduction of accident figures.

Increasingprocess

IMS-certified companies are also more likely to actively

communicate their achievements:
Increasing

n in annual reports
n in environmental declarations
n in sustainability reports.
All figures in percent.

Illustration 2: Benefits of certification ISO 9001 In times where clients and consumers become more and
more critical, this helps to take credible and trust-building
In terms of process, client and staff orientation, this result is measures.
identical with the core requirements under ISO 9001:2008. It looks like the strong to very strong influence on the
Companies with ISO 9001 certification are able to conso- company’s image can be derived from the sum total of the
lidate their market position and to improve their image. At advantages of certification. Certification sustainably sup-
41%, increasing legal certainty ranks number 6 in the list of ports the formation of an organisation’s positive image.
advantages achieved. This shows that legal certainty plays Moreover, IMS-certified businesses also see the conso-
a smaller role than with IMS-certified organisations. lidation of their market position as an additional benefit.

Integrated Management Systems www.qualityaustria.com 5

 The Development towards
Integrated Management Systems
The development of today’s integrated management sys-
tems can be roughly divided into the following characte-
ristic development periods: With the onset of the industrial
boom after World War 2, awareness that “quality testing”
alone would not be enough to support professional pro-
duct manufacturing arose. The motto of those times was
“You cannot test quality into a product. It has to be built
in during the manufacturing process”. This marked the
beginning of quality assurance and quality assurance sys-
tems. This principle was supported by numerous repre-
sentatives of interests and the first rules and standards on
quality assurance systems came into being.
In 1987, the ISO 9000ff standard was published. The ba-
sic requirements laid down in the different quality assu-
rance rules and regulations were integrated in this stan-
dard. ISO 9001 gained wide acceptance within a short
period of time. Based on this standard, a third-party certi-
fication system with international validity was established
and, with a view to revising and enhancing this certifica-
tion system, an internationally harmonised accreditation
system was created. These were the basics that contribu-
ted to the global spreading of ISO 9001 certification. Ac-
cording to the ISO Survey, more than 1,1 million organi-
sations had obtained an ISO 9001 certification until 2011.
In 1992, the EU published the EMAS (“Environmental Ma-
nagement Audit Scheme”) Regulation on environmental
management and, in 1996, the global environmental ma-
nagement standard ISO 14001 followed. Both environ-
mental management systems have their roots in the 1992
6 www.qualityaustria.com
World Summits on Sustainable Development in Rio de
Janeiro. According to an ISO survey, more than 267,500
organisations all over the world were ISO 14001-certified
in 2011. The OHSAS 18001 standard on occupational
health and safety was issued by the OHSAS consortium
in 1999. In 2011, the number of certificates issued world-
wide was 104,000. So far, more than 1,000 ISO 50001
certificates have been issued worldwide.
In 2000, the system-process model was integrated in a
new version of ISO 9001, the most widespread standard
on management systems, as a basic requirement. Priori-
ty was given to orientation towards customers, proces-
ses and staff. The process-oriented approach still forms
a strong base for designing and certifying management
systems of organisations. Coordinated processes with
control criteria for assential aspects and their internalisa-
tion in day-to-day routines are the basis for all manage-
ment areas. The basic understanding enshrined therein
is also the basis for additional system standards, e.g. for
environmental management and safety management.
The efforts taken by many groups of stakeholders to crea-
te separate rules and standards beyond the existing ma-
nagement system standards to define the requirements
for additional fields and/or to further specify the standards
for their own industry is noteworthy as well. By way of ex-
ample, some of these standards are listed below. For a full
list, see the latest revision of the qualityaustria overview
of services:
1. Welding businesses: ISO 3834 providing details in
addition to ISO 9001, Metal construction: EN 1090
2. Automotive: VDA 6.x, ISO/TS 16949
3. Airspace: AS/EN/JiSQ 9100
4. Telecommunications: TL 9000
5. Food safety: ISO 22000, IFS, BRC and many more
6. Medicinal devices: ISO 13485
7. Learning services: ISO 29990
8. Railway suppliers: International Railway Industry
Standard (IRIS)
9. Energy management: ISO 50001
10. Safety: OHSAS 18001, SCC, SCP
11. Corporate Social Resiponsibility (CSR): GRI,
ISO 26000, SA 8000, ONR 192500
12. Risk management: ISO 31000, ONR 49000
ISO has also recognised the need for harmonisation in
the light of growing diversity. Several years were spent on
preparing a harmonisation concept, which became bin-
ding in spring 2012: All new ISO standards defining requi-
rements for MS and all necessary revisions have to use a
common structure (order of the sections), a common core
text and the same terminology. (ISO/IEC Directives, ISO
Supplement, Annex SL, Appendix 3)
Integrated Management Systems
Quality Management
as an Integration Platform
The concept of performance
In order to be able to assess the efficiency of a manage-
ment system, it is necessary to analyse its performance.
We understand the term “performance” to mean “efficien-
cy and ability to achieve results”.
In the following, the concept of performance as defined in
the five major standards (ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004,
EMAS, OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 50001) is compared.
The priority objective of ISO 9001 is to assure a company’s
customers that the products they buy are compliant with
requirements. For this reason, measuring product quali-
ty using suitable indicators is given special importance.
Moreover, the necessary processes are measured. Seve-
ral sections of ISO 9001 are dedicated to these issues.
Primarily, the standard provides for the establishment of
specific objectives (cf. ISO 9001 Section 5.4.1, quality
objectives) and the measurement of products and pro-
cesses (cf. ISO 9001 Sections 8.2.3 and 8.2.4). As ISO
9001 also aims at increasing the satisfaction of custo-
mers, customer satisfaction is another key indicator (cf.
ISO 9001 Section 8.2.1)
For the purpose of integration, ISO 9001:2008 may and
should be used as an integration platform. In line with the
process approach (ISO 9001:2008, 0.2 process approach)
it is made clear that the importance of this approach also
encompasses an emphasis on achieving results in terms
of process performance and efficiency. Customer satisfac-
tion is deemed to be one of the measurements for asses-
Integrated Management Systems www.qualityaustria.com
sing the performance of the quality management system.
Accordingly, the organisation shall monitor information
relating to customer perception as to whether the orga-
nisation has met customer requirements. Input criteria for
management review include customer feedback, product
conformity and also process performance.
In the case of ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007,
the assessment is based on the performance in the field of
environmental protection and/or occupational health and
safety (ISO 14001:2004, 4.6, OHSAS 18001:2007, 4.6).
With a view to environmental protection and/or occupatio-
nal health and safety performance, it is stated that organi-
sations of all kinds are increasingly concerned with achie-
ving sound performance in these fields (ISO 14001:2004,
BS OHSAS 18001:2007, introduction). They do so in the
context of increasingly stringent legislation. Environmen-
tal performance is defined as the “measurable results of
an organisation’s management of environmental aspects”
(ISO 14001:2004, 3.16).
REGULATION (EC) No. 1221/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 November
2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a
Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS)
calls for performance indicators and core indicators to be
taken into account. These performance indicators refer to
energy efficiency, material efficiency, water consumption,
waste volume, biodiversity (concerning the use of land) as
well as emissions.
Innovations brought by ISO 50001 consist of an obliga-
tion to carry out an energy review (ISO 50001, Section
4.4.3) and to determine an energy baseline (Section 4.4.4
– energy data period suitable for energy consumption).
On this basis, energy performance indicators are to be
established (Section 4.4.5).
Shaping corporate policy
Organisations that get certification have to commit them-
selves to the following in their “corporate policy”:
n Quality policy: satisfying requirements and conti-
nuously improving the quality management system’s
efficiency (ISO 9001:2008, 5.3 quality policy)
n Environmental policy: continuously improving and
preventing environmental burdens as well as com-
plying with the applicable legal obligations and other
requirements (ISO 14001:2004, 4.2 environmental
policy)
n Occupational health and safety policy: preventing
injuries and sickness, continuously improving occup-
ational health and safety management and services
and complying with the applicable legal obligations
and other requirements (OHSAS 18001:2007, 4.2 oc-
cupational health and safety policy)
7
 With the growing importance of energy efficiency (EU
Energy Strategy, Austria’s energy strategy including
Draft Federal Energy Efficiency Act, global growth of
ISO 50001), energy policy is going to significantly gain
importance in many companies within a short period of
time. Further examples include risk policy (ISO 31000,
ONR 49000) and security policy (ISO 27000).
These commitments may be seen as the lowest com-
mon denominator for a company’s integrated policy. In
case customer requirements and/or legal requirements
change, the company’s goals need to be adjusted accor-
dingly. The newly developed strategies and the programs,
projects and/or measures derived from such strategies
have an impact both on the process goals and the reali-
sation processes and thus also on process performance.
The priorities within the system might change, resulting in
strong interrelations between the goals set, the provision
of resources and the supervision and measuring of the
realisation processes.
Implementing measures do not only refer to quality as-
pects but also to environmental aspects such as energy
and material efficiency, water consumption, waste, land
consumption and emissions and occupational health and
safety aspects. The situation is similar when it comes
to new and changed procedures and/or the use of new
hazardous substances in the field of occupational health
and safety. As a consequence, new internal and external
staff training may become necessary.
Plan-Do-Check-Act
In practice, quality management lends itself to being a
good integration platform for standardised management
areas. As the process-oriented approach is comprehensi-
vely embedded, the entire organisation is already mapped
in a quality management system. The PDCA (Plan-Do-
Check-Act) cycle plays a major role in this connection. In
practice, this cycle serves as a model for the continuous
improvement process.
As the management system standards ISO 14001:2004
and OHSAS 18001:2007 follow the same approach, their
requirements can be well integrated into an existing clas-
sification of a quality management system.
There are interrelations between the different core and
support processes, e.g. between product specification,
production and marketing or sales, but also between
distribution and procurement. Other interrelations might
arise from the additional perspectives of environmental
protection and occupational health and safety.
Practical approaches to integration are presented in the
next section.
“Systemic Management” means setting system goals and
aligning the relevant processes and required resources
8 www.qualityaustria.com
accordingly. Basically, it is always about satisfying requi-
rements, be they customer requirements or legal requi-
rements regarding the product or, as in the case of stan-
dards on environmental aspects or occupational health
and safety, legal requirements referring to the organisation
itself.
Integration models
When it comes to the integration of management sys-
tems, in the course of practical use in businesses, the
following three models, which differ in terms of depth of
integration, can be observed:
n Summary integration model
n Adaptive integration model
n Process-oriented integration model
In particular the adaptive and the process-oriented inte-
gration models are characterised by an increase in effici-
ency in the control of the management systems. Syner-
gies regarding the same or similar requirements of various
management systems can be used in a reasonable and
effective manner (e.g. CIP, corrective and preventive mea-
sures, control of documents and records, etc). The pro-
cess integration model has the highest depth of integrati-
on and/or maturity.
If all management system models of relevance to the
company are summed up in a single management sys-
tem documentation, this may be referred to as IMS do-
cumentation.
Upsizing / downsizing
In practice, there might be the risk that internal business
requirements and external necessities result in a strong
increase in system documentation (upsizing). As a conse-
quence, the problem of over-regulation might occur after
some time.
One possible measure against upsizing of documentation
is targeted downsizing. In the course of system integration
this may be achieved by defining deliberate downsizing as
a target for the management system integration project.
In the course of audits, specific audit targets and priorities
may be defined in order to make the management sys-
tem leaner. To this end, simple auditing questions may be
used for the purpose of downsizing, e.g.:
n With your current knowledge, which documents
would you no longer prepare and/or introduce?
n Which documents have you not used for more than
one year?
n Where in your company are there documents which
are uncontrolled, due to the fact that the controlled
documents no longer match the practical use within
the company?
Integrated Management Systems
 Integrated
Management System

Special Products
Safety
(Courses, Trainings, Seminars)

(Publications, Congresses, ...)

Transfer of knowledge
Austria
Seal of
Excellence certifica-
quality
... BS OHSAS 18001, SCC, SCP, ...
tion mark
Education

Sector Standards
Enviroment
Auto- Food Health
... ISO 14001, ISO 50001,
motive safety care
EMAS, FSC, ...

Quality in general
ISO 9001

Certification, Assessment, Validation

(Systems, Individuals, Products, Reports)

Your Expert for Integrated Management Systems

Illustration 4: Quality management as an integraton platform

Model of process-oriented quality management according to ISO 9001:2008

Continuous improvement
of the quality management system

Management
Information
responsibility
Customers

Management of Measuring, analysing

Customers resources and improving
Information Satisfaction

Product
Requirements Input Product Result
realisation

Illustration 5: Continuous improvement of quality management: Customer orientation is at the fore, all processes are aligned with this
customer focus. The PDCA cycle encourages continuous improvement.

Integrated Management Systems www.qualityaustria.com 9

 Twelve Approaches to Integration
Based on many years of experience, twelve useful ap-
proaches to integration (integration opportunities) have
been established.
12 Approaches to Integration –
An Overview
Risk
Context Strategy
Management
Organisation Staff
Documentation IMS
Process
Management
Methods Audits
Rules &
KPIs Legal Certainty
standards
Illustration 6: Twelve approaches to integration
1 Approach through the context of the organisation
Understanding the context of the organisation has be-
come the central point of analysis. The analysis of the
relevant parameters covers the internal and the external
context of the organisation and aims at promoting the
organisation’s self-image in a comprehensive sense. All
new and future ISO MS standards provide for the views
and needs of all interested parties to be taken into consi-
deration. Quality is not only determined by the customer,
but for instance also by the requirements of the owner
and the staff.
With a long-term orientation, it is important to take into
account the requirements and expectations of all stake-
holders and to find an adequate balance. This is the only
way to create satisfaction among the stakeholders and
thus also to guarantee the company’s continued exis-
tence with sustainable success.
2 Approach through strategy consolidates the
operating business
A company’s strategy ensures that its vision is achieved
by combining purpose, conduct and procedures over a
time horizon of several years. The basis of every strategy
is the knowledge of the internal and external environment,
the organisation’s own possibilities, the views of the inte-
rested parties, i.e. the context of the organisation. On the
10 www.qualityaustria.com
basis of the strategic analysis, strategic guidelines for ac-
tion – policy, objectives and sub-objectives – are derived
for areas recognised to be of importance. ISO 9001 lays
down the need for a quality policy that corresponds to the
purpose of the organisation; ISO/TS 16949 for the auto-
motive sector calls addictionally for consistency of the qua-
lity goals with the business plan; ISO 29990 requires the
providers of learning services to prepare a business plan.
The process model maps the internal value-creation chain
of a business and thus the “core business” of the respec-
tive organisation and forms the basis for the integration
of standard-specific requirements. This facilitates optimal
integration of the management system into day-to-day
work processes.
3 Approach through risk and opportunity
management guarantees future viability
In the positive sense of the term, risk refers to “opportu-
nity” (gain) and in the negative sense it means “danger”
(loss). In any way, however, risk and opportunity manage-
ment are prerequisites for entrepreneurial success, be-
cause the deliberate, controlled handling of risks allows
for competitive advantages for entrepreneurs. This is,
however, only possible if the company is able to under-
stand its own entrepreneurial risk as a control parameter.
The objective is to ensure corporate success in the long
term by controlling existing risks as entrepreneurial po-
tential.
Generating profits is difficult for all companies, but it is
particularly counterproductive if the profits earned have
to be invested in repairs, fines and legal costs. There is
the saying which goes “You learn from your mistakes”.
This is probably the most expensive way of learning, be-
cause once you realise this, the damage has already be-
en caused. “Prevention is better than curing” would be
a much wiser motto as it clearly requires that the ent-
repreneur takes into account all relevant possibilities in
order to prevent loss. A key element of this “preventive
management” is to take planned systematic measures to
minimise the risk for the enterprises’ operations in such a
manner that any loss is prevented.
In this context ISO 31000 offers a systematic approach
which can be directly combined with ISO 9001, ISO
14001 and OHSAS 18001 to form an integrated ap-
proach. Through the use of the same structure, termino-
logy and approaches, the combination of these standards
offers companies an efficient and at the same time also
broad range of action in order to minimise potential loss
and seize existing opportunities within the organisation.
qualityaustria clients confirm that certified integrated
management systems support risk management in the
long term.
Integrated Management Systems
Due to the ongoing process of revision and harmonisati-
on of system management standards, this approach will
be further promoted by introducing a relevant chapter to
these standards.

4 Approach through organisation creates

effective structures
Basically, every organisation strives for effective and effici-
ent workflows and has in place an organisational struc-
ture (organisational chart, job description with qualifica-
tion and competence profiles, position descriptions) and
a process structure (process model).
These documents need to be reviewed and, if necessary,
supplemented by requirements from the requirement mo-
dels to be integrated. The same applies to legal provisi-
ons. Laws and standards provide for numerous functions
and their responsibilities, e.g. for so-called representati-
ves (“Beauftragte”), and additionally they also lay down
a whole series of requirements. Often, minimum qualifi-
cations of the persons in charge are provided for as well.
For a systematic overview see the qualityaustria CD
“100 representatives at a mouse-click“.
Strategy work keeps giving impetus to improvement pro-
jects and programs, which may be combined with pro-
jects for the implementation of requirement models. Every
organisation with clear strategic planning therefore offers 6 Approach through process management provi-
favourable conditions for the deep integration of a ma- des a basic framework for designing processes
nagement system. The ISO 9001 standard has been explicitly pursuing the
process-oriented approach since 2000. According to this
5 Approach through employees fills a approach, the processes of an organisation have to be
management system with life developed, structured and then consistently implemen-
Intensively involving employees when designing the ma- ted. An important element in this connection is the “pro-
nagement system is beneficial to “integration in the day- cess model” of the respective organisation. The proces-
to-day processes and routines”. It takes people to fill the ses serve both as a basis for assessing efficiency and as
thought-out structures of a management system with life. a starting point for improvement and further development.
Simple systems with a clear structure that offer actual as- Once the processes of an organisation have been deve-
sistance in dealing with day-to-day tasks meet with ac- loped and mapped within the process model along the
ceptance and pragmatically support effective leadership. value-creation chain as well as regarding management
It is the responsibility of executives to be a good example, and assistance, they form an outstanding basis for the
to motivate, to encourage, but also to enforce compliance integration of additional topics relating to the environ-
with the rules and processes agreed upon. ment, safety, health, risk and/or further industry- or topic-
The involvement of the staff, increasing their awareness specific requirements (CSR, ISO 50001, FSC CoC, PEFC
of the advantages of the IMS, further development and CoC, etc.). In-depth knowledge of the processes is, for
the avoidance of discouragement are major factors of instance, a central prerequisite for determining environ-
success. To this end, the staff’s awareness of quality, the mental impacts and assessing their consequences.
environment and occupational health and safety is raised.
However, their awareness needs to be increased again
and again and their competences need to be continuous-
ly developed.

Integrated Management Systems www.qualityaustria.com 11


7 Approach through audits provides a strong
development lever for all organisations
The audit, in addition to conformity assessment regar-
ding the respective standards, is intended to bring to
the fore the organisation’s orientation towards creating
added value. Internal and external audits clearly support
the process approach and promote connected thinking.
That means that the “strategies” of the organisation are
questions in relation to the requirements of market and
society. The impact of the overriding targets, programmes
and projects on process targets (planned results of the
processes) are identified. Thus priorities and distinct inter-
actions can be identified. Audits become an experience
- the organisations are experienced at a certain point in
time under certain framework conditions. When specific
auditing targets have been defined, experiments are pos-
sible, too. They facilitate precise statements on specific
targets. Audits support risk management as potential
problems are recognised in a timely manner, and they
also support knowledge management and consequently
the further development of the organisation. Through the
audit reports, they reflect the learning curve of an orga-
nisation and make developments traceable across audit
periods.
8 Approach through established methods makes
successful implementation easier
In practice, the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is used as a
methodical basis for dynamic continuous improvement.
12 www.qualityaustria.com
As explained before, all major system standards (ISO
9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, etc.) are based on
this cycle. This methodological tool box for quality ma-
nagement has brought into existence a whole series of
additional methods which have been tested and proven
extensively, such as the seven traditional quality manage-
ment tools (Q7), the seven new management tools (M7),
5S, FMEA, etc. These methods reduce complexity and
support the visualisation of challenging situations and the
decision-making process, taking into account all relevant
aspects. What is important in this connection is to make
sure that the entire professional competence available is
used when working on a specific task.
9 Approach through documentation reduces
effort and boosts acceptance
What all requirement models have in common is that clear
system documentation is a must. Usually, this means pre-
paring a manual, including applicable documents such as
descriptions of processes or procedures and work and
auditing instructions. It is advisable to use graphs, flow
charts, tables and descriptions for the purpose of system
documentation to ensure an appropriate mapping of all
rules and standards.
From an integration point of view, the target is to create a
single integrated, self-contained set of rules for mapping
several requirement models. This approach is supported
by the harmonisation of the ISO MS standards. Integrati-
on on the documentation level also triggers a process of
discussion and reflection on the contents of the proces-
ses, procedures and workflow. Duplications and possib-
le contradictions are identified and avoided. Reciprocal
effects become more visible and can be managed in a
targeted manner. Acceptance among users is also sig-
nificantly higher than with parallel management systems.
The documentation thus creates a pragmatic and useful
image of the daily work and encourages other integration
approaches.
10 Approach through key performance indicators
makes effects measurable
In the course of top-down integration, goals are derived
down to the process step level and relevant KPIs are de-
fined. These indicators are then enshrined in the manage-
ment system and thus put into a clearer overall context.
The basic indicators of an organisation show perfor-
mance-related results for a certain period, such as in-
coming orders, performance volume, sales, contribution
margins, personnel and material expenses. This opera-
tional indicator model combines processes and organi-
sational responsibility and is supplemented by additional
indicators provided for by management models such as
customer and employee satisfaction, availability of faci-
lities, error rates, energy use, resource efficiency, waste
Integrated Management Systems

volume, environmental emissions, risk potentials, acci-
dent numbers, number of staff on sick leave and occu-
pational diseases.
In an integrated management system, it is important to
put these indicators into an appropriate context and pro-
cess them together and, in the future, to use them jointly
for decision-making. This raises the question of necessity
of useful early and late indicators.
11 Approach through legal certainty creates a
court-proof organisation
As early as in 1995 H.W. Adams suggested using the ISO
9001 standard as a management system basis in order
to achieve a court-proof organisation. In addition, ISO
14001 and OHSAS 18001 ask for precise procedures
to ensure conformity with the law (Legal Compliance).
These procedures are independent from the respective
legal matters and thus constitute a classic integration ap-
proach. A possible way of guaranteeing conformity with
the law, taking into special account SMEs, is described
comprehensively in the book “Rechtliche Verpflichtungen
aktiv managen” (How to actively manage legal obliga-
tions).
12 Approach through rules and standards creates
an overview and synergies
Regarding the integration approaches used in rules and
standards, a differentiation is made between theme-speci-
fic integration and cross-thematic integration.
Basically, the correlations between the individual rules and
standards containing requirements are determined in or-
der to detect synergies and to avoid duplications. In an
integrated management system, overlapping requirements
are worked on and documented only once in an integrated
management system. The regulations resulting from this
process then cover overlapping requirements from several
requirement models at the same time. The outstanding de-
tailed requirements become visible and are also mapped.
As a result, in spite of the requirements set forth in several
rules and standards being met, the overall system docu-
mentation is lean.
This approach creates a high level of acceptance, prima-
rily among users. Additionally, the administrative effort is
minimised.
This type of integration is made easier by new and future
ISO MS standards: similar requirements are described
using the same core text, and it is easier to understand
the intention of the differences.
Integrated Management Systems www.qualityaustria.com
Developments and Trends
Integrated management systems reduce com-
plexity. In the near future, the importance of risk
management is going to increase considerably. The
further harmonisation of standards is underway on
an international level.
IMS help cope with complexity
Today, companies are faced with an environment marked
by increasing instability. Economic globalisation, substan-
tial increases in performance while prices are dropping in
many technological areas, fragmented markets, but also
changes in society require organisations to be flexible and
very quick in seizing opportunities as they open up on
the one hand and consistent when it comes to value and
robustness on the other.
In a dynamic and complex environment “internal simplifi-
cation” is a must. “Complex thinking and simple internal
communication” is becoming a big challenge for executi-
ves. If adequately implemented, integrated management
systems support the simplification process required for
internal communication, and thus the ability to adjust fle-
xibly and to develop quickly. The integration of manage-
ment systems as a tool to reduce complexity is therefore
gaining importance.
How do you see the development of integrated manage-
ment systems (quality, environment, health and safety)
in the next five years?
22%
significant
increase
No statement 2%
54%
rather 4% will increase
decrease
18%
stay constant
Illustration 7.: More than 76% of the respondents expect an
increase in importance or a significant increase in importance
of IMS within the next five years.
In a survey carried out by Quality Austria in 2009, 250
decision-makers from ISO 9001-certified and IMS-certi-
fied organisations answered the question “How do you
see the development of integrated management systems
(quality, environment, health and safety) in the next five
years?” and came to the following result: more than 76%
of the respondents expect an increase in importance or
a significant increase in importance within the next five
years.
13

The main reasons given for this growing importance were
the following:
n Synergies are being used
n Requirements in general are on the rise, e.g. in the
field of law
n Customer demands are increasing.
In another survey on quality management, carried out by
the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology in ap-
prox. 500 German production businesses, respondents
were asked about the importance of management sys-
tems in addition to quality management. According to this
survey, the introduction of additional management sys-
tems is significantly on the rise. 24% of the responding
companies were planning to introduce an environmental
management system within the next one to three years.
This corresponds to a growth rate of 94% compared to
the previously listed number of companies participating in
the survey. According to this survey, high growth rates are
also expected in the fields of risk management systems
(128%) and occupational health and safety (70%).
The importance of integrated management systems
was reflected in this survey as well: 79% of respondents
answered the question “Do you use management sys-
tems within the framework of an integrated management
system, i.e. in combination with a quality management
system” in the affirmative.
Auditing practice at Quality Austria has shown that quali-
tyaustria clients are increasingly combining several stan-
dards in a single management model.
14 www.qualityaustria.com
Status quo of revision and harmonisation
New ISO standards, ongoing ISO projects and current re-
visions use the new common structure (order of sections),
a common core text and the same terminology. (ISO/IEC
Directives, ISO Supplement, Annex SL, Appendix 3).
By the end of 2012 the following ISO-MS standards had
been adopted in accordance with the harmonisation re-
quirements:
n ISO 30301 Management system for records
n ISO 22301 Business continuity management systems
n ISO 20121 Event sustainability management systems
n ISO 39001 Road-traffic safety management systems
The following projects were in the pipeline at the turn of
the year 2012/2013:
n ISO 55001 Asset management (DIS)
n ISO 16125 Security management system (CD)
The following revisions meet the requirements for harmo-
nisation:
n ISO/IEC 27001 Information security management
systems (DIS)
n ISO 14001 Environmental management systems
(WD3-2012 12)
n ISO 9001 Quality management systems (WD1-2012 12)
Increasing corporate quality with IMS
From the point of view of Quality Austria, integrated ma-
nagement systems are considered material prerequisites
for increasing the overall perceivable quality of a compa-
ny. Their certification furthers consistency in implemen-
tation as well as the integration in the three dimensions
mentioned earlier. In the long run, this also boosts com-
petitiveness, robustness and the value of an organisation.
The qualityaustria vision on integrated management
systems goes as follows: In future, organisations will meet
all requirements and aspects in such a manner that only
a single comprehensive and integrated management sys-
tem is used for implementation. This IMS can be seen
from the different perspectives of performance-oriented
business, quality, environmental protection, occupatio-
nal health and safety, societal responsibility or risk ma-
nagement and thus contributes to an overall increase in
corporate quality and consequently also the company’s
success.
Services provided by Quality Austria such as audits, app-
raisals and education and further training measures alrea-
dy satisfy the requirement of guaranteeing and increasing
the corporate quality of our customers through compe-
tence in integrated management systems. Quality Austria
actively participates in international working groups and
Integrated Management Systems
 Quality Austria’s Participation
in Standardisation Bodies

ISO bodies, carries out surveys, analyses surveys of third Quality Austria has been actively involved in shaping the
parties and develops the competence of trainers and au- development of standards for years.
ditors on a regular basis in order to identify future deve-
lopments at an early stage and to implement them in a Overview of representation in international
practice-oriented manner. qualityaustria auditors have bodies and standardisation activities
a high level of professional and methodological expertise
Organisation Subgroup
regarding several management models.
IQNet General Assembly
Sector Committee Peer Evaluation &
IQNet
Membership
IQNet SC Policy & Constitution
SC Marketing and Development, SC
IQNet
Harmonization
IQNet Food Safety Team
EOQ Board of Directors, General Assembly
EOQ PRU Steering Committee, PRU
EOQ Technical Working Group
EFQM Partner Meeting
IPC Board of Directors; General Assembly
VDA-QMC VDA 6 Committee Working Group
VDA-QMC VDA Veto Commission
IATF IATF (VDA-QMC) Veto Commission
IAQG/AAI Aviation Division (certification)
Literature Development of Standards
International
ISO TC34/SC17 (MS Food Safety)
Adams H.W.; Integriertes Managementsystem für Sicherheit und
ISO TC176 (Quality Management)
Umweltschutz, Carl Hanser Verlag, ISBN 3-446-18104-0
ISO TC176/SC2 (Quality Systems)
Hackenauer Wolfgang; Nohava Martin; Wirnsperger Johann; ISO TC176/SC3 (Quality Tools)
Betriebliche Verpflichtungen aktiv managen, Vienna, Quality Austria,
2005, ISBN 3-200-00497-5 ISO TC176/SC2/WG 24 (Revision ISO 9001)
ISO TC207 (Environmental Management)
Hackenauer Wolfgang, Dick Axel: Geschichte der Umweltpolitik in
der Europäischen Union - Die Beiträge von Managementsystemen ISO TC207/SC1 (EM Systems)
und speziellen Umweltprogrammen zur Realisierung der EU-Umwelt- ISO TC207/SC3 (Environmental Audits)
politik in Österreich, Quality Austria, 1st edition, Vienna 2012, ISBN
978-3-9502295-1-6
ISO PTC 262 (Risk Management)
ISO TMB/JTCG/TF1 (MSS Harmonisation)
Kastl Isabel; Wirnsperger Johann; Managementsysteme integriert
organisieren, Vienna, Austrian Standards plus Publishing, 2009, ISO CASCO (Conformity Assessment)
ISBN 978-3-85402-164-3 ISO CASCO/WG30 (ISO 17024-2)
Radinsky Orlin, Bauer Eckehard: Unternehmensstrafrecht kompakt, ISO CASCO/WG35 (ISO/TS 17021-3)
LexisNexis ARD ORAC, Vienna 2009, ISBN-13: 978-3700744962
Development of Standards
Scheiber Konrad, (1999): ISO 9000 – Die große Revision – Basis Austria
für die Integration von Managementsystemen – Wegweiser zur ASI K129 (Quality Management Systems)
Umsetzung von Normforderungen, Österreichische Vereinigung für
Qualitätssicherung (ÖVQ), Vienna, 2nd edition ASI AG 129 10 (Innovation Management)
ASI AG 129 11 (Process Management)
Scheiber Konrad, (2000): ISO 9000:2000 – Professionell Auditieren,
ASI K205 (Food Inspection)
Österreichische Vereinigung für Qualitätssicherung (ÖVQ), Vienna
ASI K226 (Enviroment)
Schmitt, Robert; Qualität in produzierenden Unternehmen Deutsch- ASI AG 226 07 (Climate Change)
lands 2010“, HG. R. Schmitt, Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstech-
nologie IPT, 2011
ASI K246 (Emergency Management)
ASI K251 (CSR)
Wirnsperger Johann; Pölzl Uwe; Schrammhauser Hans; Das QSU- ASI AG 251 05 (dev. ONR 192500)
Management – Qualität, Sicherheit, Umwelt – Grundlagen, Ideen
und Praxisbeispiele; Vienna: Verlag des ÖGB GesmbH, 1997, ISBN ASI K252 (Risk & BCM)
3-7035-0604-0 ASI AG 252 07 (Risk Management)
ASI K253 (Conformity Assessment)
Wirnsperger Johann; Brandstätter Klaus; 100 Beauftragte mit einem
Klick, Vienna, Quality Austria, 2010, ISBN-13:978-3-9502295-1-6 ASI SA 1005 (Environmental Strategy)
ASI General Assembly
Walder, Franz-Peter, Redling Andreas (2010): Unternehmensqualität,
die Position der Quality Austria, Vienna ASI Presidential Council

Integrated Management Systems www.qualityaustria.com 15

Quality Austria
Training, Certification
and Evaluation GmbH

Headquarters
Zelinkagasse 10/3
1010 Vienna, Austria, Europe
Phone: (+43 1) 274 87 47
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Phone: (+43 732) 34 23 22
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Imprint
Chief editors:
Konrad Scheiber, Axel Dick,
Franz Peter Walder

Dok. Nr.: RE 24_00_70, Positionspapier IMS, 3rd edition: November 2013

Contributing authors:
Wolfgang Hackenauer, Anni Koubek,
Thomas Szabo, Eckehard Bauer,
Johann Wirnsperger

Art design: AG Media

Translation: Martina Flor