There’s an old saying that ‘time is money’ and that’s certainly the case for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) when it comes to paperwork and the like! After working long hours in their business, many owners then have to go home and work on the ‘support system’ – finances, marketing, training, research and so on.
And as our world becomes more competitive, and more procedure-driven – with an increasing amount of legislation to abide by – business owners just get busier and busier. But there is a way to ease that pressure, whilst also improving the efficiency and productivity of the business.
Merging Systems
All organisations have systems in place to cover key issues, like safety, quality management, training, finances and so on. Any business that has more than one management system in place would be wise to consider merging those systems into one manageable system – or what is known as an integrated management system.
Generally, systems based on Australian or International Standards merge well together – in fact, the International Organization for Standardization recommends it.
The most common merger is Integrated Management System ISO 9001, which takes quality assurance as its base. This can work hand-in-hand with environmental (EMS), and occupational health and safety (OH&SMS) management systems, to create a more cohesive organisation with streamlined paperwork and reporting.
Save Time and Money
There are many benefits to be had from implementing Integrated Management System ISO 9001, ranging from day-to-day savings in time and money, to improving an organisation’s competiveness in the marketplace.
Most business owners – especially SMBs – say that initiating Integrated Management System ISO 9001 improved their decision-making process, as it gave them a better overview of the organisation. In the same way, it also helped them identify which areas of the business needed more work, and eliminate any duplication of processes and procedures.
Using Integrated Management System ISO 9001 – which is quality management based – helps the business owner formulate more comprehensive long-term plans and objectives, knowing that the different processes and procedures support each other.
OHSAS 18001 Training
With Integrated Management System ISO 9001 as the basis, other areas of the organisation can more easily be improved, by integrating other Standards, one of the main ones being workplace health and safety.
Both OHSAS 18001 and AS/NZS 4801 work well with ISO 9001, and it is both easier and more economical when it comes to training.
ISO training has many advantages, one of the most important being that it demands the involvement of all staff, with the onus on management to lead from the top.
So, for example, if an organisation is undertaking OHSAS 18001 training, management and staff will benefit, helping make the workplace a much safer place for all concerned.
Coordinated Responses
Integrated Management System ISO 9001 clearly shows how different systems within an organisation work better, when they work together, providing coordinated responses to any challenges and changes.
It is a way of streamlining an organisation to improve productivity and lower costs, without impacting on workers – in other words, saving money by reducing waste, avoiding duplication and making other improvements is far more preferable to making staff redundant.
In today’s lean times, far too many organisations believe the solution is to get rid of employees – we hear of more examples every day. But people are an organisation’s most important asset, so this is a very negative, kneejerk response.
Remove Waste, Not People
Far better then, to keep this precious commodity and save money by improving management systems, better training staff and improving quality, in order to grow the customer base.
Indeed, those organisations that do implement Integrated Management System ISO 9001, and other Standards, gain the edge over their competitors in many ways.
They are able to advertise the fact that they have gained accreditation, making them the go-to supplier in the area. And they will also find that accreditation will open doors to bigger and better contracts. Increasingly we see major companies and government departments dealing only with accredited organisations, in order to guarantee best quality and best practice. Therefore a little time and effort spent achieving accreditation is a very wise move indeed.
Choose Expert Trainers
And it really isn’t as difficult to achieve as some organisations think. All businesses have systems in place already, so it is quite simply a case of amalgamating them into one system.
Generally, to achieve this, a business will work with specialist consultants, like SC Training Centre in Brisbane. The process starts with an assessment of the organisation’s current systems, and future goals. The next step is to formulate and implement a management plan; provide training; audit, and then seek accreditation.
There are many training organisations offering these services, but the key is to choose one that not only has experience and recognition within the ISO community, but whose trainers have experience and qualifications across all major industries.