A management system can be described as a framework or structure that helps organizations achieve their goals by effectively and efficiently planning, directing, following up and improving their activities. It is a collection of processes and procedures that are applied in all parts of the organization to ensure continuous improvement and compliance with laws, regulations and standards.
Unfortunately, however, it is often a description of how to wishing To make the organization work. When we establish a management system, we want it to be truly a tool for top management to ensure that operations are conducted according to established procedures and a support for employees in their daily work - not a collection of documents that nobody reads.
All companies consist of a set of processes that work together to ensure that the company achieves set goals and becomes successful. These processes include everything from project management to staff management, customer relations and more.
In addition to the description of these processes, a management system includes elements such as the company's policy, objectives, environmental impact and risks — which of course all companies have in one form or another.
Exactly what is included in a management system depends on what areas it is built to cover.
Common areas for a management system to cover are, for example, quality, environment or work environment. What you choose to cover depends on what is important to your business and the requirements of your customers and other stakeholders.
Other areas that are common for management systems to cover are for example information security, energy management, food safety, medical technology and social responsibility - we have worked with all of these and many many more over the years but for most people the stumbling block on the journey is usually in quality, environment and/or work environment.
In short, we can say that implementing and following a management system contributes to structure and gives you the opportunity to increase the efficiency of the business in a controlled manner, as well as ensure that you achieve your goals. Because isn't that the dream? That everyone in the organization actually works according to the same system, gets better all the time and that it helps you achieve your goals?
Before we get into how you actually approach building a management system or what each standard entails, we need to take a moment to talk about analog and digital management systems.
Too many people are still stuck with a visualization of their management system that is a pile of PDFs, emails and hard-to-work Excel sheets that are only dusted off from the file server in an audit.
It is not something that is used daily by all employees and hardly conveys a feeling of “high quality”.
Now you may think that it is wrong to claim that a management system is set up in Word, Excel and/or Power Point or yes t.o. Visio and which one stores in Windows Explorer or other file server is an analog system?
And in a way you're right about that but we dare to claim that it is not the storage that makes it digital or analog but the focus on documents that makes it analogous.
If you can print it out on paper without losing anything in daily operations besides easy access to the documentation, it's still a very analog system.
If we already think digitally at the time of establishing the management system, with the help of IT tools we can create a system that not only meets the requirements of selected standards, but also increases efficiency and provides smart ways to collaborate and constantly improve the organization.
The management system goes from being a description of how things should work to the way things actually work.
The management system should be a working tool.
If everything is where the employees are already working, then the things will be used. Logical, right?
Then, of course, there is the advantage that it is more cost-effective, runs faster and gives better results as well.
Transitioning from an analog to a digital management system can feel overwhelming for many, but it is a necessary change to increase productivity and efficiency in the organization.
A digital management system is not only a way to store documents, but it becomes a tool that is used daily by all employees. It can provide better insight and understanding of processes, help identify and solve problems faster, and provide better opportunities for collaboration and continuous improvement.
The benefits of digitalization cannot be ignored. It is time to take the plunge and embrace technological progress in this area.
The investment in time and resources will definitely pay off in the long run through increased efficiency, productivity and quality.
Above is an excerpt from our e-book “ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 - The Ultimate Guide”. Download the full e-book for free here.
