I’ve been in LinkedIN for a good few years and made many new and good friends/contacts/associations. I’ve also involved myself in many discussions across a range of subjects but have often come away feeling that I think things out too simply to be part of the “noteables”. …. and then some said Integrated was a Dodo!!!! We talked and we agreed the term Integrated was the Dodo not the concept for done correctly Integrated generating A management system
Many moons ago I came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter the subject but “management was management” in other words whether you were implementing a new IT system or a Quality Management system then the principles for best management are the same. With that in mind my approach to integration – almost without realizing and starting with my M Phil (Sci) study – has consistently tried to blend standards. I first looked at joining 9k, 14k and 18k together and decided 14k made more sense so my IMS structure was just that. Then they changed 9k (2000) and others started – like 27k for example – following on so my IMS structure went the way of 9k. became interesting trying to shoe-horn Product Realization when dealing with Prisons, or Government or Health Service etc etc … but it worked. Then other standards appeared and became manifest because of http://tinyurl.com/cmqq5nb that another “standard” structure was going to become the norm ….. for me to follow and adapt to. The advantage of my software structure is that this is doable without too much pain… However, will this be the last time and is the best way?
When I started on this journey with the software I followed a pattern shown to me by a colleague who had used it to create a safety management system based on the insurance industry analysis of what made a minimum risk company. Whilst the questions have been honed over the years to take into account all standards BUT – primarily – ensure they adopted best practice. The most interesting comment about the way I had structured the questions came after a demonstration where the client – a group director of a very large pharmaceutical company – stated “we could use this as a due diligence tool prior to acquisition!”. That emphasized – to me anyway – that we had achieved the objective…. create a best practice management system and have ISO almost as a spin-off… as “management is management” good management will gain ISO certification. To evidence the “management” approach that is why the very first question in my audit sequence is “what % of senior managers have attended a presentation on “the programme”?” because – I am sure – we will all agree that unless the answer to that is a yes all other answers are irrelevant and setting a commitment cannot be truly made unless senior managers understand what they have embarked on.
I feel the same with how management systems should be structured – that they should be as close to a step by step approach to management as is reasonably possible. My first reading of the ISO approach – http://tinyurl.com/cmqq5nb – was positive until I saw where Objectives fitted. I’ve had the good fortune to be engaged in Trinidad with the Safe To Work (STOW) contractor standard and – to me – this is an example to ISO as to where management systems should start. STOW has Leadership as it’s first main clause. That makes sense to me because that has to be best practice to ensure “leadership” is identified and qualified etc as the first step in setting up a company management system.
Now I KNOW that will be many many views about what is a correct structure and a correct process to follow to develop and evidence a management system but let me outline mine – in skeleton on this Blog and more detail in subsequent ones.
Leadership
This has to be the first matter to be put in place and “confirmed” for the Management System. In essence, that leadership KNOWS and UNDERSTANDS and is CAPABLE… – more next Blog
Context Of Organization
The next element is to cover WHY is the Organization there, what is it’s raison d’étre, what are it’s SMART objectives and targets.
Planning
WHAT processes do I need to put in place to make sure the Objectives and targets can be reached – ie HOW is the company going to achieve.
Support
WHAT support processes and resources are required to ensure that the planning can achieve the objectives and targets
Operations
HOW do we ensure that the processes created are controlled and work.
Performance Measurement
HOW am I identifying – actively and reactively – that controls are working and processes are working towards achieving Objectives and Targets
Improvement
WHAT can be done to ensure we have a healthy continual improvement process not ony to ensure objectives and targets are met BUT to clarify where the ways of achieving same can be improved.
ReviewHOW do we formally look back at the whole management system – operations, performance, improvement – to ensure that Objectives and Targets can be really SMART for the next period…