Process embedded design of integrated management systems

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to provide a process-based design of integrated management systems (IMS) implementation. Design/methodology/approach -An extensive survey of peer-reviewed literature was conducted. Based on the literature review, a comprehensive methodology for the design and implementation of an IMS was developed. Findings -A critical review of the strategies employed and of difficulties encountered in IMS implementation reveals the need for a context-and process-based design of IMS. At the operational level core activities are first designed from the perspective of stakeholders' requirements and then treated with operational excellence tools to strip away waste. The transformed core processes are then integrated with mainstream individual management systems to form one composite and holistic management system. The institutionalisation of IMS needs to be addressed in its design (through process embedded design) as well as at the users' level (through education and training of employees). Practical implications -The paper provides the process-based strategy for IMS implementation and institutionalisation. Originality/value -The paper should be useful for practitioners searching for a recipe to integrate management systems, for government regulatory agencies seeking to facilitate the integration of management systems, and for researchers as a future area of research.

Integration of management systems: A methodology for operational excellence and strategic flexibility

“…First, lean production is shown to consist of a bundle of practices (Browning and Heath 2009;Shah and Ward 2003); research has yet to focus on the integration of MSs among these bundles. One of the possible reasons may be that integration of MSs is still a developing topic (Asif et al 2009;Karapetrovic and Jonker 2003). To our knowledge this is the first research to extend the subsets of lean practices through inclusion of integration of MSs in the lean bundles.…”

“…A description of the selected organisations is summarized in Table 2. Asif et al 2009;Beckmerhagen et al 2003;Bernardo et al 2008;Douglas and Glen 2000;Holdsworth 2003;Jonker and Karapetrovic 2004;Jørgensen 2008;Jørgensen et al 2006;Karapetrovic 2002Karapetrovic and Jonker 2003;Labodova 2004;Rocha et al 2007;Salomone 2008 Degree of integration IMS: a means to sustainable development IMS: a means to sustainable management systems…”

An analysis of the perceived difficulties arising during the process of integrating management systems

“…Managers were asked to indicate the integration model followed by the organization: the cross reference charts provided by international standards, and the Total Quality Management principles (Karapetrovic, 2003;Labodová, 2004;Asif et al, 2009). …”

“…Other internal difficulties identified in the literature relate to the lack of financial, human and knowledge-based resources (Asif, Bruijn, Fisscher, Searcy & Steenhuis, 2009;Simon et al, 2012) and poor involvement of top managers (López-Fresno, 2010;Gianni & Gotzamani, 2015).…”

“…Finally, previous studies show that all these internal difficulties are reliant on both certain strategic decisions made during the design of the new management system and endogenous characteristics of the firm (Jonker & Klaver, 1998;Zutshi & Sohal, 2005;Asif et al, 2009;Sampaio, Saraiva & Domingues, 2012;Bernardo, Casadesus, Karapetrovic, & Heras, 2012b).…”