An Integrated Management System can benefit your organization through increased

efficiency and effectiveness, and cost reductions while minimizing the disruption caused
by several external audits. It also shows your commitment to increased performance,
employee and customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement.
With an integrated management system, your management systems work together, with
each function aligned behind a single goal: improving the performance of the entire
organization. Instead of silos, you have a coordinated effort which is greater than the
sum of its parts and is not only more efficient but more effective. An integrated system
provides a clear, uniform image of your entire organization, how they impact each other,
and the associated risks. Efficiency is gained from less duplication, and it becomes
easier to adopt new systems in the future.
The Ten Benefits of an IMS are:
Improving performance
Integrated management systems will have a positive impact on specific management
system components and outcomes such as improvements in quality, safety, risk, and
productivity.
Eliminating redundancies
One of the top benefits of implementing multiple management system standards is
being able to align the standards to find a common or single management system
components. These may include policies, objectives, processes or resources. For
example, you may be able to have a single procedure for training, document control,
management reviews, internal audits or improvements. When you implement more than
one standard at a time you are able to find these similarities which can save your
organization a great amount of time, and in return money
Accountability
When you integrate multiple management systems at a time and establish cohesive
objectives, processes, and resources, with the alignment of the systems you will see
improvement in accountability.
Establish consistency
When you use an integrated approach, your organization can create better consistency
of the management systems. When you create consistency, the system will become
less complex and therefore is easier understood. Consistency will create an improved
focus on achieving a common set of objectives that are important to the organization.
Reducing Bureaucracy
Reducing bureaucracy stems from eliminating redundancy. Oftentimes when multiple
management standards are implemented and not integrated, dilemmas can arise by the
inability to streamline decisions because of the layers of hierarchy. When the
management systems are integrated, your organization can take a systematic
approach. The processes can better accommodate changes. When changes and
decisions are easily made, this will reduce bureaucracy. For an effective approach,
establishing process owners with a cross-functional team can be greatly beneficial.
These teams take on responsibility and accountability in an effective approach to
breaking down barriers to decision making and deployment.
Cost Reduction
Integrated Management Systems allows your organization to conduct integrated audits
and assessments, as well as optimize processes and resources. When you can
integrate these systems it can help reduce the time it takes to do certain activities,
eliminate the amount of time interrupted and therefore reduce costs.
Optimize Processes and Resource
When viewing standard requirements, do not consider them an added load or task to
the organization, rather remember that they are a way to implement expectations from
customers, interested parties and the organization, and create a smooth and effective
process. Resources can be optimized because they become focused on process
implementation and adding value rather than additional system maintenance.
Reducing maintenance
Maintenance refers to the ongoing compliance checks and ensuring that you are
upholding the management system standard requirements. When you have an
integrated management system you can maintain the requirements concurrently,
streamlining the process and allowing the organization to focus on improvements rather
than maintaining multiple systems when that is unnecessary.
Integrated Audits
When you start with an integrated management system, you can then have integrated
audits. There are many great benefits to having integrated audits if you are interested in
learning more read: Integrated Audits
Facilitating decision making
Eliminating redundancy and creating consistency within the organization allows for a
more complete view of the functional needs and performance. This integrated approach
also allows the organization to analyze functional and department barriers and therefore
improve communication and decision making.