Whether for small, medium, or large-scale businesses, keeping the management system (MS) simple and updated is always a challenge. This is because an MS relies on various factors for proper operation. This results in not only updating difficulties but can also lead to rigid processes, delayed execution, and even non-conformities. Hence, beyond impairing the company’s performance, a poor management system can negatively impact customer satisfaction.
Thus, striving to maintain a straightforward and updated management system is fundamentally a best practice to enhance results and improve the organization as a whole. In today’s article, we will share some tips on how to improve your management system’s fluidity, which also affects the quality of audits!
The tips here mainly serve management systems based on ISO standards, like ISO 9001:2015 or ISO 45001:2018. However, other MSs can also benefit from them.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that due to the advent of Annex SL, it has become much easier to integrate and understand standards. As such, management systems are more than ever moving towards simplicity, efficacy, and efficiency. With that said, let’s delve into the content!
Don’t Skimp on Time When Implementing the Management System
This tip is especially for those beginning their certification efforts but also applies to those needing to adjust or implement new routines. In short, it’s for every management professional! Often, in our rush to establish systems quickly, we create documentation without adequately reflecting on its functionality in the company. This results in unnecessary complexity and bureaucracy, hampering fluidity and updates post-implementation. Therefore, it’s vital to work mindfully during the initial phases of setting up a management system or new practices. This ensures a system tailored to the company’s actual needs, not merely fulfilling documentation. This, in turn, aids in keeping the management system straightforward and current.
Raise Awareness and Delegate Roles and Responsibilities
No matter your company’s size, it’s a mistake to centralize all management system routines on one individual. The MS is meant to serve the company and improve processes, meaning it must be everyone’s responsibility. Restricting the MS to one or few individuals will lead to burnout and redundancy. Thus, raising awareness is crucial. If everyone understands their roles and responsibilities within the system, it tends to run more smoothly and stay updated.
Focus on Essentials and Avoid Bureaucracy
Resist the temptation to establish an overly complex management system with excessive procedures and documentation. Concentrate on what’s essential to achieve your company’s goals. This sounds straightforward, but daily processes can prove challenging. Ensure you maintain only pertinent documentation and avoid creating documents just to satisfy normative requirements (for standards like ISOs 9001, 14001, 45001, among others). Retain only those documents vital for operation and system enhancement. This is perhaps the most critical aspect of keeping your management system uncomplicated and updated.
Hire a Certifying Entity That Aids in Simplifying Processes!
The certifying body is the entity that will audit your process and identify improvement opportunities for your management system. Thus, the way the certifying body operates will directly affect the progress of your processes.
If you hire a company that doesn’t take into account the factors mentioned here, they will likely require more documents and routines from you, possibly even unnecessary ones. Therefore, it’s crucial to rely on an external provider that assists you in seeking greater simplicity, effectiveness, and efficiency in the management system.
And in this regard, QMS can assist you. Rely on us to ensure audits that genuinely help you keep your management system straightforward and current!
Simplicity is the key to keeping the management system simple and updated!
In a business world that’s constantly evolving, maintaining a straightforward and updated management system has never been more crucial. As previously mentioned, an efficient management system is the backbone of an organization, regardless of its size. Overlooking its significance can lead to severe repercussions for the company’s health.
Unnecessary complexity and bureaucracy can choke the agility of processes and undermine operational efficiency. This not only hampers internal performance but also directly affects customer satisfaction. After all, satisfied customers often result from optimized and effective internal processes.
Therefore, striving to maintain a simple and updated management system is not just good practice but an imperative necessity. The simplicity in implementation, awareness of all employees regarding their responsibilities, and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy are fundamental steps to achieve this goal.
Furthermore, when selecting a certifying body, ensure it aligns with your vision of simplifying and enhancing processes rather than complicating them. Collaborating with external partners who champion the effectiveness and efficiency of the management system is crucial in the pursuit of continual simplicity and updating.
In summary, a simple and updated management system is not just a luxury but a requirement for success in modern business. It not only boosts internal efficiency but also significantly contributes to customer satisfaction. Hence, invest time and effort in streamlining and updating your management system, and reap the benefits of an agile, effective company ready to tackle the ever-changing market challenges. After all, simplicity is the pathway to excellence.
