The Integration of Quality Management and Environmental Management Systems

Abstract

Various Management Systems (MSs) (Quality, Environment, Health and Safety, etc.) are put in place by a great number of organisations, to improve their global performance and recently, the most important challenge is their integration. An Integrated Management System (IMS) is based on the combination of a number of MSs to plan, realise, control, audit and systematically improve the wide array of company performance. The adoption of an IMS is favored by the same basic principles and the similar common structure of the main standards implemented. The roadmap towards the integration of MSs, particularly in the agri-food sector, has to be seen as a complex path, involving innovative future management systems and tools and deriving from the call to satisfy emerging socio-economic requests from organisations engaged in continuous improving of their global performance in quality, environment, health and safety and social responsibility. The Integration of Management Systems is a highly relevant management approach, capable of generating significant benefits and more efficient management and use of resources.