Track: Total Quality Management

Abstract

Organisations in recent years have opted for an integrated management system (IMS), especially in Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety, which by design are generally considered to be compatible or rather easier to integrate. IMS is intended to consolidate the resources of the organisation in terms of people, documentation, auditing, compliance, etc. and as such it reduces costs and brings focus to the business. However, the downside is that the implementation process is not a “same fit for all”, but rather each situation is dependent on many factors including the state of readiness of the organisation, its size, maturity level of individual management systems and support from the executive management.  Despite the rise in the number of organisations that have implemented the IMS in the last number of years, problems related to integration difficulties and lack of alignment with business strategy still exist. This paper, presents a practical perspective of the challenges and critical factors in relation to the implementation of the IMS in a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) business, which by its nature is susceptible to quality, environmental, and safety risks due to its high speed of operation.