What is a management system? A brief explanation and introduction

Management systems distinguish professional companies from those in which things happen randomly and on-demand.

Different motives underlie the introduction of management systems:

• Business causes: Companies want to improve their performance and efficiency.
• Competitive causes: Companies want to be certified to a management system (e.g., ISO 9001:2015).
• Regulatory causes: Companies need to prove that they comply with legal regulations (e.g. occupational safety).

The most well-known management systems include ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001, and ISO 45001 for occupational safety. These management systems can be the subject of ISO certification. Other management systems include Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, and ISO 56002 for innovation management.

Many management systems are interpreted, defined, and implemented by companies themselves. These include, for example, the continuous improvement process, idea management, risk management, and knowledge management. Although there are relevant standards for this in some cases, such as ISO 31000 for risk management, in practice many companies design it themselves. In implementing a management system for ideas or knowledge, companies often tend to focus on their own needs and best practice solutions.

Read the full article…