Operational Excellence:

Eco-Effectiveness

Integrated Environmental and Quality Management System (EQMS)

Achieving Synergy

A market study in the Netherlands initiated by The Dutch Technical Committee on Quality Management and carried out by the Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) in collaboration with Tilburg University TIAS Business School concluded that full integration between ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 was possible and  it was easiest for organizations that had  structured their ISO 9001 Quality Management System together with their business processes and such integration could lead to valuable synergies.

The First Step: Initial appraisal

At the point of implementation of the management system especially for first time it is better to know where the organization stands with reference to the requirements it is going to conform to. Both the management system standards provide guidelines to establish this fact – one through Initial Environmental Review and another through Self Assessment.

This exercise is voluntary in both the management systems. But  it is very important to set the goals for continual improvement in motion based on facts.

Common Statement of Policy

Policy is overall intentions and direction of organization related to quality/environment as formally expressed by the top management. Both management systems have enunciated norms for defining the policy. Keeping those guideline in mind a single policy may be developed. The requirements of both standards are now similar.

Common Management Representative

Management representative is a necessary position laid down in the standards with very clear responsibility and authority. In a normal situation organizations implementing these systems appoint two MR’s – one for quality and another for environment. Since it is coordination position in

the organization, it should be preferable to appoint one MR for both the systems. If work is of high magnitude depending on the size and complexity of the organization, he may be assisted by one person from quality and another from environment.

Common Statement of Objectives

Both management systems demand establishment of objectives – one directed towards quality and another for environment. Both specify that they be “established at relevant functions and levels within the organization”. There is possibility that same personnel for quality may be assigned to look after both environment and quality objectives especially in SME’s.