Integrated Management System (IMS) is one of the approaches to gain
competitiveness and enter the free trade markets. By implementing IMS, several
business related management systems such as Quality Management System (QMS),
Environmental Management System (EMS) and Occupational Health and Safety
Management System (OHSMS) could be integrated in order to satisfy a variety of
stakeholders. The main purposes of this study were to assess the status of IMS
implementation, investigate the implementation of IMS and propose the strategies for
implementing IMS in the Malaysian manufacturing companies. Survey was
employed to collect data on the status of IMS implementation, the IMS strategies that
have been used and the strategies that should be used by the companies.
Questionnaires were distributed to 87 companies that are certified with both IS09000
and IS014000, which resulted in a response rate of 36.8%. Three case studies were
conducted at the manufacturing companies that have implemented IMS, in order to
know how the IMS strategies have been implemented by them. For the status of IMS
implementation, the results from the survey indicate that only 46.9% of the
manufacturing companies that are certified with IS09000 and IS014000 have implemented IMS and the level of practice is moderate. Most of these companies
(92.3%) have implemented IMS for a period of not more than three years, which
could be considered as new. This study has also revealed the strategies for
implementing IMS in the Malaysian manufacturing companies. Based on the survey
results, it was found that the companies should start with implementing the
management systems individually and then followed by integration. The sequence of
integration should starts with establishing the QMS first. It is followed by integrating
the EMS with the existing QMS (EMS + QMS = QEMS), and finally integrating the
OHSMS with the existing QEMS (Quality and Environmental Management System).
In terms of the types of integration, the companies should utilise 111 integration. The
companies should also use the management system standard approach (IS09000,
IS014000 andlor OHSAS18000) as a basis for integrating the management systems.
Five most Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for IMS implementation are: management
commitment and leadership, education and training, continual improvement,
performance measurement, and systems and processes. The main barriers for
implementing IMS are: lack of trained and experience staff to implement MS, lack
of time to devote to IMS initiatives, and lack of employees' awareness and
understanding on IMS implementation. Most of the results obtained from the survey
are consistent with the results from the case study, except for the types of integration.
Even though the results from the survey indicate that the companies should use full
integration, it was found that all the case companies have been using partial
integration. This project culminates with conclusions, suggestion of steps for
implementing IMS in the manufacturing companies and future research
recommendations