A Management System establishes principles for managing operations and thus describes how an organization manages its activities. The management system is a tool for top management to ensure planning, directing, monitoring, controlling, and evaluating to improve operations. In this post, you can read everything you need to know about Management Systems:

1. A Management System is a tool for managing, planning, controlling, monitoring, and evaluating the business.
2. The Management System is used as a tool for top management and as a support for employees.
3. Become certified and ensure the right things happen in the right place at the right time.
4. 5 steps to get started:
   – Clarify needs and purpose
   – Engage top Management
   – Engage the right people
   – Start work in workshops
   – Map the business

June 20, 2024

Why should you have a Management System?

The purpose of a Management System can vary depending on the type of business you are in. What all management systems have in common, however, is that they should serve as a support for managing, planning, controlling, monitoring, and evaluating operations. Within organizations today, some standards must be followed. A Management System standard provides support and guidance for organizations in building a Management System. These standards contain requirements placed on the Management System for the organization to be certified according to the standard. In this way, the organization can demonstrate that it has a good system for understanding customer needs, developing and delivering the proper products/services, and working towards long-term competitiveness. The standards can cover for example:

• Safety
• Quality
• Environment
• Data Security
• Work Environment
• Innovation

How is a Management System used?

As mentioned earlier, a Management System is partially used as a tool for top Management to ensure certain points. In addition, it can also serve as a support for employees in the organization.

The management system can serve as the natural meeting place for employees to find relevant information. It can cover everything from how certain tasks are to be performed, which external parties are affected by the processes, what requirements each activity must meet, and who is responsible for each process or activity. In short, it represents the business—from the overview down to the details.

What is the impact of the Management System?

On the one hand, the Management System can help the organization to become certified according to a certain standard. This is done by using the Management System to demonstrate that the organization is constantly striving for improvement in, for example, quality, work environment or data security. It is also becoming increasingly common for the organization’s customers to require the organization to be certified according to a specific standard. In this way, the Management System enables more business.

However, a Management System is often more than just a certification or a diploma on the wall. Management can use the Management System to ensure that the right things are done in the right place at the right time, with the right skills for the purpose, and with the right strategy to achieve their goals. It further contributes to a unified picture within the organization as everyone works together towards clearly defined goals.

How do you get started?

Below, we have gathered 5 key points that are essential to consider when creating your Management System:

1. Clarify the purpose and the need
   Before starting, both you and your colleagues must understand the purpose of the Management System. Is it to become certified according to a standard required by our customers? Is it to make your business more efficient? This will give you a clear starting point in your work with the Management System.
2. Engage top Management
   Management needs to be involved from the start in order for them to use the Management System as a tool for management, planning, control, and monitoring.
3. Engage the right kind of people
   Those with the most knowledge about processes and activities in the organization should play a major role in the work of the Management System. This applies to both theoretical and practical knowledge. To get the best possible picture, gather representatives from all parts of the organization.
4. Start working in Workshops
   Brainstorming, criticism, and spontaneous ideas last the longest! Workshops are often practical and allow employees to discuss and question current working methods. Are we doing the work in the best way? Do we have environmental aspects in mind during the process? How can we improve this step? All these questions result in finding areas to develop together. Click here to learn why you should use 2c8 Apps in your workshops.
5. Map the Business
   Visualization is the most straightforward thing there is, right? A strong recommendation is to visualize your main and sub-processes together to provide a clear picture of the business. By live modeling during workshops, areas of improvement within the business will become more apparent than ever.

Tips to succeed with your Management System

The most important tip for creating a successful Management System is to involve all parts of the organization. The Management System should provide a representative picture of the business, but also give all employees the opportunity to influence how the business works.

This is important not only in the design of the management system but also in implementing it in all employees’ everyday work. Communication is, therefore, essential. Inform about the Management System, encourage its use, and create space for feedback.

Let the Management System be a central part of everyday work!