One of the challenges faced by organizations is showing the value derived from the management systems they have implemented.  It is often the case that an organization will implement a system such as ISO 9001:2000, OHSAS 18001 or ISO 14001 primarily to satisfy a client requirement.  When this occurs, the organization may not realize the potential value of the management system and could be wasting time and resources simply achieving the status quo.

At Intelex, we believe it is very important that organizations realize the true value of their management system approach.  Recently, Devon Ambrose, a key member of Intelex's Client Services Team, gave an informative presentation that highlighted the importance of maximizing the value of a management system by continually improving an organization.  The purpose of Devon's presentation was to explore the benefits of applying the Process Approach to a management system, thereby creating a 'Value Added Management System'.  A management system is the method in which an organization manages their processes and activities.  Devon's presentation underlined the opportunity for an organization to leverage their management system to drive continual improvement.  This opportunity is guided by the Process Approach that states that in order to facilitate meaningful decisions; a management system must consider all the variables involved in a process/activity.  Furthermore, we must understand how the processes within an organization are interrelated (referred to as the process links).

Essentially, the Process Approach creates a foundation for a Value Added Management System, by allowing for managers to pinpoint the use of resources, the overlap and interrelationship between processes (process links), and measure the effectiveness of the various contributions that make up processes.  This operational control over the processes that make up an organization's activities gives management and employees the necessary information to adjust and document activities to meet both operational and organizational objectives.

As Devon explained, this is the fundamental logic behind the Intelex system.  Consider for example an effective Quality Management System (QMS).  It must be able to track, analyze and report on all quality management initiatives from product defect tracking, to supplier management to document control.  Each process or sub-process is linked to another through variables such as inputs/outputs, resources, material, time, location and staff.  The Intelex QMS suite is structured so that interrelated processes are easily identified and accessible between modules.  If, for example, a nonconformance arises as a result of an audit, when the auditor records that nonconformance, it is also linked back to the audit record where it resulted from.  It is essential for a management solution to have continuity between its components that reflect the interrelationship between processes.  Thus, the Value Added Management System, guided by the principles of the Process Approach ensures organizations go beyond compliance to drive continual improvement.

View Devon's presentation

Continual improvement. Is it an optimistic notion? Newest buzz words? Or is it a new wave in management function? I know I have blog'd about it before, but after reading an article on the City of Dallas and their commitment to environmental management I couldn't resist sharing what I had read. The City of Dallas is a fantastic example of what an organization can accomplish when it sets out to go beyond compliance.

Several years ago, the City of Dallas selected Intelex's Environmental Management System as the tool to support their goal towards an environmentally healthy city.  This is by no means a small commitment. They are following through on their promise to not only comply with laws and regulations, but to "go beyond what's minimally necessary and do the best work possible on behalf of the environment, the citizens and resources of Dallas."

"Intelex's compliance and document management modules have allowed the City of Tempe to achieve a higher level of compliance confidence than previously thought possible.  Tempe's vision of consolidating all task-tracking and record-keeping activities necessary to maintain compliance into one desktop application has become a reality", said David McNeil, Regulatory Compliance Manager at the City of Tempe.

Environmental management is a top priority for the City of Tempe.  They, like many organizations that employ Intelex solutions, must adhere to a diverse array of goals and objectives, including government regulations, internal initiatives, and community commitments.  Since implementing Intelex's Environmental Management System, the City of Tempe has been able to focus their activities to ensure they effectively measure and monitor their activities as well as make sound decisions to encourage continual improvement into the future.

To learn more about Intelex's relationship with the City of Tempe, read The City of Tempe Success Story.

As set out by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the ISO 14000 standard was developed to help an organization meet the goal of "sustainable development" and environmental friendliness, regardless of the organization or the country in which it operates.

Some of the benefits organizations can profit from include:

• Significant Marketing Advantage - Customers, investors and local communities recognize and appreciate organizations that make conscious efforts to operate within the best interest of all their stake holders.
• Conservation of Resources - Minimizing waste and operational inefficiencies can save your organization energy, man hours, cost of reprocessing, and other valuable resources.
• Continuous Improvement -  Implementing the right Environmental Management System will help to support your organization and promote continual improvement as your organization grows.

Not too long ago, corporations would engage in business practices with scant regard for social or environmental implications. Powerful multinationals operated with impunity and were only beholden to their shareholders. In recent years, the paradigm has shifted to one in which a type of corporate conscience has begun to emerge.

A principal driver for this change in direction has been greater consumer awareness. Increasingly, consumers are making well informed purchasing decisions and favouring products and services that meet high standards for fair trade, sustainability, and social responsibility. This increasing demand is spurring a voluntary reassessment of business goals and principles in boardrooms around the world.

The most forward-thinking companies are setting out to take advantage of cleaner, reusable sources of energy, produce less waste, and to deliver products and services that are environmentally sustainable before they are mandated by legislation to do so. Some companies are beginning to invest in environomental management software that track, monitor, and report on company-wide environmental data.

Intelex Technologies develops and deploys environmental management systems that enable companies to meet all  EHS compliance requirements while addressing air quality management issues such as CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions enforced by the Kyoto Protocol.