To remain competitive in an ever-changing business landscape, you need to ensure you’re continually improving your systems organisation-wide. There are various ways that this can be done, and by enlisting the professional assistance of an experienced consultant, you can get an outside perspective on where adjustments are needed.

So, where should you begin?

The exact path you follow will be reliant on your distinctive business type, priorities, and what your businesses’ goals are. Every business is different and, thus, you need to research what exactly you will benefit the most from doing.

An organisation operating in one industry may require certain types of certification, while those in another have no use for it. It’s all about knowing your options, weighing up which are best for you, and systematically improving your current systems to better reflect the standard of operations you want to achieve.

 

How Can Your Business Benefit From Improved Systems?

There are various common goals organisations hope to achieve by refining and updating the way they currently do things. Of course, this will differ among industries.

The following will give you an idea of the types of objectives you can strive towards and that, with the help of exceptional systems and regular auditing, you can not only reach, but also maintain. Examples include:

  • Improving business profitability;
  • Boosting productivity;
  • Improving management of resources;
  • Bettering the current standard of customer service;
  • Attracting new, motivated employees;
  • Retaining talented staff members;
  • Sharing core values across all organisational levels;
  • Achieving sustained business growth;
  • Promptly and effectively responding to change;
  • Building meaningful, value-driven relationships with existing and potential customers;
  • Getting and staying ahead of the competition.

So, you know what you can get out of improving your management systems, but how exactly should you go about integrating positive changes into your current business processes? There is an array of approaches you can follow and, for the remainder of this article; they’re what we’ll be looking into. These fall into the categories of legislative updates, ISO internal audit, ISO 45001 (the standard for occupational health and safety), and integrated management systems.

 

Get Up-To-Date on the Latest Legislative Updates

Understanding the relevant legislation that your business needs to comply with is crucial. If you fail to meet the requirements of certain Victorian Law, or don’t keep your processes up-to-date, you may be putting your employees and business at risk.

For instance, if certain changes have been made to safety legislation and you haven’t updated your processes accordingly, individuals may sustain injuries or health implications that could’ve otherwise been avoided. As a result of this, your business may incur fines, or even have legal action pursued against you. If you lose track of your legislative compliance, just one event could be detrimental to the achievement of your organisational goals. Thus, staying aware of and responsive to legislative updates is crucial.

While keeping track of legislative updates may appear overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. By enlisting expert assistance from a specialist consultant, you can ensure you haven’t missed any points and that your compliance with legislation covers all relevant guidelines.

An expert consultant has likely worked closely with an abundance of businesses just like yours and, because of this, they know what to look for. This means that they can often help you identify and address areas of your organisation that are not meeting the requirements of current legislative updates far quicker than otherwise possible – without compromising on the quality of such assessment and integration.

In addition to this, they most probably have a good idea of the common areas where businesses fall short when their legislative compliance is reviewed. Again, this is a core reason why an experienced consultant can help you efficiently and effectively implement legislative updates.

 

Complete an ISO Internal Audit

If you want to become compliant with a particular standard, or a number of standards, completing an ISO internal audit is a crucial step to take.

When completing an ISO internal audit, businesses are required to assess their current processes and management systems against the standard guidelines they intend to become compliant with. For instance, if an organisation wants to become ISO 45001 certified, the distinct guidelines outlined in this standard will be referred to throughout the auditing process.

While you can do an internal audit in-house, it is often recommended that you seek professional assistance from an independent party. This is because they can provide you with new insights that someone who is already familiar with the day-to-day operations of your business may not notice. Ultimately, outsourcing this service gives you a fresh perspective, while also often being a far more efficient approach, as the individual is experienced in ISO internal auditing.

After your ISO internal auditing consultant has completed a thorough assessment of your current systems, they will provide you with a comprehensive report explaining their findings and the respective implications for your business. These documented conclusions can help guide your future operations, helping your organisation get one step closer to achieving certification.

Even after you’ve become compliant with a particular standard or set of standards, regularly completing an ISO internal audit of your systems is an ongoing requirement. This aims to encourage businesses to monitor and, thus, maintain their compliance. As with the initial audit that is completed before certification is achieved, any areas of concern are identified and it’s expected that they will be addressed accordingly if the organisations intend to remain compliant.

 

Become Compliant with ISO 45001

ISO 45001 is the latest standard in occupational health and safety, which has been made available to businesses from 2018 onwards. This standard aims to encourage organisations to take proactive action towards improving the health and safety of individuals in the workplace. This involves not only identifying potential risks, but also taking measures to lower them and ultimately avoid employees experiencing work-inflicted injuries or illnesses.

Using an Annex SL high-level structure, these guidelines are internationally recognised and can be seamlessly integrated with other standards. This structure comprises 10 clauses, with each specifically targeting a different requirement of the standard. This assists businesses and auditors ensure that the completed analysis is comprehensive and addresses all relevant aspects of the organisations’ operations.

With ISO 45001 certification, businesses can show that they’re taking measures to improve workplace safety and operate at the frontier of their industry. Regardless of their size, industry, or location, businesses can become ISO 45001 compliant. This helps to streamline standard expectations across industries, encouraging greater consistency and less confusion.

ISO 45001 replaces the previous standards for occupational health and safety, AS 4801 and OHSAS 18001.

AS 4801 was purely used in Australia and New Zealand that, of course, made for difficulties when those who’d achieved certification were operating on an international scale. On the other hand, similarly to ISO 45001, OHSAS 18001 could be implemented on a global scale. If your business currently has AS 4801 or OHSAS 18001 certification and intends to remain compliant, you’ll need to make the transition to ISO 45001 before March 2021.

 

Introduce an Integrated Management System

You’ve successfully achieved ISO 45001 certification, but you still feel like there’s areas where your organisation could improve. By introducing integrated management systems, you can enjoy the benefits of numerous standards simultaneously.

Integrated management systems allow for businesses to implement a holistic approach to compliance. By integrating management systems, organisations can save money, all the while introducing and maintaining compliant processes business-wide. It streamlines systems, so your business will likely require fewer resources to review performance and ongoing compliance, making becoming and staying compliant more achievable than ever before.

Those who introduce an integrated management system use a single document control system, so rather than needing different documentation for different processes, you can refer to one all-inclusive manual. Thus, organisations are able to reduce documentation across all business levels and, in the process, remove duplication regarding policies and the like.

Thinking about integrating your management systems, but not sure where to begin? A qualified consultant near you can help. To maximise the effectiveness of your system integration, while also giving you the tools to maintain compliance, it’s recommended that you speak with a professional. They’ve likely worked with an array of business in similar industries and organisational contexts to your own and, thus, they know what it takes to help you achieve the best long-term results.

 

Speak With an Expert Consultant Today

If you’re interested in implementing legislative updates, completing an ISO internal audit, becoming compliant with ISO 45001, or introducing an integrated management system, speak with an expert consultant today. With professional assistance, you can efficiently and effectively improve your processes organisation-wide, achieving better results for both your staff and business.

Assessing your current systems, identifying improvements, making the appropriate changes and achieving compliance can take time. The sooner you take action, the sooner you can start enjoying the benefits that come with certification and compliant management systems. Speak with an expert today, and start your journey towards better processes.