Integrating Quality and Environmental Management Systems

Quality and environmental issues each have fundamental importance in terms of cost of operation, competitiveness and even customer satisfaction. Quality management is often treated in a different category than environmental compliance since environmental issues are often driven by regulatory bodies but quality is often driven by customers. Integrating the management systems required for environmental and quality requirements can yield efficiencies in cost, improved overall effectiveness in meeting requirements and other important benefits. This paper describes the meaning of integration, its benefits and the characteristics of an integrated management system. An approach to achieving this integration is also discussed.