In short
An integrated management system combines the requirements of several ISO standards into a single set of processes, documents and audits. Equas designs integrated systems covering ISO 9001, 14001, 27001, 45001, 42001 and more, which reduces documentation, shortens audits and lowers the ongoing cost of certification.
What Integrated Management Systems involve
Organisations that adopt standards one at a time usually end up with parallel systems: three policies saying similar things, three sets of internal audits, three management review meetings, three separate audit visits a year.
That is expensive, and it is unnecessary. The main ISO management standards share a common high level structure, which means context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement work the same way in each of them. Roughly two thirds of the requirements overlap.
An integrated management system takes that overlap seriously. You have one document set, one risk process, one internal audit programme, one management review covering everything, and in most cases one combined certification audit rather than several.
The practical benefits are straightforward: less documentation to maintain, fewer meetings, fewer audit days to pay for, and a single coherent story to tell customers and regulators rather than three that have to be reconciled.
The place it pays off most is at the point where you add the next standard. In an integrated system, adding ISO 14001 to an established ISO 9001 system is a modest piece of work rather than a fresh project.
We can integrate an existing set of separate systems, or design an integrated system from the start if you already know you will need more than one standard.
Who it is for
Working towards certification
If you already know you will need two or more standards, build them together. Retrofitting integration later costs more than doing it once at the start.
Already certified
If you hold several certificates and maintain them separately, integration typically removes a large amount of duplicated documentation, meetings and audit time.
What is included
Including ISO 42001 for AI management systems and ISO 50001 for energy.
One policy, one procedure per process, covering every standard in scope.
One method covering quality, environmental, information security, health and safety and AI risk.
Audits scheduled by process rather than by standard, so each process is audited once.
A single meeting satisfying clause 9.3 for every standard you hold.
Fewer audit days and fewer disruptive visits, which usually reduces your certification body fees.
We can merge systems you already run separately, without losing your certification in the process.
How it works
- 1
Overlap analysis
We map the standards in scope against each other and against what you already have, to identify the genuine duplication.
- 2
Integration design
We agree the structure of the combined system, including how the standard-specific requirements will be handled.
- 3
Document consolidation
Parallel documents are merged into a single controlled set.
- 4
Process alignment
Risk, audit, review, competence and improvement processes are unified.
- 5
Certification body alignment
We help you move to combined audits with your certification body, timed around your existing certificate expiry dates.
The most popular standards we support
Equas helps clients achieve UKAS-accredited certification across every ISO standard we cover.
The international standard for quality management systems
The international standard for environmental management systems
The international standard for IT service management
The international standard for business continuity management
The international standard for information security management
The international standard for AI management systems
The international standard for occupational health and safety
The international standard for energy management systems
Quality management for the built environment, built on ISO 9001
The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme
Frequently asked questions
Related services
Implementation Support
Build your management system the right way, at the level of help you need
Internal Auditing
Independent assurance that your system is working
Management Review
A management review your leadership team will actually get value from