How can ISO 14001 help to enhance your organization's TQM

While ISO 14001 certification and standard is well known because almost every business sector’s foremost standard to enable an organization to manage environmental-friendly performance and process, there are also other added benefits that organizations might accrue from implementing ISO 14001 EMS standard and its practices. In this blog, we will discuss How can ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) enhance an organization's Total Quality Management. In real time, it will be clear that there are several activities and practices followed as a result of implementing ISO 14001 standards which are capable of improving “total quality management” (TQM) of an organization. Therefore, it would appear rational to assume that the implementation of ISO 14001 certification could result in enhancements in overall quality management and performance. Let us delve into how can ISO 14001 certification for an organization improve total quality management.

Relation between ISO 14001 and Quality Management System (ISO 9001)

Integrating ISO 14001 EMS standards into your organization's TQM business management system should be comparatively seamless. Therefore, if you currently comply with the ISO 14001 EMS standard, then your organization's process pertaining to Quality Management System or other activities should be very smooth and more economical. Because these processes are already in line with both the standards. As such, almost every other functions in the ISO 14001 EMS standard, corresponding to management review, internal audit, and periodic & corrective actions, are shared by ISO 9001 QMS certification standards as well. With seamless and ceaseless improvement and client satisfaction being the centrepiece of both standards (particularly ISO 9001 standard), the “Plan, Do, Check & Act” cycle will the typical theme for any organization. Now, it becomes very much clear that these two ISO standards are closely connected. Given TQM’s basis of integration of systems ultimately resulting in client satisfaction which makes it evident that ISO 14001 certification or implementation has a role to play within this system.

How can ISO 14001 EMS standard assist to improve your organization's TQM and performance?

If your organization abide by ISO 14001 certification and if it incorporates a functioning EMS (Environmental Management System), then this without a doubt will absolutely influence your organization's overall quality performance. Let’s take a look how:

• Your organization will be familiar with the ISO 14001 EMS standard's objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) as well. As much as fact-based decision making is significant to Total Quality Management (TQM), using a similar basic and fundamental methodologies to determine the quality KPIs and working towards quality targets can be vital in understanding your performance, and ultimately enhancing it.
• Measuring training efficiency and the importance of training and implementing ISO 14001 EMS standard in your organization can be equally vital to your QMS (Quality Management System), an integrated TQM system. With the combined aspects of quality performance, product knowledge and shared TQM's or QMS's objectives into your training program, you'll be able to increase awareness and assist to improve product knowledge and QMS performance very efficiently. Effective ISO 14001 EMS training will facilitate this.
• Leverage the authorities and leaders to enhance quality. It is regarded as the best way to demonstrate leadership in line with the ISO 14001 EMS standard. Because of the positive impact that noteworthy leadership skills can bring. As it will improve your organization's overall performance, and this is also the case with ISO 9001 QMS standard. Most leaders will always look at the chances of enhancing quality performance with comparatively very minimal expenditure. Thus, implementing quality-related activities into your existing ISO 14001 EMS functions will provide immediate advantages to the quality performance of your business. It is best advised to draft an idea or plan how these activities can be replicated or just extended to improve your organization’s quality management performance.
• Since we have established excellent leadership skills and configured KPIs, it is recommended by top ISO certification consultants to embody basic quality management responsibilities to an individual's job descriptions. As this will present your organization with a crystal clear opportunity to integrate activities, programs, and associated responsibilities into the roles and responsibilities of designated people, who will then be trained and mentored to properly perform activities that may improve your product quality internally, and deliver impeccable TQM results.
• Work to alter the organization's working culture. A culture of positive behaviour which can improve your organization's total quality management performance can also be established simultaneously. Reinforcing that sensible quality management, product performance, and client satisfaction all result in augmented success for the organization and increased job security for workers will be the inspiration for culture reinforcement. This could typically result in enhanced worker activity in terms of employee interest in quality management, and inclination to interact in improvement meetings and forums. Therefore, if you have established and improved this culture using the recommendation given during ISO 14001 EMS implementation, your organization should have a sound basis to use this component to boost all-round quality management performance.