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Trends in modern management point toward composite and comprehensive management systems that provide for competitive performance in the global economy. Management system audits are widely used to ensure compliance with planned arrangements and improvement of business performance. This paper addresses the harmonization and integration of audits of different management systems. The current international auditing standards for quality (ISO 10011) and environmental (ISO 14010/11/12) management are reviewed. A detailed comparison of the form, structure and content of these standards is provided. Subsequently, criteria for “best auditing practice” are illustrated. The possibilities of harmonizing audit standards, and integrating them with the current best audit practice are assessed. Integration on the basis of the systems approach is suggested. Finally, it is concluded that integrated audits and audit standards will emerge in the very near future.

Using the backdrop of an (apparently) extended visit to the West Indies, analogies with key concerns of internal audit are drawn. An unusual and refreshing way of exploring the main themes ‐ a discussion between Bill and Jack on tour in the islands ‐ forms the debate. Explores the concepts of control, necessary procedures, fraud and corruption, supporting systems, creativity and chaos, and building a corporate control facility.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the existing management system standards in the gastronomy sector.

On the basis of secondary data, the most implemented management system standards within this sector are analyzed, namely, the ISO 9001 focusing on the sector of “hotels and restaurants,” the ISO 22000, the “Q” Spanish tourism-specific standard, and the Michelin stars system.

The results, although descriptive, show the differences among them. Regarding the content, the main difference between the documented management system standards and the Michelin stars system is in the evaluation and certification process, as it is known and planned in the former group but not in the latter. The scope is also different, as the former group refers mainly to the process and the latter to results. The diffusion results confirm the increase in sectoral management system standards.

Although studies analyzing the importance of sectoral standards have been published, this study is one of the first focusing on four different management system standards in the gastronomy sector. Implications for both practitioners and academia are also discussed.

Describes a model based on empirical research which provides the details of an integrated management system and takes into account existing and accepted definitions of quality management, environmental management, and occupational health and safety management systems. Claims that the model addresses the issues of scope and culture which none of the existing integrated management system models address. The model has been tested with a sample of members of the British Standards Society. Among the main findings of this testing is that the model addresses the problems of implementing a second standard (e.g. environmental) other than a quality management system or an integrated management system; compatibly and alignment are not crucial issues in implementing standards; and an integrated standard is favored.

Competing in the global economy demands of service companies to establish well‐designed and implemented internal management systems, according to internationally accepted management standards. ISO 9000 standards for quality and ISO 14000 standards for environmental management represent just two well‐established examples of many such standards to come in the near future. This paper addresses a lingering issue of integrating different internal management systems for synergy purposes. Benefits of developing and integrating management systems are illustrated, followed by a discussion of the system concept in a service context. System dynamics is used to illustrate interrelationships of objectives, resources and processes as main elements of service management systems. Subsequently, a systems approach was applied to restructure the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004‐2 quality assurance/management guidelines for services, as well as ISO 14001/ISO 14004 environmental management standards. Such restructured management systems can then be connected to form an integrated management system, together with ergonomics, financial, health, safety and other systems. Finally, examples of three service organizations that used a systems approach to integrate existing internal management systems are illustrated.

Due to the proliferation of function‐specific management systems and related standards, a need has emerged to somehow integrate them in order to reduce wasteful redundancies and possibly generate synergy effects. While the integration of the requirements of standards, for example ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, does not represent a major issue, doing the same for internal management systems may present a few obstacles. This paper discusses various ideas for the development of an integrated management system, together with the supporting audit methodologies. A two‐pronged model based on systems thinking is suggested for future work in this exciting area of research and practice.

Generic quality management system standard ISO 9001 and the automotive quality management system standard IATF 16949 both require organisations to demonstrate continual improvement in their customer satisfaction and the number of non-conformities identified during quality system audits. However, the long-term trends of these two parameters under ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 standards are not researched so far. It is expected that under continual improvement, organisations will achieve a step-function/stair-case shaped pattern. This study evaluates if this expectation is true when long-term performance of certified organisations is assessed.

A longitudinal exploration of three organisations certified to ISO 9001 standard and three certified to IATF 16949 standard is done. The observations are further substantiated using secondary data for the same ten years period about customer satisfaction of the major automobile manufacturers.

It is observed that none of the two indicators, i.e. the customer satisfaction and number of non-conformities, in any of the six organisations show step-wise/stair-case type improvement. All indicators followed random up and down patterns like ocean waves. It is paradoxical that certified organisations are claiming continual improvement and are remaining certified but there is actually no long-term improvement.

Longitudinal studies for the generic quality management standard ISO 9001 and the quality system standard for automotive sector IATF 16949 are rare. The revelation about ocean wave patterns observed in the long-term trends for customer satisfaction and the number of non-conformities in ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certified organisations is a startling finding. It is outlandishly different from the conventional perception of a staircase-styled continual improvement pattern expected a priori in certified organisations.

The aim of this paper is to explore the current links between standardized models ISO 9000, ISO 14000, ISO 27000 and the model ISO 15489.

The paper is based on comparative analysis and on the authors' knowledge of the series of standards.

A definition of the most relevant current analogies between these systems and an analysis of observable synergies between the model ISO 15489 and the aforementioned management model were produced.

The paper demonstrates the harmonizing capacity of the ISO regulations 15489 related to records management requirements as regulated by the series ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and ISO 27000. It offers perspectives on the potential of these regulations to strengthen records management in organizations and on the benefits that series ISO 15489 offers to producers who have adopted these codes of good practice.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a research for developing a standard to implement a process management system in a whole supply chain.

To gain this aim, the research has been developed in two parts. The quality management part has the objective to select the reference model to develop the standard. The supply chain management (SCM) part has, instead, the objective to select the drivers and the main processes that the standard have to manage. The evaluation of the results of these parts has permitted to define the proposed standard.

A modified interpretation of ISO 9001:2000 norm is proposed permitting: to improve the ISO 9001 standard to the general requirements for a whole process approach; to extend and to apply the ISO 9001 concepts, that address quality aspects within a single organization, to a whole supply chain; and to facilitate the introduction of the modern principles and techniques of SCM. Finally, the standard to implement a management system for a whole supply chain is introduced through the identification of the main supply chain processes and drivers.

The standard proposed is a specific for a generic supply chain. Further studies will be necessary to: customize the standard to appropriate productive sectors and validate the appropriate content through real applications.

The standard proposed is a guide line to implement a management system in a supply chain and, for this aim, it can be applied in a generic supply chain.

The standard proposed is an original tool to improve the collaboration and processes integration between the partners into a supply chain and this scope can be the actual value of the presented methodology.

This study proposes targeted modernization of the Department of Defense (DoD's) Joint Forces Ammunition Logistics information system by implementing the optimized innovative information technology open architecture design and integrating Radio Frequency Identification Device data technologies and real-time optimization and control mechanisms as the critical technology components of the solution. The innovative information technology, which pursues the focused logistics, will be deployed in 36 months at the estimated cost of $568 million in constant dollars. We estimate that the Systems, Applications, Products (SAP)-based enterprise integration solution that the Army currently pursues will cost another $1.5 billion through the year 2014; however, it is unlikely to deliver the intended technical capabilities.