The Possibilities for the Integration Security Department - Coursework Example

INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Introduction Modern organizations are currently undergoing a critical moment as they strive to survive and become market leaders in today’s turbulent market environments that are, characterized by competition, and the need to focus on the needs, expectations and the hopes of existing and prospective customer. Therefore, majority of the global organizations have invested in management systems. Management systems are structures of work processes and operational procedures utilized by an organization to achieve its anticipated set goals (Wright, 2000, p.137). Examples of management systems include quality management, corporate social responsibility, environmental management, and occupational health and safety management among others. Integration of management systems which is a process of assimilating concepts, which initiate and create sustainable quality in work processes, operations, programs and systems, workforces, outputs, inputs and in the management, help organizations to effectively satisfy the needs of the internal and external stakeholders (Asif, 2010, p. 4). In addition, integration helps to improve the quality and capacity of production, improve the quality of the goods and services produced, and to improve on the leadership and management styles as supported by (Stanislaw & Walter, 1998, p. 204). The paper starts with presenting literature review of IMS, providing a brief background of Security Department, and analyzing the impact of introduction of these standards to existing quality, environmental and health and safety management systems. Literature Review Integration of management systems brings into consideration numerous factors that can be, addressed individually to a better understanding. Thus, the literature review starts with defining these elements. Integrated management system is, defined as “brings together all components of business in a coherent manner to enable an organization to achieve mission and vision of the organization” (Karapetrovic, 2002, p. 13). Integrated in basic English can be defined as combining, and in the case of system management can be defined as bringing together all internal management practices into a single system”. Quality management system also referred to as QMS can be defined as “procedures, organizational structure, resources and process that are need for an organization to implement effectively quality management” (Griffith, 2000, p. 238). Environment can be defined in layman’s language as the surroundings of an object and in the case of environment in system management, it is defined as “all components that are internal and external that shapes an organization to achieve its goals” (Shad & Soheil, 2010, p. 951). While health and safety can be defined as “bringing into consideration workplace hazards, harmful substances, chances of accidents and any other situation that can affect the workforce and environment” by (Wright, 2000, p. 137). Current management practices in the security department The security department is, charged with the responsibility of creating and executing of security programs, keeping records and documentation of security structures and policies of the organizations, and facilitating the establishment and application of security measures in the organizations. In addition, the security department offers training for the internal and external stakeholders on safety and security protocols, directions and issues and responding to breach of security and responding to any emergencies that may develop within and without the organization’s premises, operations, and work processes. Presently, the security department has developed and implemented some portions of the quality management systems. The security department, which is a governmental division has set specific, measurable, realistic, and achievable and time bound goals and objectives to allow the department to remain focused and achieve their mission statement as presented by (Kraus & Grosskopf, 2008, p.10). These goals and objectives are, meant to increase its efficiency and quality in provision of security solutions and work to prevent crimes. Currently, the department implements the quality management systems (ISO 9001). This has been, pursued with implementation of strategic plans, structures and frameworks that are, agreed on by the concerned stakeholders, to ensure they understand the need for them and who will facilitate their implementation. Through engaging, stakeholders know when is the appropriate time for implementation, how the implementation will be, carried out and therefore everyone become accountable in line with the concept presented by (Griffith, 2000, p. 237). More over, all objectives, goals and strategic plans, systems and programs, which are developed and implemented, are customer-oriented. Such that, the goals and objectives are aligned to what the needs, tastes, preferences, hopes and expectations of the customers are, to elicit total satisfaction for them (Asif, et al., 2010, p.651). This is necessitated by the need for the management to satisfactorily-live to their core principles of offering effective and efficient security solutions, business continuity and becoming more prepared in responding to emergencies. The security department offer security-training programs to employees. The work forces are, taught on all the features of safety and security, responding to emergencies, customer-care service skills, handling customer complaints, handling emergencies and operating security tools and equipments to ensure accidents and injuries do not occur. Every employee is, charged with practicing environmental standards that are, inscribed in the quality file and two files that deal with environment and health and safety; these files incorporate EMS and OHSMS. The tow guides also entails routine analysis of the working environment, implementing preventive measures for safeguarding the safety of the workers, switching off lights when they are not necessary and switching off power when operations are not in progress and voluntary health tests. The staff is supposed to wear protective clothing such as gloves and helmets when operating within areas with operating machines, in the laboratory or any other area that necessitates safety. Moreover, the department is supposed to table information on risks arising from OHS, human resources, and ecological. It goes without saying the importance of formulating health and safety practices, in minimizing risks (Jorgensen, et al., 2006, p. 714). The department conducts regular security drills to evaluate the emergency preparedness of its workforces. The department has not so far established a division responsible for performing the integration of quality management systems (QMS), occupational health and safety management systems (OH & SMS) and environmental management systems (EMS). This is because, present workforce does not have enough experience to integrate the management systems, there are not enough financial resources to facilitate a complete overhaul of integration of management systems and bureaucracy in government organizations makes it even more hard to venture into integration. ISO 9000, is in use in the security department, some aspects of ISO 14000 and ISO 18001 are practiced although sparingly. The organization culture is constituted in the security department is such a way that continuous improvement is integrated in the work processes and programs as supported by (Jorgensen, et al., 2006, p. 714). Therefore, the employees are not, intimidated by organization change, which is inevitable with integration process. The department has different documentation and record keeping for the various security systems in place. The human resource department is, charged with operations and coordination of quality, safety and health and ecological management structures within the entire government organization. The internal auditing within the department is, implemented in relevance to quality manual. An auditor audits per every department to ensure that each unit conforms to one system that is, aligned to the file. This however, is prone to double documentation since; procedures for EMS and OHSMS are documented and recorded in separate files (Matias & Coelho, 2002, p. 3862). Possibilities for integration in the department Integration within the security department can easily be realized since currently, it has endorsed the ISO 9000 which is similar to EMS and OHMS (Asif et al., 2009, p. 261). The top management is responsible for sqm which is similar to EMS and OHMS, employees are routinely trained and the department has document management systems which is vital for integration. There are opportunities for integration in the security department that entails assimilation of the three ISO management systems which includes the management being accountable for sqm, continuous improvement on service delivery based on the needs of the stakeholders, employee training. The security department has identified the most appropriate strategic plans in consideration of what the organization culture, opinions of the stakeholders, the needs of the stakeholders and those of the organizations are (Asif et al., 2009, p. 262). Strategic plans are structures and frameworks in which an organization puts in place to increase its competitiveness, better satisfy its customers and improve the quality of products and services it offers (Garvare, and Isaksson, 2001, p. 11). The department anticipates assimilating the management systems in not only compiling them into one certificate, but also assimilating all the functions of quality management, environmental management systems, and occupational health and safety management systems to report to one central top-level division. For example, the single central division will specialize in the integration, implementation, evaluation and monitoring processes (Asif, et al., 2010, p.657). Since, security department is not fully certified by ISO, the audits for ISO 9000, ISO 14000 can be conducted concurrently. The auditors will also encompass ecology auditors, occupational health and safety auditors and sometimes energy auditors. Moreover, the training program provides an opportunity in which employees will understand how the new system operates and its benefits towards the efficiency of the security department (Jorgensen, et al., 2006, p. 715). This means that the staff and stakeholders with understand the documentation, how the system operates, and any threats that are posed by integration of the systems. In addition, the document management system would greatly improve on the efficiency of the system since it highlights for the security department measures that should be embrace into ensuring all organizational activities are optimized (Garvare, and Isaksson, 2001, p. 12). Model of integration suitable during integration process at the security department The most effective implementation model of integration of management systems is the implementation model and principles described by Hardjono, (Appendix 1) and (appendix 2). Integration of the management systems entails an absolute synchronization and positioning of processes and operations within the security department (Garvare, and Isaksson, 2001, p. 13). The model suggests that for effective integration process to occur, the management needs to critically, evaluate the four elements namely direction, coherence, direction and feedback. Direction entails for the security department in choosing which management systems to implement and integrate (Asif, Brujin, & Fisscher, 2008, p. 271). This may be either the department integrate specific systems or control systems. Numerous options exists that the security may decide to include in their integration process, which may include health and safety, environment, and management. For the element of consistency, the security department will have to translate vertically the basic goal of the department and organization culture into work processes and objectives. This means that the entire security department should appreciate the importance of the new system placing into consideration its impact on the organization culture, structures, and value (Zhen, Feng, Qing’an, Ershi, & Zixian, 2006, p. 74). The entire process should follow defined stages to ensure the entire department is included in deciding the appropriate steps and future of the department to ensure collective responsibility is encouraged. For the coherence part, the department will have to initiate a horizontal cohesion of work processes, supply chains, units, work forces, operations mechanisms, frameworks, and efficiencies (Asif, Brujin, & Fisscher, 2008, p. 271). The system integration cannot operate efficiency and effectively without creating an environment, that entails cohesion. Cohesion will ensure that the integrated management system includes all organization operations with clearly defined documentation into ensuring the operations of the security department are optimized. Upon implementing and integrating the chosen management system, evaluation should be done which entails analyzing the benefits of implementing and integrating and barriers that block the smooth running of the implemented management systems. From this, the element of feedback emerge which helps the department continuously learn what is needed, and identifying ways in which the management systems can be improved on. This coordination of the four elements results in a department that continually improves its performance as illustrated in appendix 2 (Asif, Brujin, & Fisscher, 2008, p. 271). In considering organization culture, it ensures the integration process does not collide with existing culture, ensure the integration process is understood, readily accepted and embraced by the workforce (Karapetrovic and Willborn, 1998, p.210). This involves a shift in the way people think, perceive, operate and implement work processes in order to accommodate the implementation procedure to practice (Jonker, & Karapetrovic 2004, p.608). Integration in the department can be, done through ascension, since, it already has implemented ISO 9000, and needs to implement and integrate ISO 14000 and ISO 18001. The integration process at the department should be both horizontal and vertical, which effectively transmits information to and from, analyzing the needs and offering custom-made solutions as indicated by (Zhen, Feng, Qing’an, Ershi, & Zixian, 2006, p. 73). As illustrated by appendix 2, the top management at the security department should lead by example. The integration process should be, characterized by organization cultural change, training for the labor force, monitoring and performance measurement, use of motivational tools and commitment from all concerned stakeholders from top down (Asif et al., 2009, p. 262). Moreover, practice a vertical translation of the IMS strategies, continuous improvement based on the feedback received by the integration committee from the stakeholders and a horizontal co-ordination of the integration process to depict coherence. The security department using these principles should ensure there is a pulling together of the management actions, utilizing available resources, organization beliefs and values and continuous learning through experiences. Integration may be, adopted by either use of process designed of IMS or documentation integration by keeping one integrated records and SOPs (Asif et al., 2009, p. 263). The integration process should be, done systematically in order to ensure the procedures do not override each other or conflict. Possible Benefits caused by integration at the security department Among benefits that the department will have with integration includes reduction in cases of double documentation, increased customer satisfaction, reduced costs of production, operations and managing risks, improving the quality of processes, services and operations and enhanced simplification of management systems as indicated by (Oskarsson & Malmborg, 2005, p. 126). Furthermore, it will develop better synergy in schemes, better utilization of available resources, allow team building and engaging the stakeholders that motivate them, established open communication, development of sustainable developments within the firm and thus, everyone becomes more accountable (Jorgensen, et al., 2005, p. 713). Many people are afraid of change and introduction of integration of systems may result in negative effect towards embracing the system, and this is the major risk and barrier towards embracement of the integrated management system (Asif et al., 2009, p. 264). The security department is in a similar situation because most of the stakeholders are the people who may not appreciate the services offered through the integrated system. However, the security department should educate, inform, and include all stakeholders in embracing the integration of systems. Moreover, another barrier and risks is the chance of the entire system falling due to technicality, inappropriate structuring, poor resource allocation, and other factors that may inhibit complete operation of the system (Viadiu, et al., 2006, p. 230). To avoid this issue, the security department should mould the entire system into a friendly project to the staff, the system should completely debugged ensuring optimal benefit is achieved. Possible drawbacks that hinders integration at the security department The risk associated with integration which may influence the department not to integrate is the possibility of choosing inappropriate integration process which may either disrupts existing cultures, values operations and work processes or may make the department not to attain their set goals and objectives (Asif, Brujin, & Fisscher, 2008, p. 265). Other factors that would hinder integration of management systems at the security department includes reluctance for organization structures to challenge the status quo, poor development and implementation of strategic plans, and lack of adequate resources to facilitate integration. Moreover, inflexible organization culture, lack of clear standards for integration and inadequate information necessary before the process of integration begins as implied by (Asif, Brujin, & Fisscher, 2008, p. 265). In some instances, the labor is weary of change that will come with integration. All this factors should be, addressed before the integration process ensues. Evaluating ISO 9001 implemented at the security department The department has adopted the ISO 9001, which has been effective in satisfying the needs of the department and those of the stakeholders, increased efficiencies at work processes and operations and increased cohesion within and without the security department. With implementation of ISO 9001 (Viadiu, et al., 2006, p. 230), the department may however, see no sense to implement the ISO 14000 and ISO 18001, since ISO 9001 certificate contain majority of requirements encompassed in the other two. A form of social responsibility of the department is to provide the community with security that is primarily their role, as a security department and hence it needs to look for another means of being socially accountable which is different from what they do. The security department should work to enhance quality and service delivery systems by incorporating the ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and ISO 18001 accordingly. The benefits of ISO 9000 practiced by the department outweigh the limitations. Conclusion This report has highlighted the existing management system at the security department, the most suitable implementation model to use, which is the implementation model described by Hardjono, which comprises of the four elements namely direction, coherence, consiosistency and feedback. The report has analyzed critically, the benefits that the department will accrue by integrating the ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and ISO 18001 and possible drawbacks that will hinder the integration process within it. The report recommends that the security department identify if there is a critical need for integration, measure the benefits and limitations of integration, and from the results, make the necessary steps, incorporate the integration process with existing culture, values, and the available resources, and engage internal and external contexts in the integration process as supported by the integration model. 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