Integration of the Environmental Management System into other Business Operations Systems

The core goal of the case study in heavy process industry was to define how to create an effective and efficient integration in the business operations systems including quality, environmental and safety operations. A great challenge was to find out the basis for the integration and to help to decide the actions needed. A company can have only one management system for all the business operations. By the interviews information was gathered both about the current situation and the viewpoints for integration. The aim of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was to depict the basic principles in the integration and the conditions for its implementation. By benchmarking it was concentrated on analyzing how the integration has been carried out earlier, and on analyzing Best Practices based on CARMAN-operation model striving for developing working processes. The purpose was to find knowledge, advice and ideas to carry out the integration and to make it possible to take it into use. Finally, the operational model developed was verified by the weak market test which belongs to a constructive research approach in business sciences. When evaluating effects of organizational cultures it is important to understand deeply the differences between them. The company has to achieve benefits from the business with the common customer and still to ensure good quality in operations. The importance of continuous improvement in the change process was found out. It was also important to observe different interest groups e.g. in communications. The continuous improvement makes a good progress thanks to certification of the operational systems. It is remarkable that the personnel and management have to commit to the change process. For the commitment and secure communications the solution is training remarkable factor in the integration in our case, too. By the help of that we can diminish conflicts and reduce resistance to the changes needed.