The Role of Design and Development Process in Integration of Management Systems

Abstract

An ever increasing number of standards concerning the management systems has resulted in an increasing demand for effective methods of their integration, as well as for sustaining their effectiveness in an intensively changing environment. Our aim in this paper is to explain the role of the product and process design and development (D&D) process in the integrated management systems (IMS) implementation process and to define the characteristic types of links between the design and development process and the requirements of the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards We suggest that the design and development process should be not only a solid basis for the integration of various standards, but also the key process for the design, implementation and improvement of an effective integrated management system.