In today's business world, companies are constantly faced with the challenge of having to meet legal and technological requirements while continuously optimizing their internal processes. Introducing an Integrated Management System (IMS) is recommended in order to remain competitive and to exploit synergies in areas such as data protection and privacy, sustainability, and occupational safety. An AI-supported document and quality management system (DMS/QMS) such as Fabasoft Approve offers a sound basis for creating a standards-compliant structure for integrating the individual management processes of the entire organization.
Ensure compliance with standards
In practice, it is only partially possible to draw a line between several management systems running in parallel. As a consequence, the IMS may not include relevant parts and separate responsibilities clearly enough. This loss of information creates “blind spots” in the system. However, the integration of standards and the associated standardization of rules, documentation, and structures can combine such parallel systems. Standards such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 enable efficient and resource-saving management of the entire organization without the individual management systems existing redundantly side by side.
It is not only important in this context to combine different standards, but also to optimize the interfaces and interactions between the individual departments. One example of successful integration is the combination of ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management). These standards complement each other in many areas and – combined in the DMS/QMS – form the cornerstone for an IMS that, on the one hand, fulfills legal requirements and, on the other hand, also contributes to the continuous improvement of processes. Here, the DMS/QMS ensures the seamless documentation, monitoring, and testing of requirements. In this way, quality, environmental awareness, and occupational safety do not exist side by side – the company considers these areas in a common, holistic approach. An Integrated Management System (IMS) combines all relevant management processes under one roof and ensures harmonized operations.
Artificial intelligence simplifies processes
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable support in the integrated IMS, especially when embedded in a document and quality management system (DMS/QMS). AI helps to quickly and reliably analyze and categorize large volumes of documents. For example, it automatically checks compliance-relevant documents for conformity with current regulations. In addition, an AI-based DMS/QMS recognizes patterns and deviations in processes and warns of possible risks before they cause problems.
Minimizing audit effort
In addition to reducing the time and effort required for audits and significantly saving resources, IMS also leads to greater transparency and lower costs. A document management system (DMS) helps to accumulate relevant data and information, thus ensuring more efficient processes along the entire supply chain. The associated cross-organizational design of risk management provides a comprehensive overview of the company's process landscape that is available at all times.
The efficient handling of audits and minimizing the associated efforts are decisive advantages of an integrated management system. Fabasoft Approve helps to reduce the number of audits while making processes more efficient. The comprehensive DMS function structures all relevant documents and information and stores them in a shared data environment.
In audit management, AI ensures 360-degree transparency of production processes and supplier performance. This makes it possible to quickly identify deviations, track measures in a targeted manner, and continuously improve quality. Approve allows to create plant-specific or cross-plant audit templates and, with the help of low-code/no-code mechanisms, to define intervals for recurring audits at any time, just to give one example. Automatic reminders provide information on upcoming audits and deadlines. Moreover, Fabasoft Approve also offers functions for tracking defined measures.
Efficient requirements management
Process owners can quickly and easily integrate new requirements that the company has to fulfill, e.g., due to changes in legislation or supplier/customer contracts, into the IMS via the BPMN 2.0 editor. The relevant documents can be clearly assigned to projects and stakeholders via the DMS. A stored rights and roles system as well as automated review and approval processes ensure seamless efficiency and traceability in end-to-end processes. Integrating new or amended standards is made easy by the interconnection of business processes: If a standard changes, it only needs to be changed in one place in the shared data environment; the system automatically takes over all other referencing.
AI minimizes risk
AI plays a key role in analyzing and categorizing large volumes of documents. In Fabasoft Approve, AI automatically checks that compliance-relevant documents comply with current regulations. This eliminates manual effort and ensures compliance in next to no time.
AI also provides valuable support in risk management and error prevention by identifying potential weaknesses at an early stage and suggesting recommendations for improvement (e.g., in the 8D process). If production defects occur along the supply chain, AI actively supports their resolution and provides “lessons learned” databases. In addition, 360-degree views of defects help with troubleshooting: For instance, a material number noted in a technical drawing can be used to view order information for the component or find similar deviations. The smart DMS/QMS automatically integrates associated metadata (such as order information or suppliers) into the non-conformance process.
Another highlight: the AI-supported DMS/QMS automatically recognizes patterns and deviations in processes, thus helping to minimize risk. Lessons learned from complaints management can be bundled into proactive quality management methods such as FMEA (failure mode and effects analysis), leading to better product and process quality along the entire supply chain.
Future-proof IMS with AI and the cloud
Integrating AI into the IMS makes organizations more agile and adaptable. If the company also uses a cloud-based DMS/QMS as a basis, AI applications can be easily integrated into business processes. Set up in this way, an IMS offers real added value that is cross-organizational, flexible, and always up to date across all departments.
