Management Systems for New-starts – do I need one?

Shall we agree what a management system is? Simply, it is a way of getting things done, that gives you the best opportunity of achieving your business objective as efficiently as possible. It’s also documented, so that when you achieve your objective, you can do it again. Looking on the bleaker side, if you don’t achieve your objective, you’ll be able to analyse the process and understand what went wrong – ideally not repeating the same mistakes next time.

So, a management system could, if your business required it, document the processes involved in cooking a fry up. Or baking a cake. Or building nuclear submarines.

If the management system is there to help us achieve an objective the next question is exactly when in my new start business should I consider one? Well, I would confidently suggest that if you’ve started trading, you already have one. Maybe not documented and certainly not refined for continuous improvement but you’ll know what you do and how you do it. If you can get the ‘what’ and ‘how’ written down as a process you’ll be on the journey. A desk drawer or a filing cupboard is perfectly suitable place for your management system to live - as long as it’s accessible and used as a working document.

So, if it’s all that simple why is there so much fuss (and cost) associated with management system? The answer is that a management system will repay the fuss (let’s call it effort) and cost that you put into it multiple times. It is an investment in the success of your business. Your management system should be able to answer you when you ask “where is the rework occurring in production” or “how can I improve my bottom line”. The answer will often take some investigation and analysis, but the management system provides you the framework to do this and as a result – deliver improvement.

Certification is commonly the pinnacle of refinement of an organisations management system and a badge to others, suppliers, competitors or customers, that you are at the top of your game.

Certified or not, a documented management system, used effectively, will be transformational for fledgling organisations and there is no better way to ensure your growth and future success.

iqms Learning can provide advice and support wherever you are on your journey; considering your options, wanting to build a management system, wanting to implement or refine it or needing help to understand how to get the most from your system.  Contact us today for a friendly chat.