A SURVEY ON INDIAN EXPERIENCE ON INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT STANDARDS (IMS)

Adoption of management systems standards is a key issue in manufacturing industry in India. Following the global trend quality and environmental issues are gaining importance. However the number of ISO 14001 certified companies are much less in India as compared to ISO 9001. The integration of ISO 14001 with ISO 9001 may help companies to sustain competitive advantage and overcome disappointments with quality standards and in turn encourage companies to adopt good envi ronmental practices. The aim of this research is to study the implementation of integrated management standards (IMS) by the manufacturing organizations in India. The different aspects of integration and benefits of IMS implementation are analyzed. This r esearch is based on empirical study carried out in Indian manufacturing firms, involving the application of a questionnaire. This questionnaire was tested on 50 manufacturing companies in India. The study reveals that focus on stakeholders; top managemen t commitment and training are critical success factors for implementation of IMS. The main benefits of integration are discussed. The small sample size is one of the major limitations of this study. The paper informs the managers in manufacturing organizat ions and practitioners of management system standards especially in developing countries about IMS and will enable them to adopt IMS in future so that those organizations may not implement multiple and overlapping MSS(Management System Standards).