Integrated management systems: Barrier assessment through Grey Incidence Analysis and contributions to quality management

This article addresses the growing need for effectively managing multiple concurrent management systems to enhance organizational competitiveness. It focuses on investigating the barriers hindering the integration of these systems within companies, emphasizing the influence of these difficulties on quality management. A survey involving 86 Brazilian experts who had experience with management system integration in their respective organizations was conducted. Grey Incidence Analysis was employed to assess the survey results, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the barriers and identification of the most critical. The results of this study highlight critical factors that impede management system integration. In terms of qualitative characteristics, employee engagement emerged as a significant barrier. Quantitatively, several key obstacles were identified, including the need to reduce inconsistencies between documents, processes, and procedures, consideration of organizational culture aspects, standardization of terms and concepts, experiences in waste mapping, and the promotion of communication and interaction with stakeholders. By harmonizing processes, reducing conflicts and developing a culture of collaboration and communication, organizations can address the main barriers related to integrated management systems and enhance quality management practices. This research contributes to shedding light on the challenges of integrating management systems, an area that has received limited attention in existing literature. By employing Grey Incidence Analysis in this context, we offer a novel approach to understanding and prioritizing the barriers to integration and their potential impact in quality management.