ISO and High-Level Structure (HLS)

Throughout the years, ISO has published several standards for Environmental and Quality Management System with common elements, but with different structures. Companies that had implemented several standards in their management system face a challenge, which is finding a way to best integrate and combine standards until ISO developed an SL annex.

SL annex created by ISO, it’s the new structure for a generic management system, it has a structure for the new and reviewed management system standards. ISO’s annex target is that auditors of the management system use a basic set of generic requirements in all disciplines and industrial sectors, also implement one that reduces conflicts, duplication, confusion, and misunderstanding because of different structures handling different standards.

The ISO initiative will apply to all management system standards, public and technical access specifications (TS). Moreover, new versions of ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:20015, based on the SL annex higher-level structure. Also applicable for ISO 450001, about the management of occupational safety and health systems.

The implementation advantages of a higher-level structure in companies will be noticeable, the main one is to implement a new way, where companies will work on templates and shall be adopted to the specific needs to normalize the management system. To achieve it, the responsible leaders of the implementation could help by using a simple tool; to conduct a general framework of the management system through which could differentiate the common management requirements and specific management standards.

What is that you need to know about the higher-level structure?

1. Some concepts of the higher-level structure which stand out:

• Risk
• Interested parties
• Documented information

In this case, the risk is thought as a preventive action concept evolution. From the interested parties, it shall be considered when analyzing the organization context. Lastly, the documented information, documents and system records are gathered, even though the management system procedures aren’t mandatory.

2. The common structure of requirements sections, it’s as follows:

Chapter 4. Organization context.

Chapter 5. Leadership.

Chapter 6. Planning.

Chapter 8. Operations.

Chapter 9. Performance evaluation.

Chapter 10. improvement. Orientation annex

3. The fact that the management standards have a structure, texts and vocabulary in common, you could add new requirements, additional subclauses or new vocabulary.

To conclude, we will say that the higher-level structure provides a common approach for new and future managements system, also increases the benefits for administrators of standards, auditors, companies and organizations. The higher-level structure allows companies to visualize the implementation of several management systems working simultaneously, representing strong added value, before the competitive market.