Application of the IUMSS Methodology for the Standardization and Integration of Management Systems in University Research Laboratories

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate alternatives for the integration of management systems standards requirements into a single management system (MS) for university research laboratories and compare the resulting MSs after standardization and integration against the initial MSs. There is a lack of research on the standardization and integration of quality management systems (QMSs), customer satisfaction management systems (CSMSs) and occupational health and safety management systems (OH&SMSs) in university research laboratories following the integrative use of management systems (IUMSS) methodology. Interviews were conducted with four case studies laboratories (CSLs) staff and internal documentation was reviewed to learn about their MSs. The IUMSS methodology was applied to theoretically standardize and integrate the QMSs, CSMSs and OH&SMs of these CSLs. A comparison was conducted between initial MSs and resulting ones and between the steps followed for standardization and integration. The methodology presented in the IUMSS Handbook (2018) can be used to standardize and integrate the QMSs, CSMSs and OH&SMs of university research laboratories. Since this study only involved the theoretical standardization and integration of these MSs, future research may study the challenges related to these systems' actual implementation and integration.