Integrated Management Systems: Combining ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001
ISO Certification · 2026-07-14 · 1 min read · CR Global Assurance Editorial Team
Running three separate ISO systems means three manuals, three internal audits and three sets of external audits. An integrated management system (IMS) does the same job with far less duplication.
Many organisations certify quality, environment and safety separately. Because ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 share the same high-level structure, they can be managed — and audited — as one integrated management system (IMS). CR Global Assurance (formerly CR Team Ltd) conducts integrated audits that reduce duplication without weakening any standard.
What the three standards share
All three follow the same clause structure: context of the organisation, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement. That means one set of processes can serve all three for:
- Context, interested parties and risk and opportunity assessment.
- Policy (one combined policy is common), objectives and management review.
- Document control, competence, training and awareness.
- Internal audit, non-conformity and corrective action.
What stays specific
| Standard | Unique focus |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | Customer requirements, design, production control, product conformity |
| ISO 14001 | Environmental aspects, compliance obligations, life-cycle perspective |
| ISO 45001 | Hazard identification, worker participation, incident investigation |
Benefits of an IMS
- Fewer audit days — integrated audits can reduce combined audit time compared with three separate audits.
- One internal audit programme — trained internal auditors cover all three standards in one visit to each department.
- Less paperwork — one document control system, one management review.
- Better decisions — quality, environmental and safety risks are weighed together.
How to integrate
- Map existing procedures for each standard and identify overlaps.
- Merge common procedures; keep standard-specific controls separate where needed.
- Train internal auditors on all three standards.
- Run one integrated internal audit cycle and management review.
- Request an integrated certification audit.
The IMS can be extended later to ISO 50001, ISO 22000 or ISO 27001.
Integrated audits with CR Global
CR Global Assurance audits integrated systems across Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. Apply for an integrated audit, or check our internal auditor courses.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get one certificate for ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001?
Certification bodies usually issue a separate certificate for each standard, but the audit itself can be integrated, saving time and cost.
Do I need to be certified to all three standards at once?
No. You can add standards over time. Many organisations start with ISO 9001 and integrate ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 later.
Does an integrated audit lower the standard of each audit?
No. Every requirement of each standard is still audited; integration only removes duplicated effort on shared requirements.