Management system certification

TÜV NORD Vietnam audits and certifies management systems against the most widely used ISO standards, either one standard at a time or combined into a single integrated management system (IMS).

What is an integrated management system?

An integrated management system (IMS) brings an organisation's separate management systems – quality, environment, occupational health and safety, energy – together under one operating framework. Instead of running parallel sets of procedures, records and responsibilities, the business manages everything on a common foundation.

That foundation is the Harmonized Structure (HS, formerly the High Level Structure – HLS) set out in Annex SL of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, which ISO uses for its management system standards: identical clause numbering and titles, identical core text and common terms. Common requirements such as policy, objectives, internal audit and management review can therefore be set up once for several standards.

Standards in this service group

ISO 9001 – quality management, applicable to manufacturing and service organisations alike. The new edition, ISO 9001:2026, was published by ISO on 16 September 2026.
ISO 14001 – environmental management, controlling environmental aspects and compliance obligations. The new edition, ISO 14001:2026, was published by ISO on 15 April 2026.
ISO 45001 – occupational health and safety management, preventing work-related injury and ill health.

They can be combined with other management system standards built on the same structure, such as ISO 50001 (energy management), ISO 22000 (food safety) or ISO/IEC 27001 (information security).

Combined audits: one audit, several certificates

Where several standards are in place, overlapping requirements can be assessed together in a single audit. This can reduce the time your staff spend in audits, avoid duplicate documentation and give a more complete picture of the management system. You can start with one standard and add others later, or apply for certification to several at once from the outset.

With both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 now available in 2026 editions, organisations certified to the 2015 editions may wish to align the transition audits for both standards in a single visit, within the transition deadlines set by the IAF.

Our services

ISO 9001 CertificationISO 9001 certification gives independent evidence that your quality management system meets the standard, now ISO 9001:2026. See how the audit works.ISO 14001 CertificationISO 14001 certification gives independent evidence of your environmental management system, helping you control impacts and compliance obligations.ISO 45001 CertificationISO 45001 certification gives independent evidence of your occupational health and safety system, supporting prevention of injury and ill health.

Benefits for your organisation

Greater efficiency

Linked processes can remove duplicated work and help you focus resources where they matter.

Lower costs

Fewer redundant procedures and combined audits can reduce the effort of maintaining your systems.

Clear responsibilities

Transparent roles and objectives help employees understand and commit to the system.

Better decisions

Centralised data across disciplines gives management a sounder basis for strategic choices.

Frequently asked questions

Is an integrated management system worthwhile for a small company?

It can be. An IMS is not only for large groups. For smaller organisations, sharing one set of processes, one internal audit programme and one management review across several standards usually takes fewer resources than maintaining each system separately. Whether it suits you depends on your size, activities and customer requirements.

Do all standards have to be certified at the same time?

No. Many companies start with one standard, most often ISO 9001, and add ISO 14001 or ISO 45001 when they are ready. Because the standards share the Harmonized Structure, extending the system later is straightforward, and audit dates can be aligned so that several standards are covered in one visit.

Does a combined audit make the assessment of each standard less rigorous?

No. Each standard is still audited in full against its own requirements, and each certificate is issued only when the system meets that standard. What is streamlined are the shared elements, such as policy, document control, internal audit and management review, which only need to be reviewed once.

Talk to our experts

Contact TÜV NORD Vietnam in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Vung Tau for detailed information on Management system certification and a quotation for your organisation.