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Management systemTerm

Scope of the management system

The scope of a management system defines which locations, activities, products and processes the system covers, and what is deliberately left out.

Explanation

You set the scope based on your context, the requirements of interested parties and what you do as an organisation. Which sites, which services and which processes take part? The scope is written down and available to anyone who asks, such as an auditor or a client.

A clear scope determines what an auditor assesses and what ends up on your certificate. A scope that is too narrow can disappoint clients, one that is too broad makes the system heavy and hard to maintain. If you leave something out on purpose, you need to be able to justify that.

Note that the word scope has several meanings. In a CO2 footprint it refers to scope 1, 2 and 3, categories of emissions and therefore something different from the boundaries of your management system. In a job or project, too, scope means the delineation of the work.

Example from practice

A company with two sites defines the scope as the design and production of steel structures at both locations. A separate rental activity is deliberately excluded and is named as such.

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Where you work with Scope

ContextDocument internal and external context (4.1/4.2). ProcessesMap processes and link them to the standard. ObjectsManage machines, locations and assets centrally. ISO 9001Quality ISO 14001Environment ISO 45001Health and safety
Knowledge base

Keep reading

Analyzing context and stakeholders: approach with a worked exampleThe context of the organization consists of the internal and external factors that decide whether your management system achieves its purpose, plus the parties that expect something from you. A clear analysis shows which risks and objectives really matter. Preparing for a certification audit: checklist for the final weeks and the day itselfPreparing for a certification audit is mostly about making sure you can show what you already do. This guide gives a checklist for the final weeks and audit day, describes what auditors often ask and explains how to handle findings.
Glossary

See also

Context of the organisationContext of the organisationInterested partiesInterested partiesCertificationCertificationCO2 footprintCO2 footprint (carbon footprint)

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