This guidance walks through the IMS1 manual section by section, explaining what each part is for, what to complete, what can be changed and which ISO clauses it covers.
The IMS1 Manual Guidance is supplied in PDF format as a reference document to read alongside the IMS1 manual, following the same section numbering as the manual.
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Further guidance on setting up a management system:
The IMS1 Manual Guidance is supplied only with the IMS1 manual in the alphaZ toolkits and is not sold on its own. It is included in the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 toolkits, including the integrated toolkits that combine them.
If you'd like hands-on help setting up the IMS1 manual and your management system, our remote support services provide direct expert input from our team, by the day, by project, or on an ongoing basis.
IMS1 Manual Guidance
The IMS1 Manual Guidance is a PDF reference supplied alongside the IMS1 manual. Part 1 explains how the manual is structured and how to use it - where detail is held, how to edit it, how to log changes, a suggested order for setting it up and what to check before the certification audit. Part 2 then works through IMS1 section by section.
Each section in Part 2 has IMS1 Guidance - what the section is for, what needs completing and what can be changed - and Additional Information giving the ISO clauses it covers, what is required for compliance and further background. Clauses are those of ISO 9001:2026 unless another standard is named, with ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001 covered in Sections 6 to 8.
Part 1 - Using the IMS1 Manual
- About IMS1 and Structure - what the manual is for, why it follows how an organisation is run rather than the clause order of the standards, and why every section keeps its number
- What Goes Where - how the IMS registers, other registers, forms, policies and optional files keep detail out of the manual, and what the orange and blue link colours mean
- IMS1 Procedures and Operational Procedures - the matching standalone procedure for each section and when to use one, and the blank operational procedure template for specific activities
- Editing IMS1 - yellow text, linked edits when a requirement is not applicable, numbered boxes and decision tables, the Responsibility field, header and footer, and styles and the contents page
- Issue and Update Log - completing the front page, which changes to log, and when the issue number changes
- Setting Up IMS1, Before the Certification Audit and After Setup - a suggested setup order, the points to check before the certification audit, and ongoing review and maintenance
- Help and Resources - where to find the alphaZ documents, the isomanaged.com knowledge base, the ISO and Legal Update Service and remote support
Part 2 - IMS1 Section by Section
- Sections 1 to 5 - guidance for each numbered section, from the update log and scope through to continual improvement, with the clauses each one covers
- Section 6 Environmental Management - the ISO 14001 requirements, with a note on the different section layout of the ISO 14001-only manual, IMS1-EMS
- Section 7 Health & Safety Management - the ISO 45001 requirements, including consultation and participation, emergency preparedness and hazard identification
- Section 8 Information Security Management - the ISO 27001 requirements and how Section 8 ties to F-IMS26 Statement of Applicability
- Appendices - external file references and how to add a link, the folder filing system, terms and definitions, and the IT network overview
Who Needs the IMS1 Manual Guidance?
Anyone setting up or maintaining an IMS1 manual - an IMS Lead, quality manager, office manager or consultant - uses the guidance to decide what to keep, what to change and what can be removed without weakening the management system. It is particularly useful for SMEs putting a management system in place for the first time, as it explains why each section is there as well as how to complete it.
Included in the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 Toolkits
The guidance is supplied with the IMS1 manual in the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 toolkits, including the integrated toolkits that combine them.
Using the Guidance
Keep the guidance open alongside the manual, follow the suggested setup order in Part 1, then turn to Part 2 as you complete each section. The Linked Edits table shows which other text to remove when an ISO 9001 requirement is marked as not applicable, so the manual does not contradict itself.
Related Documents
I-C-IMS Implementation Checklists and I-C-IMS1 Manual Checklists check each IMS1 section in more detail during setup, I-C-IMS Maintenance Checklist lists the ongoing maintenance activities, and F-IMS22 Interested Parties Register and F-IMS23 Opportunities and Risks Register are the IMS registers that the context and planning sections rely on. The clause-by-clause ISO 9001:2026 Correlation maps ISO 9001:2026 to the manual in full.
Would you rather we prepared it for you?
Our IMS Manual and Registers Preparation service writes your management system manual around your business and completes the registers behind it, so the arrangements your staff are briefed on match what is written down.
IMS Manual and Registers Preparation