Understanding management systems in ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is the international standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Beyond measuring emissions, it requires organizations to actively manage environmental risks, track nonconformities, define improvement objectives, and close corrective actions — creating a continuous improvement loop. Dcycle’s Management Systems module maps directly to the ISO 14001 Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle:All management system resources are scoped to a Project.Every endpoint uses
/management-systems/projects/{project_id}/.... A project represents an ISO 14001 certification scope (e.g., a facility, a business unit, or the entire organization). Retrieve your project_id from the Projects API before proceeding.Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure you have:- Dcycle API credentials (get them here)
- A valid
project_idfor the ISO 14001 scope you are managing - Your
organization_id(returned alongside the project)
Data map: management system resources overview
Workflow overview
1
Identify risks and opportunities
Register environmental risks and opportunities for your project. Dcycle auto-assigns a sequential code (e.g.,
R-001, O-001) and computes a risk level from probability × impact.2
Log nonconformities and incidents
Record deviations, incidents, or observations detected during audits or operations. Attach evidence files as needed.
3
Define environmental objectives
Set measurable targets linked to the project scope (e.g., “Reduce water consumption by 15%”). Track progress with
current_value vs. target_value.4
Create and assign actions
Link corrective, preventive, or improvement actions to a risk, opportunity, or nonconformity. Assign responsible users and deadlines.
5
Monitor via dashboard
Pull aggregated KPIs — open risks by level, nonconformity severity distribution, overdue actions — for management review.
Step 1: Risks and opportunities
Emission sources covered
Risk scoring
Dcycle uses a three-phase scoring model for risks: inherent, mitigation, and residual.Inherent risk
Mitigation coefficients (risks only)
Optionally providemitigation_probability and mitigation_impact — decimal coefficients between 0.00 and 1.00 representing how much each dimension is reduced by controls in place. Both must be provided together.
Residual risk (computed)
When both mitigation coefficients are provided, Dcycle computes:📋 Data map: risks and opportunities
📋 Data map: risks and opportunities
Where to get this data:
project_id: Projects API →GET /v1/projectsowner_user_id: Members API →GET /v1/membersfacility_id: Facilities API →GET /v1/facilities
List and filter risks
Step 2: Nonconformities, incidents, and observations
Dcycle uses a single endpoint for all three types of deviation records. Thetype field distinguishes them:
📋 Data map: nonconformities
📋 Data map: nonconformities
Attach evidence files
Nonconformities support file attachments (audit reports, photos, etc.) via a two-step presigned URL flow:Step 3: Environmental objectives
Objectives let you define measurable environmental targets and track progress over time. Dcycle auto-assigns codes likeOBJ-001.
📋 Data map: objectives
📋 Data map: objectives
Update progress
UsePATCH to update current_value as measurements come in:
Step 4: Actions
Actions are the operational core of the management system. Every action must be linked to a source: a risk, an opportunity, or a nonconformity.📋 Data map: actions
📋 Data map: actions
Close and verify effectiveness
When the action is completed, mark it as done and record effectiveness verification — required by ISO 14001 Clause 10.2:Actions are linked to their source automatically.When you retrieve a nonconformity or risk via the
GET /{id} endpoint, the response includes a nested actions array — no separate join needed.Step 5: Monitor via dashboard
Pull a real-time summary of the project’s management system health:Dashboard response schema
Auto-generated codes
Every resource gets a sequential, human-readable code automatically:
Sequences are per-organization for risks/opportunities/objectives, and per-project for nonconformities.
Related documentation
Projects API
Retrieve your project IDs and organization scope
Facilities API
Scope risks and nonconformities to specific facilities
Authentication guide
Set up API keys and organization headers