A structured approach for facilitating the implementation of ISO 50001 standard in the manufacturing sector

•A standard methodology using flow charts for interpretation and analysis of ISO 50001 is developed.•A software tool, ISO 50001 Analyzer, to facilitate the development of an ISO 50001 compliant energy management system is developed.•The software can help management consultants to identify and fulfill gaps in ISO 50001 documentation.•An active database is integrated in the software to archive the documents and records for compliance to the standard.

Increasing energy costs driven by global demand as well as environmental legislations have created a need for a global standard for managing energy use. Introduced in June, 2011, the ISO 50001 International Standard was developed to provide a unified framework for energy management. This paper describes a standard methodology using flow charts and a software tool referred to as the ISO 50001 Analyzer to facilitate the development of an ISO 50001 compliant energy management system. The software is also designed to be a reference guide for energy management consultants to assist manufacturing plants understand and comply with the requirements of ISO 50001. This work also included building an integrated database to archive the documents and records for compliance to the standard.