Why British Standards

Why British Standards?

Discover what British Standards can do for your business

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Why British Standards are right for your business

British Standards are created by industry experts, with vast knowledge and experience in their fields. The role of BSI is to facilitate bringing these people together, to agree on best practice and to create standards.

BSI brings together every aspect of society, to deliver, through consensus, independent, robust, and expert best practices that enhance innovation, productivity, sustainability, and safety.

Developed with guidance from a steering group of stakeholders, industry experts and consumers, this consensus on best practice guarantees the most efficient course of action is taken when developing standards. This impartiality is vital for businesses who use British Standards, as it shows they are produced without any influences which could affect the objectivity of decision making.

British Standards Online (BSOL)

BSOL is a standard management system built with leading industry knowledge, trusted and used by businesses globally. Access, view and download standards with multiple user access, across multiple sites, facilitating the distribution of the knowledge across your business.

You can subscribe to our pre-built modules or build a personalized standards collection, saving your organization money, reducing risk by enabling access to the latest version of standards with bibliographical data and instilling trust with your clients partnering with BSI.

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What British Standards do for business

Consumers are looking for reassurance that a product or service will meet the correct criteria. When deciding about what standards to use, it’s well worth choosing a world-class standards company, for complete peace of mind for you, your customers, and consumers.

British Standards epitomize best practice in the standards world and the businesses that use them demonstrate that safety and reliability matter most. With BSI, you can also get involved in the process, by suggesting ideas for new standards that fit your business needs. You can comment on proposed and draft standards, and publicly available specifications (PASs), through our Standards Development Portal, or get involved in the standards-making process by joining our committees.

Be the best with British Standards

It’s important to understand that the right standards generate more benefits for businesses than they cost to implement. British Standards do this by improving efficiency and increasing productivity, allowing you to implement new working practices faster and more effectively.

More than 70,000 businesses around the world, from SMEs to larger companies, including over half the combined FTSE 100, Fortune 500, and Nikkei organizations, have adopted our standards and utilized our products and services. Independent research has revealed that these organizations significantly outperform others in terms of profit and return on investment.

Areas where your business can improve performance include:

Quality management – make sure your services are as good as possible
Product certification – check your products are safe and dependable
Customer satisfaction – give the best service to your customers
IT service management – be certain your IT services are reliable

British Standards and international trade

BSI is the UK’s national member of the international standards organizations International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and their European counterparts European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC). It is also a member of a third European Standardization Organization, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), alongside industry bodies and companies. We lead the way in national and international standards with over 84,000 clients in 193 countries.

International standards from ISO and IEC are a vital element of the World Trade Organization rules-based trading system, and BSI participates on many of these committees to ensure that the British voice is heard in international standards-making.

BSI aims for every country to have the same standards; therefore, we’re committed to helping other countries develop theirs. International standards are adopted by BSI, to create a common language for trading partners and give access to the global market. Our international standards create a technical understanding of how to do better in business, and we provide the means for our UK expertise to be reflected in national, European, and international standards. After scrutinizing and influencing these standards, we then progress, co-write, and publish them. BSI has also provided practical training for over 150,000 people worldwide on how to implement and operate standards.

Additionally, we have a larger set of adopted ISO and CEN standards than other standards bodies. Of these, 70% are adopted within 1 week and 90% within 2 weeks, and in the case of a crucial adoption (like ISO 9001), just one day.

Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN)

BSI, in partnership with the Department for International Trade and the Department for International Development (DFID), launched the Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN). The UK government has provided funding for this initiative that’s aimed to tackle non-tariff barriers and promote stronger trade amongst all Commonwealth states.

The CSN is a platform for the Commonwealth countries to exchange ideas and knowledge. Its key aim will be to facilitate trade, and further innovation across the Commonwealth, through the increased use of international standards. A series of programmes will build the capacity of Commonwealth states to adopt international standards, while also increasing their role in international standards development.

Standards play an important role in promoting productivity and efficiency, reducing costs, removing barriers to trade, and driving economic growth. The network will be especially relevant to those members that are less economically developed, who want to boost their export capabilities using standards. The programme includes training in the use of standards and onsite technical assistance programmes, through funding from DFID.

Sustainability and standards

In 2015, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States, as a universal call to action, to end poverty, enhance prosperity and peace, and protect the planet.

ISO has published more than 21,000 international standards and related documents that represent globally recognized guidelines and frameworks based on international collaboration. Built around unanimity, they provide a solid base where innovation can thrive and are essential tools to help the government, private sector and society achieve their sustainable goals.

For each goal, ISO has identified the standards that make the most significant contribution, and with ISO standards covering almost every subject imaginable, from technical solutions to systems that organize processes and procedures, many correspond to each of the SDGs.

Establishing a strategic plan for sustainable development under the SDGs is key for business growth and success. BSI is committed to becoming the standards solution for SDGs, and with commitment from businesses, we’ll help to shape the world in which economic, social, and environmental sustainability succeed.

How can BSOL help your organization?

We’ve helped many businesses all over the world to manage their standards and deliver best practice with British Standards Online (BSOL).

BSOL is a simple online tool that acts as your standards management system. Access, view and download standards with multiple user access, across multiple sites, facilitating the distribution of the knowledge across your business.

BSOL contains British standards and international and European standards that have been adopted as British standards. It also includes ISO, EN, PAS, ASTM and IEC standards that haven't been adopted as British standards.

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Why British Standards?

Why British Standards?

The value of standards

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