How we develop standards to help business and the economy

We work with a wide range of stakeholders to develop standards including business, government, consumers and academic establishments. Standards help organizations maximize their performance, be more efficient and profitable, enable greater sustainability, as well as supporting innovation.

Here are some insightful and short case studies that show how we work with stakeholders to develop standards to respond to market needs and to deliver value.

Maximizing performance Working in healthcare
Managing risk Working with trade and professional associations
Delivering sustainability Working in education
Supporting innovation Working with consumers
Working with government Helping the UK construction industry


Maximizing performance

Enabling more cost-efficient maintenance of buildings

BS 8544 is the new standard for the life cycle costing of maintenance which will enable a more structured and robust way to work out building maintenance costs.

Read how BS 8455 is making a difference to building maintenance (PDF)

Helping organizations get more out of their assets

The new international standards for asset management, ISO 55000 series, started life at BSI as PAS 55.

Read how BSI led the development of ISO 55000 (PDF)

Making supply chains more efficient

We’re working with government and industry to create standards that will cut costs by improving construction supply chain data access.

Read how we're making supply chains more efficient (PDF)

Design MADE simple

Shedding light on the BS 8887 series of standards and their influence on sustainable design in the UK and beyond.

Read how BS 8887 has influenced sustainable design (PDF)

Enabling better commercial collaboration

BS 11000-1 is helping organizations realize the many benefits of working together more efficiently and effective.

Read how BS 11000 is enabling better collaboration (PDF)


Managing risk

Mitigating corporate governance risks

BS 13500 is the first national governance standard of its type and helps organizations have all the elements of good governance in place.

Read how we developed and tested the standard for good governance (PDF)

Reducing money loss from procurement fraud

How we worked with Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) to develop a new standard to help reduce the risk of procurement fraud.

Read how we’re helping organizations reduce the risk of procurement fraud (PDF)

Minimizing risk of illegal business activity

We developed a specification to help business introduce or assess their anti-bribery management system.

Read how we developed a standard to minimize the risk of bribery (PDF)

Setting the standard for good governance

BS 13500 will be launched in 2013 as the first British Standard for governance and its principles provide a benchmark for all organizations.

Read how we’ve helped set the standard for good governance (PDF)


Delivering sustainability

Enabling organizations to embed, manage and assess sustainable development

BS 8900 has been updated and improved to make it even more useful to organizations to help them with their sustainable development.

Read how BS 8900 has been improved (PDF)

Providing information online for installing energy efficient measures

A look at how Green Deal standard PAS 2030 has been delivered in an online-only format for the first time.

Read more about this online-only standard (PDF)

Addressing the risk of flooding

With flooding predicted to become a more serious problem, we’re working with stakeholders to develop effective flood risk management solutions.

Read how we’re working to develop flood risk solutions (PDF)

Gold medal standard sustainability

Certification to BSI ISO 20121 helped Olympic venue to prove its sustainability credentials and reduce its utility costs by 15 per cent.

Read how Olympic venue reduced utility costs by 15 per cent (PDF)

Enabling better emissions management

Carbon footprint specification PAS 2050 helps organizations throughout the world to minimize their carbon footprint.

Read how our standard helps organizations minimize their carbon footprint (PDF)

Achieving sustainable procurement goals

The Football Association is using BS 8903 to achieve its sustainability objectives in procurement.

Read how the FA is using BS 8903 to improve its sustainability (PDF)

Becoming the most sustainable retailer

The Marks and Spencer procurement team used BS 8903 to embed sustainable procurement.

Read how M&S used BS 8903 for sustainable procurement (PDF)


Supporting innovation

Developing biological manufacturing standards

We’re developing biological manufacturing standards and supporting the UK’s position as a world leader in synthetic biology and cell therapies.

Read how we’re helping advance synthetic biology and cell therapies (PDF)

Unexpected gains from biometric standard

Shedding light on how a standard that we developed has enabled the world’s largest biometric project, while bringing unexpected benefits to people in rural India.

Read how biometric standards bring benefits in India (PDF)

Fighting crime internationally

The UK is increasing international understanding of biometric technology applications for mobile devices.

Read how we are contributing to the development of biometric standardization

Fuelling emerging technologies

We’re helping to ensure that Europe emerges as a centre of excellence for bio-based products.

Read how we’re a major player in standards development of bio-based products (PDF)

Preparing the way for smart cities

Our work will help to accelerate the rollout of smart cities across the United Kingdom.

Read how we’ve developed a smart cities standards strategy (PDF)


Working with government

Saving costs with high speed rail

How we’re working with Government to ensure that waste and inefficiency is removed from HS2’s planning, design and construction processes.

Read about our work with HS2 (PDF)

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions in cities

How using the recently published PAS 2070 in London could help city leaders elsewhere to better manage greenhouse gas emissions.

Read about how PAS 2070 is being used (PDF)

Enabling governments to hit targets

We developed two publicly available specifications (PASs) to help DECC deliver Green Deal commitments.

Read how we worked with a government department to produce new standards (PDF)

Helping the fight against crime

A look at our recent work in the fascinating field of forensic science services in the UK and overseas.

Read about our work in helping the fight against crime (PDF)


Working in healthcare

Helping address long-term care

A look at how standards could make a significant contribution to addressing the growing needs for long-term care in the UK.

Read how we’re inputting into the need for long-term care (PDF)

Addressing dementia care in the UK

A look at how we’re supporting the Prime Minister and various stakeholders to address the growing issue of dementia in the UK.

Read how we’re addressing the issue of dementia in the UK (PDF)


Working with trade and professional associations

Combining knowledge and expertise

Businesses and academia could benefit from our work with EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Through-life Engineering Services.

Read about our work with EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in TES (PDF)

Improving wheelchair safety

The new Wheelchair Passport Scheme is making travel for wheelchair users safe and more convenient.

Read how are keeping wheelchair users safer while travelling by road (PDF)


Working in education

Raising awareness in education

A look at how our work on campus is raising awareness of standardization and helping to create the standards makers of the future

Read about how we’re working in education (PDF)


Working with consumers

Improving safety in overseas adventures

We assess the contribution that BS 8848 has made to managing risk in overseas adventurous activities.

Read about how we've helped improve safety in overseas ventures (PDF)


Helping the UK construction industry

Streamlining construction procurement processes

We created a publicly available specification (PAS) for BIS that brings significant cost savings to the construction industry.

Read how we have helped cut costs for the construction industry (PDF)