What is a standard - benefits

What is a standard?

A standard sets out an agreed way of doing something. It’s a statement of good practice, designed to make things better, safer and more efficient.

Standards can cover a huge range of organizational activities, from making a product to delivering a service or creating a process.

A standard is a collective work. It represents the consensus of a group of experts and other people with an interest in the subject matter.

BSI shares knowledge fosters innovation and instils best practice as the UK's national standards body

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Benefits of standards

Standards are a tried and tested way for organizations to follow good practice and work more effectively. Among their many benefits, they can help to:

  • improve performance
  • cut costs
  • manage and reduce risk
  • increase international trade
  • speed up innovation
  • increase sustainability
  • demonstrate quality
  • build customer trust

Standards vs regulations

Standards are not regulations or legislation. Following a standard doesn’t guarantee that you’re within the relevant laws.

In fact, standards rarely quote the law, as legislation could change within the lifetime of the standard.

The government often draws on standards when putting together legislation or guidance documents. They use standards to establish the technical detail. In these cases, complying with the standard will often mean you’re compliant with the relevant legislation.

European and International standardization

Developing and using common standards across a region or globally enables organizations to trade more easily from country to country.

BSI is appointed by the UK Government (HMG) to act as the UK National Standards Body (NSB). As the NSB, BSI represents the UK's interests in the European Standards Organizations (CEN and CENELEC), and in the international arena (ISO and IEC).  

BSI is an active member of these four organisations, providing secretariat services to more than 185 committees in total, and participating in many of the governing bodies.

While also responsible for the supporting structures, that enable the UK to participate in national, European and international standards-making systems and for overseeing the portfolio of those standards adopted in the UK.