is the online magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment by helping organizations improve quality, save money, reduce risk and be more sustainable. Features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems, standards, testing, healthcare and certification.
Are you "Fit to supply" 2012 Olympic Games?
25 Jul 2008
Topics: Olympics
Business Link, the support and networking agency funded primarily by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), is working with BSI to help companies in their goal to win contracts for the 2012 Olympic Games. According to the Business Link website (www.businesslink.gov.uk), "Purchasing decisions are increasingly based on whether suppliers can demonstrate their ability to deliver services and products to consistently high levels of quality, efficiency and competence. As well as private sector companies, central government and local authority bodies are particularly attracted to businesses with management systems standards in place."
The site goes on to point out that standards such as ISO 9001 for quality management, OHSAS 18001 for health and safety management and ISO 14001 for environmental management provide these assurances, as well as a framework to monitor and control business processes and risks. As a consequence, BSI and Business Link have created the "Fit to Supply" scheme, which offers a "simple, structured and cost-effective way for businesses to demonstrate competence through official certification". The scheme helps identify what is compliant and whether there are any gaps in a company's practices and procedures.
Certified companies will be able to "confirm to existing and potential customers, investors, shareholders, employees and suppliers that they are officially Fit to Supply", the site points out - a major step on the road to London 2012.
For more information: www.bsigroup.com/july08fittosupply
Business Standards © 2010. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with The British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
UK film industry pioneers sustainability standard developed by BSI
The British film industry, in conjunction with BSI, is taking the lead in the global entertainment market with the announcement at the Cannes Film Festival of a new British Standard that will improve the industry's environmental, social and economic impact. For example, in London alone, screen production accounted for 125,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2009, 40% of which came from studios and 28% from TV and film production.
How do you put a price on a brand? An international standard in the making will provide a consistent, reliable approach to brand valuation.
BSI is planning an informal free lunchtime roundtable in central London on 10 December 2009 to explore how small businesses and their trade bodies can work more effectively with standards. Places are limited so to register your interest or request more information, please email bsi.survey@bsigroup.com or call +44 (0)20 8996 7750.
OCS, an international facilities services group based in the UK, has achieved triple certification to ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management/ and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management with BSI.
Sapphire earns a standards hat-trick
Sapphire Energy Recovery, the waste processing and resource recovery business owned by Lafarge Cement, has achieved certification to three management systems standards (ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management) from BSI. Sapphire is the UK's leading processor of used tyres, and sources and manages the logistics of a range of waste-derived fuels and raw materials for the cement industry.
Question: Do companies need to verify their carbon footprint?
Unless a business is regulated by some form of greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and/or cap-and-trade regulation (as is the case for some 12,000 installations in Europe), rarely is there the need to either calculate or verify the accuracy of a carbon footprint.
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