BUSINESS STANDARDS
is the quarterly magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment. Regular features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems and standards.
Question: Can standards really help minimize the need for regulation?
Regulation and legislation keep business on a level playing field and help mitigate against risk, as was acknowledged by The Hampton Review in 2005.
Question: Does business really need an integrated management systems standard?
Integrate or disintegrate - which would you choose? Some ten years ago the environmental standard, ISO 14001, was born and there are now over 100,000 organizations registered to it worldwide.
Question: Can you really measure customer satisfaction?
The simple answer is yes. Two years ago, BSI Management Systems took our customer- focused strategy to the next level by introducing a satisfaction survey for our clients.
Question: what is the value of a "non-
standard" standard, such as a PAS?
The PAS, or Publicly Available Specification, forms part of our spectrum of standards information ranging from full international consensus to bespoke individual company advice.
We are under increasing pressure to comply with a growing number of regulations and to maintain growth - while under greater scrutiny than ever before. How can this be good for business?
We are all in the risk management business. In the current climate, as consumers we are encouraged to claim compensation or sue for damages for almost any negative incident we encounter.
Question: We are under increasing pressure to comply with a growing number of regulations and to maintain growth - while under greater scrutiny than ever before. How can this be good for business?
We are all in the risk management business. In the current climate, as consumers we are encouraged to claim compensation or sue for damages for almost any negative incident we encounter.
Question: What impact do you think BCM could have on business insurance in the future?
It is essential that any business suffering a disaster is able to continue as near normal trading in the shortest possible time period to survive. To achieve this, an organization should implement a comprehensive well-tested business continuity plan (BCP) as a first step. Insurance should be viewed as an extension to the BCP process, not an alternative.
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.
Question: Why is risk management important to business?
First, there's more to risk management than just managing risk. Most organizations will talk about risk assessments, but the question is: what are they assessing? If you don't know what the threats are, then how can you conduct an effective risk assessment?
Question: Why is ISO 9001 still relevant?
This question has been raised before and at BSI, we make certain to ask the question as a matter of course. The forthcoming update to the standard - ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems. Requirements - is the result of just such questioning.
Question: Are health and safety issues at risk of being lost in the current financial turmoil?
When business isn't going well - whether it's due to a recession or simply because a company is going through a slow patch - there is a temptation to cut costs by cutting corners. Instead of treating an issue like product and consumer safety as vital to a organization's growth and reputation, it can become just another expense or regulatory requirement.
Question: Is the contribution made by standards always positive?
Standards can make an enormous contribution to organizations, businesses and society - a number of recent studies have confirmed this as an indisputable fact. But is the contribution they make always positive? In my role as chairman of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), I have a close understanding of the world of standards. Most of UKAS' accreditation work is based on standards - from the certification of quality and environmental management systems to a huge range of product testing and beyond.
Can your business afford a loss of reputation as the result of an incident?
This was the question that led a recent conference hosted by BSI in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). The topic for discussion was the updated BS 8848 + A1:2009 Specification for the provision of visits, fieldwork, expeditions and adventurous activities outside the United Kingdom.
ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents, representing over 5,500 travel agencies and 900 tour operations in the UK) has joined forces with BSI Management Systems UK to produce a guide on implementing an effective complaints handling process - Dealing With Complaints: Complaint Handling.
ISO 9004: dispatches from Tokyo
In February 2009, the 26th meeting of ISO/TC 176 was held at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo, Japan.
On the agenda was the revision of ISO 9004, which provides guidance on how organizations can continually improve their quality management system. The standard, which is now titled Managing for the sustained success of an organization - A quality management approach, is nearing completion and many comments were reviewed during the meeting.
Policing the Kitemark: Kent Trading Standards
Late in 2008, Kent Trading Standards (KTS) successfully prosecuted the UK retailer of a particular brand of unsafe carbon monoxide detectors, following a lengthy investigation. As part of its case, KTS was able to prosecute the company for misuse of the BSI Kitemark symbol, a first of its kind in the UK. The retailer was fined £65,000 with more than £5,000 in costs, representing the largest financial penalty ever secured by KTS.
Primark's ethical auditing agenda
Primark, one of Europe's largest clothing retailers, has selected BSI's Entropy Software™, the web-based supply chain audit, compliance and performance management system, as part of its ethical trade strategy.
Question: What impact do you think BCM could have on business insurance in the future?
It is essential that any business suffering a disaster is able to continue as near normal trading in the shortest possible time period to survive. To achieve this, an organization should implement a comprehensive well-tested business continuity plan (BCP) as a first step. Insurance should be viewed as an extension to the BCP process, not an alternative.
Have a standards-related question for BSI or a comment on the website? We'll find the right person to answer.
