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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Question: Given the state of the environment, should issues like energy management in business be more regulated and closely monitored instead of voluntary?

Climate change is such an urgent issue that some might argue the only answer to this question is "Yes". However, creating laws that achieve their goals in precisely the right way is challenging and time consuming at the best of times. And when it comes to climate change, the factors involved are varied - too many for any one law or set of laws to cover adequately.

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Question: This year marks the 25th anniversary of data protection regulation in the UK. Does the fact that such legislation exists mean that standards do not have a big role to play in the data protection puzzle?

First of all, the fact that there is legislation in place does not mean standards do not have a role to play. Quite the contrary: in many cases, standards offer a framework for businesses to better prepare and comply with legislation.