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.
The case for accessible websites
11 Oct 2011
Topics: Accessibility, Web development, BS 8878
For good or bad, the internet is now the norm for many aspects of daily life, yet many website owners are still not making it sufficiently accessible for disabled and older people. The business case for doing so is strong, and now a new standard from BSI provides a comprehensive roadmap for making pragmatic accessibility choices.
What did you do online this week? Checked your bank balance? Booked your annual leave from work? Watched some TV? Downloaded a song? Completed your tax return or perhaps bought some business insurance?
Strengthening the links: business continuity in the supply chain
20 Sep 2011
Topics: Business continuity, Risk management, Supply chain, Outsourcing, BCM
In today's interconnected business environment, continuity of supply is no longer just about taking care of your own business continuity management.
How to get IT to meet your needs: ISO/IEC 20000
26 Aug 2011
Topics: IT Service Management (ITSM), IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), ITSMF, ISO/IEC 20000, Outsourcing
IT has become central to virtually every business process. But it is not always oriented towards delivering what the business needs.
Combating plastic crime: card payment security is fighting back
15 Aug 2011
Topics: Card payments, card crime, payment security, PCI DSS
Incredibly, up until 2005, individuals could log on to the website of the International Association for the Advancement of Criminal Activity (IAACA) and openly buy or sell stolen credit and debit card details. Later that year, IAACA even changed its name to the more easily understood Theft Services.
Plugging the gap on risk: BS 31100
29 Jun 2011
Topics: BS 31100, Risk management, Risk analysis
Many business admit they needed to overhaul their risk management and others are still unaware of their legal requirements.
Crisis talk: PAS 200 Crisis Management
29 Jun 2011
Topics: PAS 200, Crisis Management, Guidance and Good Practice, Business Continuity Management
Can management, policies and frameworks be implemented in advance to help you handle a crisis promptly and effectively?
No compromise on Health & Safety: BS OHSAS 18001 and Kitemark
18 May 2011
Topics: Occupational Health and safety, BS OHSAS 18001
Keeping pace with changing health and safety legislation shouldn't be viewed purely as an exercise in compliance. It can also improve your bottom line.
Sustainability, success and standards
17 May 2011
Topics: Sustainable performance, Entropy Software, ISO 9004
What is sustainable performance, why does it matter, and how do Entropy and standards in general help achieve it?
UK film industry pioneers sustainability standard developed by BSI
15 May 2011
Topics: BS 8909
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.
Building a better future: BS 8453 Compliance framework for financial services
31 Jan 2011
Topics: Financial services, BS 8453
From splitting up banking operations to restructuring bonuses, reform of the finance industry has fuelled much rhetoric and provoked fierce debate over the past two years. But as bankers now look to recover their reputations as well as any losses, compliance with new and existing rules must be a top management priority.
BSI helps protect children online with the award of the first Kitemark® certification
18 Jan 2011
Topics: Internet safety, PAS 74, Kitemark®
BSI has awarded the first Child Safety Online Kitemark to help parents protect their children from inappropriate content on the internet.
Seal of approval: the value of Kitemark®
06 Jan 2011
Topics: Kitemark®, Sustainability, Testing, Environment, Carbon reduction, CRC, Energy management, EN 16001
BSI's Kitemark® was named a "Business Superbrand"[1] for the third successive year in 2010, ranking 170th out of some 500 recognizable household and business names. It has stood as a strong symbol of the very highest standards in safety, reliability and quality across many sectors since 1903.
Energy management on the global stage: BS EN 16001, ISO 50001
30 Nov 2010
Topics: Energy management, EN 16001, BS EN 16001, ISO 50001, Sustainability, Environment, ISO 14001, Low-carbon, PAS 2060, Carbon footprint, Carbon neutral, Climate change, Carbon reduction, CRC, ETS, Emissions trading, Kitemark®, ERV, Health & safety, OHSAS 18001
Governments the world over have stepped up their climate change rhetoric in recent years, but are international differences impeding the necessary action? Who is really driving the development of a low-carbon way of life? Are government initiatives on energy efficiency going far enough and are organizations honestly buying in to the advantages?
When disaster strikes, it's time to implement business continuity plans
24 Nov 2010
Topics: BS 25999, Business continuity
We are living in dangerous and disruptive times. In only the last few months we've had mudslides in Jamaica, Guatemala, Mexico and Madeira, flooding in Pakistan, Brazil and central Europe, and major earthquakes in China, Chile and Haiti.
Size doesn't matter: ISO 9001 Quality management
16 Nov 2010
Topics: ISO 9001, Quality management, SMEs
Some business standards are developed for particular industries, or with specific regulatory developments in mind, but many are relevant no matter what your line of business.
The changing role of the auditor
08 Nov 2010
Topics: Auditing
Not so long ago, a visit from the auditor was the business equivalent of root canal work - necessary but almost certainly unpleasant. But times have changed. Today's clients expect the auditor to help them meet business objectives, improve performance and safeguard the future of the organization. So what's changed?
Partners that chime - BS 11000 Collaborative business relationships
01 Nov 2010
Topics: Relationship mgt, BS 11000, PAS 11000
Effective communication is critical to business success - internally with employees, but also to develop strong relationships with clients, partners and suppliers. But how do you build that business bond for mutual benefit? A new British Standard - BS 11000:2010 Collaborative business relationships - now offers a management system approach.
Safety first: BS OHSAS 18001 Occupational health and safety
26 Oct 2010
Topics: Health & safety, OHSAS 18001
Barely a month after he had moved into Downing Street for the first time, new British prime minister David Cameron revealed that the country's workplace health and safety legislation would be reviewed as a top priority.
Putting it together: PAS 99 integrated management
20 Oct 2010
Topics: Integrated mgt, PAS 99, Quality management, ISO 9001, Environment, ISO 14001, Health & safety, OHSAS 18001
As organizations continue facing pressure to find more efficient ways of working, PAS 99 Integrated Management provides a welcome route through which important processes can be harmonized holistically.
14 Oct 2010
Topics: Accessibility, World Standards Day, Construction, BS 8300, BS 8878
Over 650 million people globally are affected by a disability, yet the world is still struggling to recognize the social, political and economic demands of the disabled population. Accessibility is not only an issue for the elderly or disabled but for anyone who has experienced reduced accessibility. The ability to access information and communicate is as important as entering a building or safely turning on a device. International standards facilitate everybody's access to products, structures and services. International standards help markets to grow faster, increase global trade and encourage inclusiveness.
Supplying demands - the importance of standards in supply chain management
22 Sep 2010
Topics: Supply chain, Food safety, Risk management, Construction, Retail
Consumers are increasingly questioning where the goods they take for granted come from. They want to know that their purchases have been produced responsibly, ethically and safely. Businesses therefore need to be confident that they can show exactly how their supplies and products have been sourced and travelled through the supply chain.
Rising waters: revising PAS 1188
For those living in areas that are prone to flooding, having the right protection resources available is essential. While images of emergency sandbags holding back rivers of water may fill the media, there is a much wider range of products available for flood protection.
As part of its evolving governance, risk and compliance strategy, BSI has acquired the Supply Chain Security Division of First Advantage Corporation.
Integra ICT Hits environmental high
Integra ICT, the Bedfordshire-based telecoms provider, has achieved certification to ISO 14001 Environmental management from BSI.
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.
A clear case for carbon neutrality
"Carbon neutral" sounds good on paper, but what does it really mean? Organizations are making claims about carbon neutrality for everything from products to travel, events, projects and buildings. The problem is that no one quite agrees what "carbon neutral" means or how far it extends.
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.
Have a standards-related question for BSI or a comment on the website? We'll find the right person to answer.
