Your at-a-glance guide to standards and their benefits.
In every aspect of our lives, standards are working hard behind the scenes, shaping the way we interact with products, services, and the wider world around us. From the plugs that charge our devices to the safety standards in our workplaces, standards play a crucial role in ensuring consistency, cohesiveness, and safety across various industries.
In this blog, we'll uncover five essential facts about standards that will not only broaden your understanding but also highlight their significance in our daily lives.
1. Standards boost your productivity
Standards are used by organizations, large and small, across a wide range of sectors to improve productivity and efficiency.
By bringing together the knowledge of industry experts, standards provide a best practice approach and offer insights into a more effective way of doing things that help save time and reduce costs.
2. Standards support better outputs
Favouring quantity at the expense of quality can very quickly lead to excess waste and unhappy customers. Implementing standards can improve your products and services, simply by setting a benchmark to be met and showing you how to meet it, enabling you to consistently produce higher-quality goods and provide better services.
“By adopting standards, customers are assured of our product quality, moving the discussion to sales more quickly.” - Patrick Williams, Engineering Manager, Rotork.
3. Standards enable innovation
Contrary to popular belief, standards are not stiflers of innovation; rather, they serve as enablers. By providing a framework of best practices and technical specifications, standards create a level playing field that encourages innovation while ensuring compatibility and interoperability. Standards lay the groundwork for collaboration, allowing innovators to build upon existing technologies and drive progress in their respective fields.
“Standards aren’t prescriptive. There’s lots of flexibility for organizations to adapt the fundamental principles to suit their business.” - Uju Onyeka, Information Security and Privacy Manager, ACCA.
4. Standards facilitate global trade
In an increasingly interconnected world, standards play a vital role in facilitating international trade. Harmonized standards—those adopted and recognized by multiple countries—remove technical barriers to trade, streamline production processes, and enhance market access for businesses.
According to our research, 29% of standard users experienced improved competitiveness after implementing a standard (BSI Standard Users research project, 2022). By adhering to common standards, companies can expand their reach, and capitalize on economies of scale.
5. Standards are tools for sustainability
As concerns about environmental sustainability continue to grow, standards are increasingly being used as tools to promote eco-friendly practices and reduce resource consumption.
From energy-efficient building codes to eco-labeling schemes for consumer products, standards contribute to the transition towards a more sustainable future. By setting criteria for resource efficiency, waste reduction, and emissions control, standards help mitigate environmental impact and promote responsible stewardship of natural resources.
In conclusion, by embracing standards and understanding their role in driving innovation, facilitating trade, ensuring safety and quality, and promoting sustainability, we can harness their transformative power to build a better world for generations to come.
