Make best use of standards

Standards can help you ensure your products, services or business systems meet fixed specifications or quality benchmarks.

Their use is voluntary, but can bring a range of business benefits. They can help you:

• build or grow the market for your products and services
• make sure products are compatible and interoperate with other related products
• boost credibility with customers and suppliers 
• manage your business more effectively
• make the most of your innovations 

This guide sets out what standards are and how they can benefit your business. It also covers the management system standards that can help you run your business more effectively.

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What is a standard?

Standards can be used across a wide range of business, industry and technology.

There are two main types of standard:

• technical standards, which consist of technical specifications or other precise criteria that ensure products, manufacturing processes and services meet fixed quality benchmarks
• management system standards which provide a framework for a business to manage its business processes and activities

Technical standards can be used to:

• ensure quality and safety requirements for products and services
• improve compatibility and interoperability between products and services
• provide information about products and services
• make the most out of your innovations

Management system standards can help businesses improve their efficiency by providing a best practice model for them to follow. See our guide on quality management standards.

Standards can be anything from a few pages to several hundred pages long.

Are standards a legal requirement?

No – standards are voluntary. But you may need to meet certain standards to comply with particular legal requirements. For example, motorcycle helmets must conform to certain standards before they can be offered for sale in the UK.

You’re free to find another way to fulfil your legal obligations – but meeting a standard is normally the best way of doing this.

Showing that your company, product or service meets a specific standard can also help you compete for business from larger businesses or government departments, many of whom have strict standards or criteria that suppliers must comply with. In some instances customers may insist a business uses standards before they feel comfortable purchasing their products or services.

Who develops standards?

There are many national standards bodies throughout the world. As the UK’s national standards body, the British Standards Institution works closely with businesses, government, consumer and other groups to ensure that they get the standards that they need.

In the UK, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) works closely with other organisations to provide a standards, testing and certification infrastructure.

You can also read about standards and accreditation on the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) website- Opens in a new window.

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How can standards help my business?

Adopting particular standards can bring a range of benefits, helping you to:

• differentiate your products, services and business
• access new markets
• increase efficiency and improve the quality of your products and services
• ensure you comply with regulations
• manage your business more effectively

Product and business differentiation

Use of standards can increase the perceived value of products and services to customers who often understand the importance of products that adhere to recognised standards.

Also, if a new client doesn’t know exactly what they want from you, quoting them an appropriate standard and working to that is an excellent way of building customer confidence from the beginning of a relationship.

Winning business

In some markets, purchasers use standards to show that suppliers are providing the correct products and services. They may stipulate standards as a requirement, against which they invite businesses to compete. In these markets an acknowledged standard may be a prerequisite before customers will buy from you. 

Cost and time-effectiveness

Using the knowledge that is contained in standards can save time and money during a product’s research and development. You can also reduce the risk of ending up with an inferior or unsuccessful product. If you, your suppliers and customers are all working to specified standards there will be fewer misunderstandings – saving time and money all round.

Legal compliance

Conforming to standards can help you comply with a wide range of legal obligations in areas such as product safety and environmental management.

Health and safety

Using standards in areas such as quality and health and safety management can help you manage your business more efficiently and reduce mistakes and problems.

Exporting products

A growing number of standards are based on European and international standards, which enable easier access to export markets that use the same standards.

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Standards for best business practice

There are a number of widely applied standards used to promote best business and organisational practice. Many businesses adopt certain management systems to ensure they stay competitive.

Quality management

ISO 9001:2008 is an internationally recognised standard for the quality management of a business’ systems. It benefits businesses by helping them improve customer satisfaction, internal efficiency and employee involvement. See our guide on quality management standards.

Environmental management

An environmental management system can help you manage your environmental responsibilities and ensure you comply with legal requirements.

ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies a process for controlling and improving a business’ environmental performance.

Businesses that are seeking to adopt a phased approach to implementing environmental management systems will find the BS 8555 standard appropriate.

See our guide on environmental management systems (EMS) – the basics.

Energy Management

An energy management system can help your organisation save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and comply with legislation.

BS EN 16001 is the European standard that specifies the requirements for an energy management system.

Find out about energy management standards on the British Standards Institution (BSI) website- Opens in a new window.

Health and safety management

All businesses must comply with a range of regulations on health and safety in the workplace – and senior managers may also bear legal responsibility for this.

Find out about health and safety regulations on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website- Opens in a new window.

One way of ensuring that you meet these requirements is to follow standards on occupational health and safety. OHSAS 18001 provide recognised guidance on best practice in these areas.

See our guide on how to set up a health and safety management system.

Information management

Information – whether held in hard copy form or on IT equipment – is essential to any business. So it’s important you safeguard your data.

An information security management system provides a systematic approach to managing and securing information. BS 7799 is a key standard in this area.

Business continuity management

Organisations face a variety of threats to their business continuity, some deliberately targeted and some as a result of external events. It is increasingly important that businesses can assure regulators, investors and stakeholders that their continuity plans will minimise any disruption.

The BS 25999-2:2007 standard provides guidance for businesses on how to reduce the impact of everyday events, such as IT viruses and supply chain disruption, as well as extreme events such as flash floods or terrorism.

Find out about BS 25999 standard on the BSI website.

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European standards and your products

Many products must meet a range of requirements set out in European Union (EU) directives before they can be sold in the UK or anywhere else in the EU. For example, under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 certain machinery, equipment and safety components must conform to relevant standards and be CE marked before they can be sold within the UK and EU. The requirements are designed to protect the health and safety of product users and remove technical barriers to trade.

Harmonised European standards provide detailed technical information that allows manufacturers to conform with the requirements in the directives.

Using a standard helps ensure you comply with the law when manufacturing products for sale in the EU. But standards aren’t obligatory – you can use a different way of meeting your legal requirements if you wish.

Is this relevant to my products?

Standards can help you comply with EU directives covering a wide range of products, including:

• appliances burning gaseous fuels
• construction products
• electrical and electronic apparatus in terms of their electromagnetic compatibility
• equipment and protective systems in potentially explosive atmospheres
• gas appliances
• household appliances in terms of the noise they emit
• lifts
• low voltage equipment
• machinery, mechanical equipment and safety products
• medical devices
• new hot water boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fluids
• non-automatic weighing instruments
• outdoor construction and gardening equipment in terms of the noise they produce
• personal protective equipment such as gloves, helmets and protective clothing
• pressure equipment such as industrial pipework and pressurised storage containers
• radio and telecommunications terminal equipment
• recreational craft
• toys

Find out about European Community (EC) product directives on the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) website- Opens in a new window.

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How to show your products meet legal requirements

Products that must meet requirements set out in European Union (EU) directives normally have to carry CE marking if they are sold in the UK and the rest of the EU. Harmonised European Standards provide the simplest way of demonstrating that your products comply.

Putting the CE marking on your product acts as your declaration that the item meets the relevant legal requirements.

How you go about getting CE marking and putting it on your product depends on the product and EU directive in question. Find out about CE marking on the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) website- Opens in a new window.

Testing and certification

Each individual directive generally specifies how you must show your product meets the relevant requirements. You may have to:

• produce a self-declaration that your product complies – usually backed up by your own, or independent test results
• get your product inspected or tested by an authorised independent testing body – you can get a full list of independent testing bodies on the Europa website

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CASE STUDY

Here’s how I benefited from a quality management system

Husband and wife team Mary and Andy Gulliver started their computer supplies and software development firm, Rivendale Systems Limited, in 1994. They applied for ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification in 1997 because they believed it would improve the way the company was run, act as a good marketing tool and attract business from customers who require suppliers to be ISO-certified. Thirteen years on, Mary says the quality management system they implemented as a result has improved both the way the business is run and the service it offers.

What we did

Apply for certification

“When we applied for ISO certification we were aware that customers were becoming more interested in quality control. In fact, since we applied, some customers have asked to see a copy of our certificate.

“I was pleased to find it wasn’t as expensive as we’d thought. Of course, you can implement a quality management system yourself without being certified, but we used a company called IMSM. Their adviser took us through what we did, how we did it and what records we kept. They then came back with a written manual from which our systems were set up – it covered everything from document control to measurement and improvement.”

Define our aims

“The key objective we got from the process was to keep better records so that we could gather more useful information, both about the way we and our suppliers were performing and our interaction with customers. The customer focus is something new and comes from the ISO 9001 standards.”

Improve our processes

“Alongside the annual ISO compliance audit, there is the internal audit of each process we have to do at least once a year.

“When doing an audit, you realise there are processes that could be changed for the better. For example, when we used to send out a quote, we’d keep a record in the quotes file and a separate record of orders that came from the quote, but we’d never thought to match the two up.”

Reap the rewards

“During an internal audit I realised that we should put a column in the quote register that told us whether the quote had generated an order. By making this simple change we can see which quotes lead to new business, and it also means we can chase up those people who didn’t place an order to find out why.

“I’m not sure how much extra business the ISO certification has brought us or helped us retain, but I’m certain the benefits outweigh any extra work we have to do in terms of auditing and record-keeping. I would definitely encourage other firms to consider it. We have the ISO certification sign on our letterheads and on our website – if you’ve got it, flaunt it.”

What I would do differently

“There are some things you discover through auditing that you realise you could have been doing better sooner.

“For example, setting up a spreadsheet of the serial numbers of all the hardware we purchase has been invaluable. I list the date each item was bought, its serial number and which customer purchased it.

“Stocktaking is now far easier as I now don’t have to physically check everything that’s listed as unsold. If a customer has a broken monitor, for example, and they give me the number, I can tell immediately if it’s one we supplied, when it was purchased and who our supplier was.”

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