9
SMEs H
STANDARDS IN NUMBERS
istorically, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been slow to embrace standards, seeing them as bureaucratic and an unnecessary
cost. BSI is out to change that mindset. At the most basic level, standards are simply applying tried and tested good practice to a business. They are created by experts with the right experience and knowledge and draw together the best of international good practice. Head of Industry & Government Engagement, Steve Brunige says standards are an accessible and cost effective source of trusted information for SMEs aiming to become more competitive. “Standards are an excellent source of
knowledge written by industry experts, which can be used to help SMEs to improve their business,“ said Steve. “A huge amount of experience and expertise is distilled in our standards and they cover a wide range of topics. They are relevant to businesses of all sizes, not just those with the most resources.” Director of Standards, Dr Scott Steedman is convinced of the power of standards to
“A huge amount of experience and expertise is distilled in our standards and they cover a wide range of topics”
CONTENTS Steve Brunige
transform business performance; “For us it’s about helping SMEs to become more productive and more successful. Here is a collection of good practice knowledge,
continually being worked on and improved, covering things like governance, change management, business continuity and customer service. I like to say ‘This is what good looks like’.
“When I talk to small business owners I encourage them to think about standards as a strategic tool; decide what you need to achieve your strategy, whether it’s improving people, products or processes, then build a portfolio of standards around that.” BSI has a vast library of over 44,000
standards that provides access to the knowledge of multiple experts. This is particularly useful for small businesses that don’t have the scale or resources of large companies and is somewhere they can go to fi nd information they can trust. Standards are also a way of keeping
abreast of the latest thinking in all areas of business. They change and evolve all the time to refl ect new developments such as market trends, new technologies, new materials and innovation and changes in government policy.
One standard Scott Steedman was keen to highlight as an example of good practice drawn from experts around the world is PAS 3000, a code of practice for smart working.
of businesses with business continuity management arrangements in place said costs had been justifi ed by the benefi ts
81%
CMI Business Continuity Management Survey 2013
“It’s been sponsored by the Cabinet Offi ce and is all about helping your employees become more successful and have better careers and improving the quality of the workplace.” There are also sector-specifi c standards
which relate directly to a type of business whether it’s baking, fi nancial services or robotics. All these standards are available to buy through the standards library on the BSI website (
shop.bsigroup.com).
2,500 BSI publishes approx
standards each year
35,000 Over
formal British Standards
more likely to export if they use standards CEBR survey 2015
41% SMEs 12,000 committee members
from 2000 organisations, including many SMEs
THE KEY TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES CLICK TO READ
CONTACT THE TEAM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16