Each year, an international day of celebration is held of which you may be unaware. Since 1970, World Standards Day (or International Standards Day) has taken place on October 14^th to honor the communities of experts who have collaborated in pursuit of standardization. The list of standards that have been developed is vast – including quality, safety, environmental and energy management; IT security; chain of custody; and food safety plus many, many more. These voluntary standards (or technical agreements) are utilized by organizations around the globe to help operate their businesses more efficiently and responsibly with a higher degree of accountability to their stakeholders.

Even though non-governmental standards may be referred to as ‘voluntary’, an organization’s customers and stakeholders may demand more rigid oversight of its processes as well as its sustainability and social responsibility activities beyond governmental regulations – which could necessitate the implementation of a management system to ensure those requirements are met. While an organization may not have accountability to the government for some of these activities, they face an increased level of scrutiny by stakeholders and consumers which is a strong motivator to implement and adhere to robust management system requirements.

Is this really something worth dedicating a whole day to celebrate?

I know… this may sound like another “Wow. People will celebrate anything day!” However, having direct responsibility for the ISO 9001 quality system in our organization gave me pause to think about why we would want to honor standards. When I took a step back and thought it through, it occurred to me that standardization is an unsung hero that makes life better for all of us every day – not just in business but in all aspects of our lives. Each of us has been affected by standardization in countless ways ranging from things that simply make life more convenient to critical safety or lifesaving goods and services. There are so many products ingrained in our everyday life that have been ‘standardized’, we have grown to take them for granted.

For instance, when you buy paper for a printer or copier, you don’t have to worry that the size could vary from one manufacturer to the next. Letter-sized paper is always 8 ½” x 11”. I would consider that an example of how standards have made products more convenient.

More important though, in my opinion, is the power these systems have to make our lives safer and healthier. For many industries, quality management systems are ubiquitous. Producing parts, machines, or chemicals the same way every time is an absolute necessity. In the automotive industry, many manufacturers are subject to IATF 16949 which encompasses all the requirements of ISO 9001 plus other industry-specific quality requirements that must be met to achieve this certification. Without strict quality control, oversight and traceability, automobiles would be far more dangerous. Brake pads might not meet the tolerances required to stop in an emergency, variances in motor oil viscosity could cause engines to overheat and seize up when driving, or seat belts might fail during a high-impact collision.

Let’s face it though. We live in an imperfect world. Even when companies adhere to standards, human error and mechanical malfunctions or failures can occur. While the goal is to always strive for the pinnacle of perfection, the reality is that people and processes sometimes fall short. Standards are a way to hold ourselves accountable and provide the tools we need to learn from our mistakes and continually improve performance. When failures occur, quality management systems have embedded procedures for traceability; thereby enabling companies to identify where products or parts were distributed and make corrections to minimize the impact of the problem.

While I would never profess to have intimate knowledge of all standards, the ones with which I am familiar (primarily ISO programs¹) start with the basic understanding that first and foremost your organization must comply with the applicable laws and regulations related to that topic. For example, ISO 45001 (formerly OHSAS 18001) is a standard used to develop a Safety Management System. To become certified, one of the requirements is to produce objective evidence confirming that your company complies with all applicable OSHA laws and regulations.

Following the Plan-Do-Check-Act model, the intent of the standard is to go beyond regulatory compliance to create safer, healthier workplaces, and prevent work-related injuries and ill health with an overarching goal of continually improving performance. Through its implementation, this management system provides tools and a framework to identify and manage risks, eliminate hazards, and capitalize on opportunities for improvement.

How can standards like these benefit the world in the future?

In 2015, all United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The plan includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are a call to action for its members to “transform our world” by eradicating poverty and hunger, advancing social equality, protecting the planet, and fostering peaceful, inclusive societies. For World Standards Day, three organizations, including ISO, IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) have joined forces in a multi-year effort to showcase how international standards will support the success of the UN SDGs. Their goal is to demonstrate the many ways that standards developed through decades of international partnership and collaboration can contribute to the UN’s ‘Shared vision for a better world’ and its goal to ‘Build Back Better’ – even as we start to inch our way out of the global pandemic.

In addition, many companies and investors are focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations to evaluate risk and make responsible investment decisions. There is substantial overlap between the UN SDG platform and ESG principles. On the UN Global Compact website, Marie Morice states that “The ESG efforts by the various private actors are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but need to be leveraged further to achieve stronger outcomes.”

Moving forward, it will be interesting to watch as companies adopt and embrace the SDG and ESG tenets within their operations. Knowing the power of the Plan-Do-Check-Act model that is in many standards, I believe it is a valid means of establishing, quantifying, and defending an organization’s goals and metrics for ESG.

Further Information

Contact Cornerstone for more information on how we can help your organization with quality, environmental, and safety management systems as well as ways that we can support your ESG efforts.

¹ISO (or the International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 166 national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. Learn more about ISO and its mission.

Cynthia McMillan is Director of Quality and Internal Improvement for Cornerstone and celebrated her 15^th anniversary with the company in May. She serves on the Cornerstone leadership team and is the system administrator for the company’s CRM and project management system.