During the Mainstream Conference 2015 in Denver Co (June 7-9), there will be a panel session “Asset Management & ISO 55000 – What are they and What is in it for Me?” on Monday afternoon. There are seven starter questions that the panelists will address during the discussion.
To get an early start on this conversation, stay tuned to our blog which will be posting insight into each question weekly, before the Mainstream Conference begins on June 7th.
Question 4:
Terry Wireman – In each country there are Standards organizations, such as ISO, SAE, ASTM, etc. Each of these organizations can produce voluntary consensus standards. Each organization will try to coordinate any standards development with the other standards organizations to prevent any duplication of efforts. As you can imagine, the list for each organization can be lengthy. ISO alone has almost 20,000 standards. The following link lists the technical committees within ISO that can develop standards.
ISO’s work program ranges from standards for traditional activities, such as agriculture and construction, through mechanical engineering to the newest information and communications technology (ICT) developments, such as the digital coding of audio-visual signals for multimedia applications. ISO also collaborates on standards with their partners, such as, IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union).
How does ISO develop standards? ISO standards are developed by the people/organizations/ companies that need them, through a consensus process. Experts from all over the world develop the standards that are required by their sector. These experts are proposed by ISO national members. The entire standards development process is discussed in a humorous (but factual) video clip produced by ISO and posted on YouTube.
Finally, are ISO standards mandatory? No, ISO standards are voluntary. ISO is a non-governmental organization and it has no power to enforce the implementation of the standards it develops. A number of ISO standards – mainly those concerned with health, safety or the environment – have been adopted in some countries as part of their regulatory framework, or are referred to in legislation for which they serve as the technical basis. However, such adoptions are decisions by the regulatory authorities or governments of the countries concerned. ISO itself does not regulate or legislate. Although voluntary, ISO standards may become a market requirement, as has happened in the case of ISO 9000 quality management systems, or ISO freight container dimensions.
Next Blog – What is the ISO 55000 standard and what value does it add to an organization?