The British Standards Institution (BSI) was the world’s first national standards organisation, having been established in 1901. It serves to guarantee there’s a monitored and regulated system in place when it comes to assessing the standards of appliances.
With clients in 172 countries and 75 offices across the world, the BSI has transformed into an international service. Things have changed a lot since the first meeting held on January 22nd, 1901 – when the institute met to discuss the sizes of tramway rails. After this first phase of their history, which focused on product specification standards, attentions turned towards the business process itself. This concentrated on things like:
In recent years, attentions have turned towards the behavioural values of workers. This led to the BSI implementing new standards, which focus on:
The BSI exists to provide a code of practice which all businesses can follow.
There are specific marks of approval which the BSI adds onto all products which meet their requirements. A Kitemark is used to confirm the quality and safety of a product.
The trademarked Kitemark emblem has come to be seen as a confirmation of class. A study carried out by the BSI themselves found there was proven success when it came to adopting this symbol:
Saw improved internal business confidence with the BSI Kitemark
Said the KSI Kitemark has increased sales
Saw an increase in the efficiency of their processes with the BSI Kitemark
Said the KSI Kitemark certification had helped them to attract more customers
Improved their business reputation
Said the KSI Kitemark helped them to improve customer satisfaction
Consumers value the Kitemark because it represents consistency in performance and shows the due diligence carried out by a manufacturer.