SGS Benelux and NBN: a success story in standards management
Last updated:
4/4/2025
At SGS, the world leader in testing, inspection and certification, it's all about "when you need to be sure. The Organisation provides assurance by inspecting, testing and certifying products, processes and systems to international standards. But how does an organisation efficiently manage a vast and diverse collection of thousands of standards? This is where cooperation with the NBN and the use of the NBN standards portal comes in.
Kris Snauwaert, Head of Quality Strategy at SGS Benelux, explains, "We work with an impressive list of standards, such as the management system standards(ISO 9001, ISO 17025, ISO 45001,...) and also numerous technical standards. All these standards are essential to our work, from laboratory testing to inspections and certifications. But this diversity also brings challenges, such as keeping the most recent versions up-to-date, using standards in a copyright compliance manner, and managing a large user base."
At SGS, the use of standards is not limited to one department. Hundreds of users such as inspectors, lab technicians and managers all need access to relevant management system - or technical standards, depending on their work. "It is important that everyone has access to their relevant standards in an efficient way," Kris emphasizes.
To address all of these challenges, SGS uses the NBN Standards Portal. This online portal provides one centralized access to the SGS standards collection, providing overview, cost savings and copyright compliant use of standards. The latter is also very important for activities performed by SGS under accreditation.
Kris: "Via 'single sign-on,' our users have automatic and secure access to the NBN standards portal. In addition, user management is fully automated. This saves us a lot of time and effort."
The portal also provides insight into the use of standards. "Through NBN reporting, we can see who is consulting which standards and how often. This helps us to regularly evaluate and optimize our collection," Kris explains. This allows SGS to greatly reduce the "invisible" costs of duplicate purchases and inefficient searches for standards.
SGS and NBN characterize their cooperation by low-threshold contact and clear communication. Kris says, "When we switched to the new NBN standards portal, there were some technical challenges. But the NBN team was always ready to follow up on our feedback and offer solutions. This personal contact really makes a difference."
He adds, "Now we have a solution that allows for more structured standards management and fits perfectly with our needs as a large organisation ."
According to Kris, NBN is a suitable partner for companies looking for efficient standards management. "NBN's service is comprehensive and cost-efficient. They think along with our organisation and offer solutions that support our services. The NBN standards portal provides added value for SGS."
Would you also like to know how NBN can help your organisation with efficient and worry-free standards management?
.webp)
