Standards are best practices. They describe the best way to do something. Like making a product, providing a service or managing a process. Think about the paper size A4, the 4G network, or agreements around fire safety.
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SMEs using standards find that there are many benefits:
Oystershell, which has 15 employees, produces pharmaceutical products that are sold without a prescription in pharmacies. The Organisation developed a new type of silicone-containing product to combat head lice. European regulations required Oystershell to apply the quality standard NBN EN ISO 13485 Medical Devices.
Today, Oystershell is ISO 13485 certified. Result? Greater credibility of the Organisation, more customers, the development of many new products and smoother exports to other European countries and even to growth markets such as Asia or South America.
Van Eycken produces, delivers and installs metal structures in the infrastructure works sector. The SME is fully committed to innovation. Road safety barriers that comply with European standard NBN EN 1317 are the best proof of this. When the use of European certified crash barriers became mandatory in 2006, the family business decided to develop and produce them themselves. They used the strict NBN EN 1317 standard. Now, after several years of trial and error, Van Eycken has six different safety barriers that comply with the NBN EN 1317 standard. They all meet the highest quality requirements and guarantee's needed.
The Organisation is now one of the few Belgian producers among the big foreign companies. "Entering the field of the big players as an SME is exciting and instructive," says Annemie Van Eycken. "Moreover, our turnover has increased. Keeping production in our own hands and country feels right."
The decision to adopt a standard is a big step for your SME. Smaller companies should carefully consider which standards offer the most benefit. The choice of standard depends on what you want your Organisation to achieve:
