Standards Development

Simply put, a standard is a document established by a consensus-based process that provides guidelines, rules and characteristics for the topic it is covering. Or a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.
GSO Standards can be grouped according to the following themes:
   - People 
   - Education&Training
   - Organizations

How are GSO standards developed?

GSO global standards stand out from other texts because they undergo according to the following principles:

§  Consensus
The views of all interests are taken into account: manufacturers, vendors and users, consumer groups, testing laboratories, governments, engineering professions and research organizations.

§  Industry wide
Global solutions to satisfy industries and customers worldwide.

§     Voluntary
Global standardization is market driven and therefore based on voluntary involvement of all interests in the market-place.

There are four main phases in the GSO standards development process:

1.      The need for a standard is usually expressed by an industry sector, which communicates this need to a GSO. The latter proposes the new work item to GSO as a whole. Once the need for a Global Standard has been recognized and formally agreed, the first phase involves definition of the technical scope of the future standard. This phase is usually carried out in working groups which comprise technical experts from industry experts in the subject matter.

2.       Once agreement has been reached on which technical aspects are to be covered in the standard, a second phase is entered during which industry negotiate the detailed specifications within the standard. This is the consensus-building phase.

3.   Reserve all intellectual property rights for each standard

4.      The final phase comprises the formal approval of the resulting draft Global Standard (the acceptance criteria stipulate approval by two-thirds of the GSO members that have participated actively in the standards development process, and approval by 75% of all members that vote), following which the agreed text is published as a GSO Global Standard.

It is also possible to publish interim documents at different stages in the standardization process.

Most standards require periodic revision. Several factors combine to render a standard out of date: technological evolution, new needs, new quality and safety requirements. To take account of these factors, GSO has established the general rule that all GSO standards should be reviewed at intervals of not more than five years. On occasion, it is necessary to revise a standard earlier.

Why standards matter

Standards make an enormous and positive contribution to most aspects of our lives. Standards ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability - and at an economical cost.

When products and services meet our expectations, we tend to take this for granted and be unaware of the role of standards. However, when standards are absent, we soon notice. We soon care when products turn out to be of poor quality, do not fit, are incompatible with equipment that we already have, are unreliable or dangerous.

When products and systems work with high performance, it is often because they meet standards. And the organization responsible for many unique standards which benefit the world is GSO.

Global Standards

GSO is the first standards organization in the world to create the following Global Standards and holds all intellectual property rights to proudly provide the world with:

# GSO 8001: 2009
High Performance Management Systems — Requirements with guidance for use

# GSO 7001: 2009
Educational Management Systems —Requirements with guidance for use

# GSO 6001: 2009
Training Management Systems — Requirements with guidance for use

# GSO 5001: 2009
Development Management Systems — Requirements with guidance for use

 

# GSO 4001: 2009
Compensation Management Systems — Requirements with guidance for use

 

# GSO 3001: 2009
Staffing Management Systems — Requirements with guidance for use

 

# GSO 15001: 2009
Materials Management Systems — Requirements with guidance for use

# GSO 10001:2009
 Service Management Systems —Requirements with guidance for use

# GSO 12001:2009
 Strategic Management Systems —Requirements with guidance for use

# GSO 16001:2009
 Lean Management Systems—Requirements with guidance for use

Theses Standards are differentiated by a number of innovations which have been developed in the course of extensive consultation with a wide range of researches and experiences. These include but are not limited:

• Clearer and more detailed requirements,

• Greater focus on analysis of potential opportunities for greater effectiveness and efficiency

• Increased emphasis on senior management demonstrating their commitment to the aim of achieving satisfactory high standards management systems

 

For information on completed GSO Standards, visit the Library of GSO