Current standards on consulting & engineering
Know-How
Good consultants are in high demand. They contribute know-how that may be lacking in an enterprise. Their external perspective contributes to the internal development of solutions.
They offer services in diverse areas - be it the introduction of quality, environmental or risk management systems, the establishment of a call centre or the implementation of corporate social responsibility.
- Credit: ASI prm
New services
What has been well accepted for products for many decades, now also gains a foothold in the service sector: standards that define requirements and qualifications and thereby lay down harmonised service levels. New professions and new activities need common rules. The opening of the EU’s internal market for services also contributes to this need. Common standards lay the basis for Europe-wide trade in services by making them comparable.
Standards for consultants (examples):
ISO 22222: Personal financial planning - Requirements for personal financial planners
ÖNORM ISO 10019: Guidelines for the selection of quality management system consultants
ÖNORM D 1024 (three parts): Call centre services - Requirements for the qualification of call centre consultants
ÖNORM S 2502: Consulting service for corporate social responsibility (draft)
ONR 49003: Risk management for organisations and systems - Qualification of the risk manager
- Credit: ASI prm
Pioneering work
Austrian experts broke new ground in the standardisation of services. Many specifications that proved well at the national level and today, are well accepted standards in Europe and even world-wide were first discussed in committees of the Austrian Standards Institute:
Austrian innovations in service standardisation (examples)
ÖNORM EN 14413 (two parts): Recreational diving services - Safety-related minimum requirements for the training of scuba instructors
ÖNORM EN 14467: Requirements for recreational scuba diving service providers
ÖNORM EN 15038: Translation services - Service requirements
ÖNORM EN 15565: Tourism services - Requirements for the provision of professional tourist guide training and qualification programmes
- Credit: ASI prm
Certified quality
Whoever complies with the requirements laid down in standards and has the qualifications and experience demanded also wishes to make this visible. To this effect, various certification options are offered. Selected auditors - experts in the domain in question - examine service quality for compliance with the relevant standards. If everything is in order, a certificate, e.g. ON Certified Service, ON Certified Person, is issued that is regularly reviewed.
An overview of certification options for services and personnel is provided on the website of Austrian Standards plus Certification.
- Credit: ASI prm
Engineering
Classic engineering has always been shaped by standards - at the national, European and international level. Architects, civil engineers, machinery designers, medical engineers and many other professionals use standards in their everyday work. They provide the foundations for the practical implementation of creative ideas and constitute a sound basis for innovative developments. At the same time, they facilitate communication and co-operation across subject fields and borders - in traditional sectors and new professions alike.
