Benefits of standards
How do standards help grow New Zealand?
Narrator: E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e whā, Tēnā koutou katoa.
[Visual: Shots of people working in different New Zealand industries. Graphics suggest where standards might apply.]
Narrator: There are standards that can help all types of business. Large or small.
Standards help businesses be better: more efficient, robust, trusted and compliant with regulation. They are a mark of good quality.
They help you win new customers and improve profitability
Standards help guide you with tried and tested good practice. They help you focus on both strategic and operational elements like safety, quality, efficiency, productivity, and resilience.
Standards build customer confidence that your products and services are safe and reliable.
Standards enhance brand recognition and help give customers and supply chain partners the assurances that your services and products are fit for purpose and reliable.
Whilst Standards are made by industry, for industry, they can also help you meet compliance requirements and show you are doing the right thing.
Introducing standards to your business can help reduce costs and sharpen your business processes, making your business more organised, productive and resilient.
There are standards to help plan for business continuity and manage risk so that in the event of a disaster, your important work can adapt and continue.
There are standards to manage information security, cybersecurity and privacy protections that can be applied to to businesses of all sizes.
And, by using internationally recognised standards in your business it can help gain market access across the world.
Health and safety standards give good practice guidance to protect people and help get everyone home safe and healthy each night.
Sustainability standards show customers you care about safeguarding the future and help preserve the world our tamariki will inherit
Standards are designed to be flexible and can be applied to all types of businesses of all sizes.
[Visual: Person searches Standards NZ website for standards.]
Narrator: At Standards New Zealand, we have thousands of standards covering all aspects of business and technology.
And we’ve made it easier for you to know where to start with curated collections of popular standards to help address specific business needs.
You’ll find them all on our website.
Prosperity and protection through trusted standards.
Mā mahi tahi, ka ora ai te iwi ki te pae kahurangi. Tihei mauri ora.
From the moment you wake up, standards are behind almost everything you interact with. With standards in place, people can enjoy improved wellbeing, and New Zealand has greater economic efficiency, and increased prominence on the international stage. Robust standards also help support our local communities by building a safer, more sustainable environment.
Standards provide potential solutions to issues, resolve problems, provide a means of compliance with legislation, and create commercial benefits such as trading opportunities.
Standards benefit consumers, industry and government by:
- keeping people safe and preventing accidents and injuries
- increasing productivity and boosting economic growth and trade opportunities by connecting New Zealand to international markets
- minimising unnecessary duplication, confusion, and inconsistencies in processes
- encouraging best practice within sectors and supporting quality regulation, assurance and compliance.
Standards are created by subject matter experts who bring different perspectives and work in different disciplines, who know and use the standards. This leads to content that is fair, inclusive to all needs, and trusted.
Whether international standards, joint Australian/New Zealand standards or New Zealand standards, they all support:
- Trade - with exporters and importers on the same page, there's clear understanding of quality, specification and interoperability so that things work across different countries or goods are as expected.
- Productivity - with guidance based upon learned practical experience and knowledge, this brings efficiencies and cost savings, saves time and prevents reinventing the wheel.
- Innovation - standards can serve as a catalyst for innovation by helping anchor new solutions into markets and value chains.
- Protection - by setting the requirements for the protection of people and management of risk, standards support health and safety, wellbeing and digital security.
When created with independent oversight, balanced representation on development committees and consensus decision-making, standards avoid monopolies so that they work for all users.
Learn more about where standards help diverse New Zealand industries:
Last updated: 26 August 2024