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With the emergence of a certain lack of standardisation in elements of the financial services industry, and its patron institutions, it is noted that only within the last twelve months have standards addressing business continuity management been published. Banking and financial services have for many years described their activities as the creation of 'products', and have marketed them as 'packages' and 'vehicles', as though they had concrete form. There are currently 66 national, and international standards in the BSI catalogue which address banking. The corresponding number for paints alone is 788. Is it not time for national and international standardisation bodies (and the certification industry which feeds upon them) to take a greater interest in those institutions and industries which are currently wreaking such havoc on those, like the coatings industry, who actually make things? Or does the Law of Inverse Relationships ('The amount of time devoted to an activity is in inverse proportion to management's ability control it') apply? In the circumstances, the introduction of a new UK standard, BS 31100 Code of Practice for Risk Management, seems a little cynical. |
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Where prices are quoted, they are the prices from BSI (www.bsi-global.com) at their non-member rate. Special prices apply to members of the Association ordering through Eden Court (gensec@occa.or.uk).
Peter Munn - December 2008 |