BSI Group

History

BSI was founded as the Engineering Standards Committee in London in 1901.{{cite web |website=ICE.org Institution of Civil Engineers

The Group now operates in 195 countries. The core business remains standards and standards related services, although the majority of the Group's revenue comes from management systems assessment and certification work.

In 2021, BSI appointed its first female chief executive officer, Susan Taylor Martin.

Activities

BSI produces British Standards, and, as the UK's National Standards Body, is also responsible for the UK publication, in English, of international and European standards. BSI is obliged to adopt and publish all European Standards as identical British Standards (prefixed BS EN) and to withdraw pre-existing British Standards that are in conflict. However, it has the option to adopt and publish international standards (prefixed BS ISO or BS IEC).

In response to commercial demands, BSI also produces commissioned standards products such as Publicly Available Specifications (PASs), Private Standards and Business Information Publications. These products are commissioned by individual organizations and trade associations to meet their needs for standardized specifications, guidelines, codes of practice etc. Because they are not subject to the same consultation and consensus requirements as formal standards, the lead time is shorter.

BSI also publishes standards-related books, CD-ROMs, subscription and web-based products as well as providing training on standards-related issues.

Management systems assessment and certification

With 80,000 clients, BSI is one of the world's largest certification bodies. It audits and provides certification to companies worldwide who implement management systems standards. BSI also runs training courses that cover the implementation and auditing requirements of national and international management systems standards.

It is independently accredited and assesses a wide range of standards and other specifications, including:

• PAS 99 (Integrated Management System)
• SA 8000 (Social Accountability Management Systems)
• ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems)
• AS 9100, AS 9110, AS 9120 (Quality Management Systems for Aviation, Space and Defense)
• ISO 13485 (Quality Management Systems for Medical Devices)
• ISO 14001 (Environment Management Systems)
• ISO 14064 (Greenhouse Gases)
• ISO 19650 (Building Information Modelling)
• ISO/IEC 20000 (Information Technology Service Management)
• ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management Systems)
• ISO 22301 (Business Continuity Management Systems)
• ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security Management Systems)
• ISO 31000 (Risk Management)
• ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems)
• ISO 50001 (Energy Management Systems)
• RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)
• EUETS (EU Emissions Trading System)}}

Testing services and healthcare

BSI's best known product in the UK is the Kitemark, a registered certification mark first used in 1903. – signifies products or services which have been assessed and tested as meeting the requirements of the related specification or standard within a Kitemark scheme.

BSI also conducts testing of products for a range of certifications, including for CE marking. CE marking must be applied to a wide range of products intended for sale in the European Economic Area. Frequently, manufacturers or importers need a third-party certification of their product from an accredited or 'Notified' body. BSI holds Notified Body status for 15 EU Directives, including construction products, marine equipment, pressurized equipment and personal protective equipment.

BSI also conducts testing for manufacturers developing new products and has facilities to test across a wide range of sectors, including construction, fire safety, electrical and electronic and engineering products.

BSI provides regulatory and quality management reviews and product certification for medical device manufacturers in the Worldwide. It is the market leader in the US, the world's biggest healthcare market.

Acquisitions

Starting in 1998, BSI Group has adopted a policy of international growth through acquisition as follows:

• 1998: CEEM, USA and International Standards Certification Pte Ltd, Singapore
• 2002: KPMG's certification business in North America
• 2003: BSI Pacific Ltd, Hong Kong
• 2004: KPMG's certification business in the Netherlands
• 2006: Nis Zert, Germany; Entropy International Ltd, Canada & UK; Benchmark Certification Pty Ltd, Australia; ASI-QS, UK
• 2009: Supply Chain Security Division of First Advantage Corp. USA; Certification International S.r.l, Italy; EUROCAT, Germany
• 2010: GLCS, the leading certifier of gas related consumer equipment in the UK and one of the top three in Europe, the certification business of BS Services Italia S.r.l. (BSS); Systems Management Indonesia (SMI).
• 2013: 9 May 2013 – NCS International and its daughter company NCSI Americas, Inc.
• 2015: 24 January – EORM, a US consultancy specialising in environmental, health, safety (EHS) and sustainability services
• 2015: 30 January – the management systems certification business of PwC in South Africa
• 2015: 3 June – Hill County Environmental Inc, a US environmental and engineering services consultancy
• 2016: 4 April – Espion Ltd and Espion UK, experts at managing and securing corporate information
• 2016: 15 August – Atrium Environmental Health and Safety Services LLC, experts in occupational safety, industrial safety and environmental compliance
• 2016: 22 September – Creative Environment Solutions (CES) Corp., an Environmental and Safety consulting firm
• 2016: 4 October – Info-Assure Ltd, a leading provider of cyber security and information assurance
• 2016: 15 December – Quantum Management Group Inc, a US environmental, health and safety (EHS) consultancy
• 2017: 5 December – Neville Clarke, the Business Process Improvement Expert
• 2018: 8 November – AirCert GmbH, a specialist aerospace certification company located in Munich, Germany
• 2019: 3 April – AppSec Consulting, a US cybersecurity and information resilience company
• 2021: 1 February – Q-Audit, a JAS-ANZ accredited healthcare auditing body based in Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.

BSI Identify

In 2021, BSI Group, with support from the Construction Products Association, led the development of a product identification and traceability system known as BSI Identify. The initiative responded to recommendations made by Dame Judith Hackitt following her review of building safety, which called for wider adoption of permanent product marking and consistent labelling systems to improve traceability across the built environment sector.

BSI Identify uses new Digital Object Identifier (DOI) technology "to deliver a unique, constant, and interoperable identifier", known as a BSI UPIN, "which can be assigned to products to help UK manufacturers to directly manage information about their products in the supply chain". The aim of the BSI Identify programme is that "wherever you are with [a] product, you can take a snapshot of the QR code with your mobile device, and it will immediately take you to the product technical data sheet. You can see exactly what product it is, you can answer any questions about it, you can see installation advice, etc."

Coat of arms

The BSI coat of arms was granted by the College of Arms in 1951.

References

1. "Annual Report 2020". BSI Group.
2. "BSI Annual Report 2019". BSI Group.
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8. [http://www.cen.eu/cenorm/aboutus/benefits/index.asp European Committee for Standardization Benefits and Principles] {{webarchive. link. (7 August 2009)
9. "Who's accredited?". United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
10. "Annual Review 2006, page 15".
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12. "BSI Group Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009, page 11".
13. "BSI Group Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009, page 24".
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17. "BSI enters the US consultancy market with EORM acquisition". BSI Group.
18. "BSI Group Annual Report and Financial Statements 2014, page 59, Post balance sheet events".
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21. (15 August 2016). "BSI expands US footprint with Atrium acquisition". Continuity Insurance and Risk.
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23. "BSI moves to acquire UK cyber security and assurance expert Info-Assure Ltd". Risk UK.
24. "BSI completes third EHS consulting firm acquisition of 2016 with addition of Quantum Management Group Inc". BSI Group.
25. "BSI strengthens position in Asia Pacific with acquisition of Neville Clarke".
26. (15 November 2018). "Aircert acquisition strengthens BSI certification offer". Aircraft Interiors.
27. (4 April 2019). "BSI acquires AppSec Consulting". CIR Magazine.
28. "BSI strengthens its healthcare business with the acquisition of Q-Audit". BSI Group.
29. Construction Products Association, [https://www.constructionproducts.org.uk/our-expertise/technical-and-regulatory-intelligence/digitalisation/bsi-identify BSI Identify], accessed 16 July 2022
30. Soane, Alastair. (2023-02-01). "Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety – a damning report". The Structural Engineer.
31. BSI Group, [https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/about-bsi/media-centre/press-releases/2021/november/bsi-identify-new-id-technology-to-bring-transparency-and-product-traceability-through-the-built-environment-supply-chain/ BSI Identify: New ID technology to bring transparency and product traceability through the built environment supply chain], published 15 November 2021, accessed 13 December 2021
32. Turk, A. in interview with Cameron, H., [https://www.barbour-abi.com/why-product-traceability-matters/ Why product traceability matters], Barbour ABI, published November 2021, accessed 13 December 2021
33. Briggs, Geoffrey. (1971). "Civic & corporate heraldry: a dictionary of impersonal arms of England, Wales, & N. Ireland". Heraldry Today.
34. (16 June 2024). "British Standards Institute". Heraldry of the World.