Contradicting the cliché about standards that would penalize businesses, A ground-breaking Afnor study by BIPE* shows, on the contrary, that voluntary standardization is a lever for economic development.
+ 20 %: standards boost sales
This is the annual growth rate in sales achieved by companies involved in standards development, with an annual growth rate of 4 %, compared with an average of 3.3 % for all companies.Those who engage in the process of creating voluntary standards are resolutely better prepared to face economic competition. Standards act as a growth gas pedal, and as a factor preventing growth from deteriorating.
+ 19 %: they help you export
This is the additional export sales achieved by companies purchasing standards or taking part in standardization committees. Their export rate is 18.2 %, compared with an average of 15.3 %. Voluntary standards are undoubtedly a passport to better sales beyond our borders. They promote interoperability between different products and services, enabling them to communicate more effectively internationally. This common language constitutes a reliable reference solution whose legitimacy is guaranteed. For consumers, standards shared by the greatest possible number of players prevent them from being trapped by a closed technology or system.
+ 15 billion: standards boost production and cut costs
This is the annual contribution made by the use of voluntary standards to French production. When companies get involved in writing standards and applying them to their products and services, they sell and produce more. The Afnor study clearly demonstrates that the body of voluntary standards is one of the best allies for productivity. One last important aspect: companies that integrate standards optimize the use and maintenance of their facilities, by harmonizing their production tools across their different sites. This is one way of reducing costs. Similarly, environmental and energy management systems, based on voluntary international standards, reduce certain costs (waste treatment, energy consumption).
BIPE cross-referenced economic data from 2,099 companies in all sectors that have participated in standardization since 2005. Three themes were isolated to measure the effect of standards: sales growth, export rate and production. The study measures the impact of standardization on the economy with variables linked to the actual consumption of standards (purchase of standards, number of buyers) and the standards production process (number of companies sitting on standardization committees).
* Founded in 1958 on the initiative of the French government and major French companies, BIPE is an independent economic research and strategy consultancy for private companies and public authorities. Over the past 50 years, BIPE has built up a unique capacity for strategic support, combining multi-disciplinarity, sector expertise, forward-looking insight and the power of economic modeling. BIPE's contribution lies in its ability to independently quantify, forecast and anticipate the evolution of sectors, players and the economic environment, drawing on a range of quantitative (economic forecasting, socio-demographics, etc.) and qualitative (foresight, marketing segmentation, strategic analysis) know-how.
Learn more: www.afnor.org