Why not make 'standards' free?

Should 'Standards' Be Free?

  • Good and Possible

    Votes: 24 72.7%
  • Good but impossible for following reasons... (post)

    Votes: 8 24.2%
  • Bad, because... (post)

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • ... History does not bear subjunctive mood ...

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    33
C

ChrissieO

The requirements of the standard (not specific reference to it) should be built in to the documentation (and operation) of processes. If you design a process such that successful operation and documentation of it meets the requirements of the standard, you can audit to your own process requirements and be satisfied that the requirements of the standard have been met.

If you're presently satisfied with the efficacy of your system, that's fine. All I'm saying is that your perceived need for each auditor to have a copy of the standard is a "feature" of your system, and has nothing to do with how much copies of the standard cost.
Do you not think that the insistance that we obtain new copies of TS when there were no changes what so ever was purely a money making exercise.....................explain that 5 x 80GBP

Cx
 
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Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
Do you not think that the insistance that we obtain new copies of TS when there were no changes what so ever was purely a money making exercise.....................explain that 5 x 80GBP

Cx
Your CB (I'm assuming that's where the requirement came from) most likely required you to have a (one) copy of the new edition. Your company decided that it needs more than one copy. Why would your CB be interested in the ringing of ISO's cash registers?
 
D

dknox4

We do not audit against the standard but use it as continuos improvement tool.
Cx
If your auditors have been auditing for a while and have had training, they most likely know the standard. If they just need to reference a copy for specific language, could you use a library approach? Keep one or two copies in a location for access on an as-needed basis?
 

John Broomfield

Staff member
Super Moderator
Re: Free standards

I voted "impossible" for the following reason. I may be way off base here (I have no legal background).

If the standard was "free" could not anyone revise it? Years ago (I was not yet a teen), a newspaper guy told me that newspapers do not make money by charging for the paper. They do that only because copyright laws are unenforceable if you don't charge for the publication. If it is free there can be no financial damage. If there is no financial damage, then copyright doesn't apply.

FWIW
Dave,

I know my reply is a blast from the past but I now see (after this morning's discussion with Marc) that this thread did not discuss making and maintaining our system standards via a wiki which could then make them:

  1. free for all to use and improve
  2. engage the users in their development
  3. updateable for linked clarifications
  4. updateable for new requirements
  5. record who makes the changes
  6. resistant to vandalism
Can we expect our standards bodies to run a wiki for developing standards?

Probably not. But see this example[removed].

But this website and its community includes most if not all of the content required for a new universal management system (design) standard.

How many of us Covers would collaborate in the development of new universal management system (design) standard via a wiki?

Can we make this standard even more useful and reliable than Wikipedia?

John

Please note that I am not recommending use of the Elsmar wiki to develop certification standards but any management system that conformed to the freely available EC universal standard would be ready to bring into conformity with any certification standard. Indeed the registrars may develop and compete with their own assessment standards. :mg:
 
Last edited:

Antonio Vieira

Involved - Posts
Trusted Information Resource
Some day standards can in fact be free..., but one thing we can be sure, someone is going to pay for it...

If you're thinking about the state, you can expect for more taxes!
 
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