Isofocus #142
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#142 focusYour gateway to International Standards Innovation GENERATION 16 : ESA Photo ISOfocus September-October 2020 – ISSN 2226-1095 ISOfocus, the magazine of the International Organization for Standardization, is published six times a year. You can discover more content on our Website at iso.org/isofocus, or by staying connected with us on : TWITTER FACEBOOK YoutubeFlickrlinkedin Head of Communication | Vanessa Von der Mühll Editor-in-Chief | Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis 30 Writers | Ann Brady, Barnaby Lewis, Kath Lockett, Clare Naden, Roxanne Oclarino Copy editor and Proofreader | Vivienne Rojas Designers | Xela Damond, Pierre Granier, Alexane Rosa Translation team | Leïla Esteban, Alexandra Florent Subscriptions and back issues If you enjoy ISOfocus, you can download the pdf for free or subscribe to receive printed issues through our Website iso.org/isofocus. You can also contact our customer service at [email protected]. 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This magazine is printed on certified FSC ® paper. 46 #142 4 ISOfocusSeptember-October 2020 2-3 Innovating for a better future Comment by Sergio Mujica. 4-5 Zoom in on standards Spicing up meetings with ISO visuals. 6 6-15 Innovate or break Why ISO 56002 is key to business survival. 16-25 The virtuous circle of innovation management Two companies, one benefit. buzz 26-29 The innovation game 54-55 2019 Annual Report available online How standards support company longevity. Kick-starting tourism with standards 30-37 The launchpad for great ideas Traffic lights to stop COVID-19 Keeping in STEP with innovation. New climate change brochure 38-45 Smarter cooking technology Protecting privacy and consent online for better living Climate-smart future for local governments The high-tech future of cookstoves. 46-53 Blockchain’s technology of trust Pushing the boundaries of standards. Innovating for a better future o say the world is changing rapidly is departments in the organization, including now a well-worn cliché. By the time you standards development, governance, member- read this, the context we live in will have ship, communication, operations and IT. When Tevolved into something unrecognizable from the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality, the today, which was already unrecognizable from BCMT, as it is known, immediately sprang into yesterday. While no one could have predicted the action. The key priority was how to keep core events of 2020, one of the best tools we can have business functions operating and support to face them is innovation. Being innovative is members and the technical community at the the only ticket to climb aboard the change train same time. and embrace the opportunities that result. There were some initial quick wins. For example, Innovation is widely recognized as one of the with travel no longer possible and the decision that essential drivers of successful business and a all governance and technical meetings be held key contributor to national productivity and virtually or postponed, we quickly augmented economic and social development. It’s not just IT tools and guidance documents to shift some about shiny inventions, it’s about being agile, two thousand ISO technical meetings online. resilient and adaptable to an unpredictable A new tool was later deployed to help committee environment, to not only survive such move- managers more easily identify the best possible ment but to thrive. time slot, taking into account the different time I am honoured to be addressing you in this zones of meeting participants. valuable issue, where we outline how standards The resilience and passion shown by the entire have the power to help organizations be more technical community were impressive. They innovative in order to be stronger and better quickly adapted meeting formats to suit the equipped to step into this new future with ease. new online environment and accommodate To this end, ISO has embraced the spirit of inno- hundreds of participants all over the globe. vation to support the ISO standards commu- One example is the expert subcommittee for nity throughout this period and beyond. The artificial intelligence ISO( /IEC JTC 1/SC 42) of power of innovation, an indispensable require- ISO and the International Electrotechnical ment for our organization to be successful, Commission (IEC), whose week-long face-to-face is also very well captured as a priority in the meeting was transformed into several shorter draft ISO Strategy 2030, which will soon be online meetings with the participation of 220 presented to the General Assembly for approval people from 28 countries. by correspondence. Other positive effects have been noted. Some An example of this is the ISO Central Secretariat’s committees have seen greater participation by Business Continuity Management Team, members, especially from developing countries, which features representatives from various and many have expressed their delight at how 2 | ISOfocus_142 Innovation at ISO is a way of working, a mindset. ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica. productive these meetings have been. This is To that end, we have created an ISO COVID-19 Task heartening as it means the standards community Force dedicated specifically to finding new and has successfully continued the debate, discussion better tools that enable the ISO standards commu- and development of standards everywhere. While nity to share knowledge and collaborate, thus it is unclear how long virtual meetings will remain embodying the values we stand for. We have also the only viable format or what the post-pandemic identified manyISO standards that can directly world will look like, the ISO family has proven that help organizations during and after the pandemic standards will always pull through. And we, at and provided related resources and information on the Central Secretariat, will continue to work with a new section of our website. the technical committees to ensure we provide Innovation at ISO is not just about COVID-19, relevant tools to support their work. nor any other single crisis or event. It is a way of But that’s not all. Our members, the lifeblood working, a mindset. ISO has a series of standards of our organization, have also shown incred- that help organizations embrace innovation in a ible adaptability and a strong spirit. To better systematic and effective way and integrate it into understand their needs and how best to support their strategies. What’s more, ISO standards in them, we embarked on an ambitious project themselves are a catalyst for innovation. They to call every member personally to discuss in do this by offering agreed best practices that detail their concerns and challenges and how organizations can follow, freeing up time for they felt ISO could serve them most effectively. more creative work, providing confidence in The feedback to date has been both instructive products and services that allow them to evolve and inspirational, notably in terms of the types and improve, and through enabling and boosting of communication support materials required, collaboration. the online tools we can offer and the evolution In this issue, we share with you some stories of the standards development process, capacity of true innovators that have used standards building, and more. to pave their way to success, along with some This has helped us direct our energies in the right surprising innovations for which standards way, both now and for the future, because being have been a key driving force. Welcome aboard innovative means we keep going, we keep evolving. and enjoy the ride ! ■ ISOfocus_142 | 3 social feed TWITTER FACEBOOK YoutubeFlickrlinkedin Zoom in Going virtual from one Not having to physically travel halfway around the globe means many have the time and can day to the next has come swing the bill (it’s free !) to join a meeting. So next time you encounter an uncomfortable with quite some technical technical issue, just remember we’re all learning and, in the end, we’re just glad you’re there ! hiccups – but it’s brought In the spirit of making the virtual workspace more pleasant, ISO has created beautiful even greater benefits. backgrounds for your next meeting. If you’re tired of people checking out your bookshelves or have retired to the bedroom to get away Across the board, the ISO from the kids, check out these ISO-themed backgrounds to transport you out of your system is seeing higher home and immerse you in the big wide world participation thanks of standards. Available for download at : to working virtually. www.iso.org/zoom-in-on-standards.html 4 | ISOfocus_142 on standards ISOfocus_142 | 5 Innovate ! ... or break by Clare Naden Climate change, cyber-attacks and business disruptors may, at first glance, seem unrelated but they are all key threats to business sustainability. There is, however, a common tool to build resilience against them – innovation. So how can organizations be innovative enough in order to roll with the punches of an increasingly uncertain world ? ISOfocus_142 | 7 t feels like the world is moving faster than ever, which Remember the days of Blockbuster videos, Blackberry means that companies in every sector must prioritize phones and Tower Records ? They are just some of many innovation or risk disappearance. The digital age has examples of businesses that suffered and died with the Icreated a whole range of business challenges that have introduction of newer technologies or dramatic changes impacted the speed and process of innovation.