Page 34 - Enterprise Engagement and ISO Standards eBook

Enterprise Engagement and ISO Standards

judgments on what is effective, rather than merely adhering to what is formally prescribed.
The difference from the previous standard can be explained thus: Under the 1994 version,
the question was broad: ‘Are you doing what the manual says you should be doing?’,
whereas under the 2000 version, the questions are more specific: ‘Will this process help you
achieve your stated objectives? Is it a good process or is there a way to do it better?’”
Webster says he cannot specifically estimate the number of suppliers involved with IS0 9001
worldwide, but feels it has to number more than 10,000.
So, based on the example of ISO 9000 standards (and there are examples in other fields),
new engagement standards could create similar opportunities in the engagement space,
with companies or organizations that certify other organizations to conduct engagement
assessment and solutions for their clients, who in turn hire other specialists in leadership,
assessment, recruitment, communication, technology, innovation and collaboration,
rewards & recognition, analytics and other areas as needed to comply. If ISO 9000 or other
major standards are any guide, these specialists will have to become familiar with ISO
standards, and in many cases comply themselves.
Webster concludes: “In my experience, the companies that get in on this the earliest, that
actively become part of the standards creation process or become early adopters, are more
sought after because organizations generally prefer to work with the most experienced
partners.”

Page | 32