6 March 2017

Costain is one of the first six UK and worldwide companies to be independently assessed by BSI and achieve certification to ISO 44001: Collaborative business relationship management systems – requirements and frameworks.

The new international standard, which is now published, replaces BS 11000 Collaborative Business Relationships and provides guidance for identifying, developing and managing collaborative business relationships within or between organizations.

BS 11000 has already helped numerous organizations in the UK enhance their competitiveness and performance. The new international standard has been developed in order to take in to account today’s business requirements and changes in technology and communications.

“This standard will become increasingly important to Costain as we develop more strategic relationships particularly in the technology space. The new standard requires us to have collaborative relationships aligned to our business strategy and that we deliver value to our customers – something which we were able to demonstrate very well.” Tony Blanch, Business Improvement Director, Costain.

Whilst some of the requirements within BS 11000 have been retained in the new standard, ISO 44001 uses a high level structure (HLS) - featuring terms, definitions, headings and text common to all management system standards - allowing easier integration when implementing multiple management systems. Some of the other changes include an increased focus on competence and behaviours, a need to consider the implications of the Supply Chain and extended enterprise, and an emphasis on the importance of Senior Executives Responsible (SERs).

Costain was guided by the final draft before publication, which enabled us to meet the requirements of the new standard by the publication date.

Frank Lee, Product Certification Technical & Operational Delivery Director at BSI commented: “Since 2010 when BS 11000 was first published, the way that organizations do business – and in particular, the way that they collaborate has changed significantly. ISO 44001 ensures that with more complex enterprises and supply chains and new market demands, organizations have best practice systems and processes in place for effective collaboration.

“Costain, EMCOR UK, Kier, Leidos, NATS and Network Rail should be delighted that they are the first to achieve certification with BSI to the new standard and we’re confident that they will start to see the benefits immediately.”

Some of the key changes between BS 11000 and ISO 44001 include:

• Greater emphasis on competence and behaviours
• Alignment with other key management system standards through the use of a common structure and core text
• A further emphasis on value creation and the establishment of a value analysis process
• Identifying the needs of the complete supply chain and wider enterprise
• A focus on the importance of commitment from executive level allowing for a greater insight into each relationship
• An emphasis on the importance of Senior Executives Responsible (SERs) from partner organisations to be actively involved

 

 

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