A versatile new approach to standards: introducing BSI Flex

Standards take time to develop. In some fast-moving areas, change happens in weeks or months rather than years, meaning that a British Standard following the usual development process would be out of date by the time it was published.

BSI Flex Standards have been introduced in order to address this problem. Using an iterative online development cycle, Flex captures emerging consensus on best practice in a format that can be swiftly revised and expanded as the field develops.

How does Flex work?

Flex takes inspiration from technology platforms such as Stack Overflow and GitHub in which programmers work together to support the development and implementation of rapid iterations of software. By working together, the whole industry makes faster progress, which improves reliability and speeds up innovation.

BSI Flex invites participants in a fast-moving industry to codify good practice in a way that can be regularly revisited and revised. The resulting Flex Standards could be developed into Publicly Available Specifications (PAS), British Standards or international standards as appropriate when the areas stabilize and the pace of change slows.

The Flex Standards are designed to be as flexible, responsive and open as possible, responding to the needs of the market and reflecting the areas where consensus can be achieved quickly. The resulting Flex Standards will be freely available, helping them to reach as broad an audience as possible.

Examples of Flex Standards

Flex Standards respond to fast-moving situations, whether this is driven by external events or progress in a particular industry or technology.

The Safe Working Guidelines produced by BSI in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is an example of how this approach works in practice. The guidelines offer a framework for safe working as employers and their workers adapt to the crisis, offering a single source of agreed good practice and accurate advice. The guidelines are revisited as government advice changes and more knowledge about the virus emerges. There are now three versions of the guidelines, which can be accessed on the BSI website.

Skills and competencies for roles in the built environment is another area where a BSI Flex is under development. Following the findings of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, a clearer delineation of requirements for candidates for these roles is desirable. A BSI Flex will set out an overarching competence framework, which can be deployed immediately but will also develop as it is put to use. Stakeholders can contribute to further iterations of the Flex, potentially leading to a more formal British Standard when best practice has been established.

Areas of rapid development, such as the Internet of Things, connected and automated vehicles, and 5G infrastructure are examples of areas where BSI Flex could help to support innovation. As new ideas are tested, piloted and evolved, setting out key areas of learning in a standard can help all market participants to make progress.

What are the benefits of Flex Standards?

Finding areas of consensus is valuable for all participants in a particular industry or area. Fast-changing industries are fertile ground for smaller start-ups and SMEs seeking to explore new ideas. Freely available, regularly updated Flex Standards are an ideal way to link market entrants and more established players in a way that benefits all, for example through interoperability.

The key benefit of Flex is that it produces guidance in much less time than it would take to create a full British Standard. Flex can be developed rapidly then kept up to date through repeated iterations. Organizations have told BSI that the pace of developing standards was a barrier to their adopting them.

Flex makes it easy for individuals and organizations to get involved with contributing to the development of best practice. Where testbeds or pilot studies have produced interesting results, this learning can be fed into the standards so they keep pace with change.

This approach should not only support innovation but make it easier for organizations to build resilience against market shocks, as we are seeing with the current COVID-19 pandemic. 

Flex Standards can also be developed privately by an organization looking to build a tool for setting out anything from a specification to a management system, code of practice or test system.

How you can get involved

The more people who get involved with Flex, the more successful the results will be. Why not put forward a suggestion for a Flex, or get involved with the development of one? You can get in touch with BSI here.