Benefits of standards
Standards matter. They matter in Kisumu as a mother buckles her child into a baby capsule, in Machakos as a young couple discusses the designs for their new home, in Nairobi as a managing director decides on his new risk management strategy, in Mombasa as an engineer inspects structural design plans for a new development.
All these people have one thing in common - they are relying on an objective, rigorous set of Standards to ensure these products and systems are safe and reliable.
Thanks to KEBS and the thousands of experts that contribute to the development of Kenyan Standards, Kenyan consumers can have that assurance.
Kenyan Standards set out the specifications and design procedures to ensure goods and services consistently perform in the way they are intended. They make a sustained contribution to generating national wealth, improving our quality of life, increasing employment, improving safety and health and using our national resources more efficiently.
Imagine a world without Standards
A reminder as to how much difference standardization makes is the example of overseas traveller who has to carry a suitcase full of adaptors from country to country. These plugs were all specified in the days before international standardisation was widely recognised and they are a daily reminder of the universal value of Standards. Similarly, the example of a person trying unsuccessfully to connect a computer to a phone system in a country other than the one in which it was bought.
Standards protect kenyan
Kenyans at home, at play and at work are made safer by Standards. Traffic lights, footpaths, power points, seatbelts and child restraints, air quality, smoke and fire alarms are all underpinned by Kenyan Standards. Standards give businesses and consumers confidence that the goods and services they are developing or using are safe, reliable and will do the job they were intended for. Standards help consumers make everyday choices between one product and another. They protect Kenyan tradesmen - builders, electricians, plumbers - and their customers. Government public health, safety and environment policies are often measured against Kenyan Standard yardsticks.
Standards support Kenyan innovation
Standards provide a platform on which to build new and exciting ideas. As our world changes, new Standards are introduced to reflect the latest technologies, innovations and community needs - redundant Standards are discarded. New closed circuit television Standards, infrastructure protection Standards and luggage safety advice will protect all Kenyans and are a direct response to community concerns around security issues. New risk management Standards have improved business practice while information and communications technology Standards have helped spread ‘cutting edge’ practices across emerging industries.
Standards boost kenyan production and productivity
Kenyan manufacturing, materials handling, mechanical systems and components. Standards save businesses time and money. Standards cut production costs. They drive economies of scale, the use of common parts and specifications, help cut energy bills and foster new technologies. The Government uses Kenyan and international record-keeping Standards to handle and move information around its vast networks. Small businesses become more efficient and grow by using Standards, guidelines and handbooks developed by industry experts.
Standards make Kenyan businesses more competitive
Products that comply with Kenyan Standards have a competitive edge over products that don’t - consumers know the difference. Businesses know products made to Kenyan Standards have more credibility - whether it’s a bike helmet, baby napkins or complaints handling system. Kenyan exporters using international Standards have a head start when they move into overseas markets. International aerospace, food and medical equipment markets all have strict Standards that can dictate success or failure.
Standards link Kenya to the rest of the world
Standards ensure products manufactured in one country can be sold and used in another. A nut made in Nairobi fits a bolt made in London, 35 mm film made in Kenya will fit 35 mm cameras made in Japan. Standards reduce technical barriers to international trade, increase the size of potential markets and position Kenyan firms to compete in the world economy. Containers, electrical equipment, data packaging, PIN management - just a few of the Kenyan Standards that link local businesses directly with international markets.
Standards complement Kenyan regulation and make markets work betterAround a third of all Kenyan Standards form some part of Territory, State or Kenyan law. They are at the heart of the Kenyan Code and the Trade Practices Act. They help governments craft laws to protect the community. Standards help make laws and regulations consistent across Kenya. By using a Standard, a Kenyan consumer law becomes consistent with a Tanzanian fair trading regulation. Standards offer an alternative to regulation, with less red tape and business costs, while still providing security for families and small business consumers.
Working on Kenyan Standards rewards participants
Being a part of a Kenyan Standards development team has its own rewards - increased knowledge, stronger business networks and competitive advantages. There is no better professional development than working with peers and colleagues drawing up a Kenyan Standard. There is no better personal satisfaction than knowing a Kenyan Standard has made the world a safer place.
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