A service can be defined as an activity taking place between a supplier and a customer that is generally intangible (for example, tourism, finance, utilities, etc.). Services are a growing force in the world economy. According to US sources, the sector was responsible for 90 % of all jobs created in 2015 and is projected to account for about 79 % of total employment by 2018.

Services are becoming drivers of economic growth, but their rapid expansion carries many risks – lack of control, consumer exploitation, opacity, poor quality, inefficiency, questionable business practices and other obstacles to good service provision. This is why International Standards are needed. They ensure confidence while reducing heavy and costly regulation that could hamper growth.

International tourist arrivals are expected to increase by 3.3% a year by 2030. Yet nowhere do people feel more vulnerable than when they are strangers in an unfamiliar land. Tourism service standards are a globetrotter’s ally, increasing safety and confidence wherever they go. Their guidance and best practice will be appreciated by service providers as a means to gain customer satisfaction and a competitive edge.

In addition, ISO standards for sustainable events and beach management offer a streamlined and powerful way to reduce the environmental and societal impact of the entertainment sector.

A closer look at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals highlights the crucial role of public services. With standards, the public sector can work on improving utilities, transportation, IT services, and much more.

Standards take the needs of consumers into account, making sure they get efficient and reliable services. This is even more important for the public sector where insufficient services can affect the welfare of citizens, as is the case when for example, drinking and wastewater services fail.

For industries following a business-to-consumer (B2C) type business model, standards focus on improving quality and efficiency, while opening up access to new markets. For business-to-business industries, standards make it easier to share costs and collaborate.

A standard for management consultancy services, for example, can encourage businesses to make the most of the resources they invest, while a standard on asset management helps them use their assets wisely. From customer satisfaction to IT services, standards cover nearly every business need you can think of.

How could the financial sector ever operate without standards! Financial operations require institutions to be able to communicate seamlessly with each other, usually across national borders. How can a client use their French-issued card to withdraw money from a cash machine in Japan? How can we make transfers or payments from A to B successfully? All these transactions are possible because of standards that operate at every level of the financial industry.

ISO has a committee dedicated to financial services, which has published over 50 standards for the industry. You surely recognize the international currency codes, IBANs and BICs, and might even know of the highly successful ISO 20022-based universal financial messaging used by Europe, Japan and the Swift network, to name a few.

The world of service standards is as diverse as the industry itself. Here, a number of very different organizations share their experience using different service standards, how to put them in place and the benefits they reaped.