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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - NOVEMBER 2015MARKETINGGIVING CANADIAN INDUSTRY THE LEG UP IT NEEDS TO SUCCEED: MAKING THE CASE FOR INTERNATIONAL STANDARDSC/O 20/20, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Magazine and the Standards Council of CanadaIn today’s global economy, hav- ing innovative ideas isn’t enough to ensure success. As the borders of busi- ness slowly disappear, companies in- creasingly need to look beyond nation- al borders to remain competitive. But it takes a whole system working behind the scenes to support a business’ abil- ity to bring those innovative ideas and products to markets around the world. Standardization plays an integral role in this systemCompanies of all sizes now have the ability to reach customers around the world, but to do so effectively they need to understand and embrace stan- dards. Differing regulations and stan- dards between countries — and even within countries with multiple jurisdic- tions, like Canada — can cause delays and create market barriers, keeping companies from reaching their full po- tential.“Standards matter. It is almost an imperative to compete regionally or in- ternationally. If you can’t meet the stan- dards of the country in which you areselling, you just aren’t going to get your product into that market,” explains John Walter, CEO of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). “Quite simply, in many cases it helps them stay in business.”BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN POTENTIAL AND SUCCESSIn addition to helping companies access both domestic and international markets, standards reduce costs, in- crease productivity, reduce risk, and help them gain the competitive edge necessary for fostering and supporting innovation. As the leader of Canada’s standardization network, SCC is work- ing with Canadian companies, large and small, to help them get the most out of standards and to bring their innova- tive ideas and products to Canadians, and the world. But the key to success is ensuring Canadian industry fully understands the value of internation- al standards and how they can help boost their bottom line.The benefits of using standards are not new. Standards were the underpin- ning of industrialization in Canada and they are just as critical today. However, in recent years there has been a move away from using standards developed in and for one particular country to adopting international standards that help open the doors to markets around the world.80| Canadian Industry Online | November, 2015