ICW is pleased to announce that ISO 44003 - Collaborative Business Relationship Management - Guidelines for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises on the implementation of the fundamental principles has now been published.

This new Guidance Standard is the result of efforts by the ICW team and the ISO Standards Committee over many months. It is the next member of the ISO 44000 family of standards and has been specifically developed to support smaller organisations harness the benefits of collaborative working as a route to a more structured approach. As MSMEs represent a significant contributor to economic growth it has long been the aim of ICW to encourage smaller organisations to develop their collaborative capabilities. The publication of this standard marks another step in the vison of ICW to see collaborative working make its contribution to both government and industry. ICW is currently planning to launch a pilot scheme via its Executive Network members to help their MSMEs gain recognition for their collaborative approaches. Later this year it is scheduled to publish ISO 44004, which will encompass guidance for larger organisations to enhance the way they engage with MSMEs for mutual benefit.

Our thanks to our International partners at ISO and our members for their contribution in bring this standard to publication. Copies of the standard can be purchased via the ISO store and imminently via BSI.