BSJ Also Offers Development And Trade Support Services To Assist Businesses

In addition to several standards-related services offered by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), the agency also offers development and trade support services to help businesses in their operations, says Manager, Communication and Customer Service, Maxine Fagan.

Addressing a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on April 27, Ms. Fagan said businesses should consider the BSJ as a quality assurance resource.

“Many businesses may not think of the BSJ in that capacity. We recognise the importance of supporting sectors in Jamaica and that is what the BSJ does. We want to ensure that you are competitive, that the businesses gain market access, that you are able to meet your customer demands and expectations, meet international standards, implement best practices, gain competitive advantage and increase your sales and experience growth,” she added.

As a quality assurance resource, the BSJ offers a free consultancy service, through its Client Service Officers, in which businesses are assisted in bringing their operations up to an identified standard.

“If industry players seek to have clarity or direction or if it is that they want to discover gaps in their operations, we do have that programme and we have officers and we are able to engage them one-on-one,” Ms. Fagan explained.

“We ascertain what obtains currently, and if there are any gaps that we are able to discern from that engagement, then we communicate those gaps to the organisation and provide the requisite guidance to those entities,” she pointed out.

Ms. Fagan informed that the Bureau stands committed in empowering businesses in their use of standards and continues to work alongside various entities to encourage existing businesses and those seeking to enter the local market to apply standards in their operations.

“We have incremental successes in various areas, and we are constantly seeking to engage the private sector, public sector, and non-governmental organisations… in the respective sectors, and to promote the use of standards,” said Ms. Fagan.

For a list of standards and areas under which the BSJ provides quality assurance, persons can visit the website, www.bsj.org.jm, or call 876-926-3140-6.