IT Helps Set Standards at BIS

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The National Informatics Center (NIC) stepped in. BIS moved quickly and earmarked Rs 10 crore to the project, which was to focus on two critical areas: The Certification Marks Management System (CMMS) which deals with product certification covering fields as diverse as agriculture, and textiles and electronics and the Standards Formulation System Module (SFSM), which deals with the formulation of systems.

The NIC began by attempting to understand the various activities of BIS to determine how efficiency could be improved. It wasn't an easy task because BIS works in diverse areas. In each area, various BIS divisions work on product quality and standards of safety. Each product has its own parameters, and standards applicable to a helmet wouldn't hold true for biscuits.

The NIC team decided they needed to delve deeper if they were going to find one pattern that fit all. NIC found that BIS handled two major areas: It formulated product standards and then, tested them for compliance. Out of the two, formulating standards was the tougher part. Also, NIC still had two bases to round before they got home. New products needed testing and existing ones had to be reviewed.

Taking one step at a time, NIC created two core software systems. One was the Standards Formulation Information System (SFIS), which would enable BIS to create new standards for novel product categories, and the other was the Certification Marks Management System (CMMS), which would give the ISI mark to products that met its standards. The NIC also created several smaller programs that ensured efficiency to other areas.

Creating a plethora of systems is useless if nobody wants to touch them. In any new application or a change in existing systems, change management is one of the bigger issues. BIS had its own set.  One of the key problems was a lack of user buy-in. Then there was the language barrier; government officials aren't always comfortable with English. This hurdle was overcome by providing the CMMS software with a Hindi interface. Users were trained by the NIC, and their training covered all facets.

The entire project was planned and implemented in a parallel  manner to meet a two-year deadline. The NIC is now working on BIS' future plans. In the words of Dr. Nagpal, "In the future, IT-based solutions implemented at BIS laboratories are required to be inter-operable and, through secure VPN, the public information will be made online."

The new system has benefited companies applying for the ISI mark. Thanks to the computerization program, it is possible to file an application for a license through the BIS website. The ISI mark, once granted, has to be renewed every year, and this process too has been simplified.  And a list of ISI-certified products are available online, the common man can check which products meet acceptable standards before he or she makes a purchase.

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IT Helps Set Standards at BIS

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Issue Date: April 01, 2006