SABS Workshop to Formulate A SANS for Cataloguing

The South African Buro of Standards embarked on a course for the creation of a South African National; Standard (SANS) for the cataloging and codification of Material Items and Services.

CODIFICATION - THE DNA OF MODERN LOGISTICS was the theme of the10th International Symposium on Codification hosted in Edinburgh last year. This was combined with the Electronic Commerce Code Management Association (ECCMA) symposium and the objective of BUILDING GLOBAL STANDARDS was one of the main objectives of the symposium as well as the role of the eOTD standard.

“South Africa participated in this symposium and in the view of the current need in South Africa for a common standard between Industry, Government and Defence, we invited the Chairman of ECCMA USA and Deputy Director of DLIS USA, to South Africa,” Said Yvonne Ndlovo, Project Leader at the SABS.

At the workshop, Mr. Steve Arnett, Deputy Chief in DLIS-KI/U.S. will share his experience with regards to the eOTD as a global standard and their participation in ISO Technical committee 184, sub committee 4 (ISO TC184/SC4). The seminar and successive workshops and meetings is planned for 23 and 24 May 2006.

The SABS Manages standards in South Africa, but all standards that are created are to be National Standards that are created by all stakeholders in the country. Yvonne continues: “it is important that all potential users and stakeholders participate in the creation of new standards as this ensures that they are relevant and will be used.”

The first step in this process of standards creation is the formation of a workshop in which the issue will be discussed and the need for such a standard to be determined. If the workshop decides that it is a South African requirement and that the ISO Technical Committee TC 184 Sub Committee could be used as a basis for the development of the standard, then a Mirror committee will be formed to ISO TC184/SC4.

All interested parties are therefore invited to take part in the workshop scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of May 2006.