PAS 124: Defining, implementing and managing website standards is a Publicly Available Specification designed to help organisations manage website standards efficiently and harness their full potential.

PAS 124 was published on 29 April 2008 by BSI British Standards, in collaboration with Magus (lead consultant) and a panel of experts from across the industry: Shell, Unilever, the Institute of Directors, Interbrand, SDL, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), and the Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA).

Contents 1 Who's it for? 2 What’s it about? 3 PAS 124 contents 4 How to get it? 5 External links

[edit] Who's it for?

PAS 124 is aimed at organizations with public websites, intranets or extranets, specifically:

• Organizations considering, planning, or in the process of developing website standards.
• Organizations with existing website standards wishing to align themselves with best practice methodologies.

PAS 124 can be used by anyone who manages, or has responsibility for a website or a multi-site web presence. This could include:

• Global/corporate communications teams
• Marketing teams
• Website managers
• External agencies responsible for defining and/or managing web and brand guidelines
• IT managers, especially those involved in setting up a Content Management System (CMS) framework
• Legal/Compliance/IT risk teams

[edit] What’s it about?

PAS 124 outlines a best practice approach to website standards throughout the website life cycle, starting with the initial planning and definition stage. However, it is important to note that website standards are never static and can be usefully addressed at any point in the website life cycle.

What are website standards?

Website standards are the library of standards specified by an organisation to govern the content, function and appearance of their web estate. They include both organisationally defined standards (e.g. brand and editorial standards), and standards specified by external agencies, such as governments and official standards bodies (e.g. legal and accessibility standards). The main purposes of website standards are to: Guide web developers and content creators Optimise and control the user experience Help organisations successfully utilise their websites to support their online goals

Managed effectively, website standards deliver tangible performance and operational benefits, and are powerful tools for regulating the process of website creation and publication. However, the scope and diversity of website standards presents organizations with common logistical challenges. Many organizations are also unaware of the extent to which they should be defining website standards, and the benefits they deliver.

PAS 124 addresses these challenges by providing the first-ever procedural framework to help organizations deploy website standards efficiently and harness their full potential.

[edit] PAS 124 contents

PAS 124 has five main parts:

1. Defining website standards: Setting scope, gathering information and requirements, specifying and documenting standards.
2. Implementing website standards: Deploying and communicating standards.
3. Managing website standards: Supporting editors, process and governance, monitoring, measurement and review.
4. Guide to the key categories of website standards: A checklist of the key standards types that organisations need to specify to safeguard the quality and consistency of their websites.
5. Useful sources of information.

[edit] How to get it?

The full PAS 124 specification is available to order from the BSI British Standards shop. The document is priced at £85.00.

A free introductory guide is also available to download from Magus [1].

[edit] External links

• BSI: Raising the standard of websites worldwide: BSI and Magus launch a new specification
• IoD: Are you maximising your website effectiveness?
• IT-Director: Three inexpensive and essential investments for website commissioners