Services represent more than two thirds of World Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the World Trade Organization. They are a core economic activity, contributing more to GDP than both industry and agriculture combined. The services revolution creates new commercial opportunities and underpins virtually every economic activity.

ISO develops International Standards that help ensure that services are of a consistent, high quality. This has a number of benefits:

For consumers, it means you can have more confidence in all types of services ranging from phone bills to tourism.
For business, ensuring a good quality service helps differentiate your business from the competition, bringing concrete economic benefits.

In addition to the services-specific standards shown below ISO also develops standard in the areas of training, tourism, leisure and hospitality services, transport, and services for consumers.


Singapore fountain
Getting people involved in creating better services
In 2019 we held a services workshop in Singapore. You can find out more about the programme, the speakers and the presentations given by visiting our events page. You can find out more about the programme, the speakers and the presentations given by visiting the event website.

Standards are essential to developing services

ISO/IEC Guide 76:2020
Development of service standards — Recommendations for addressing consumer issues

Our strategy

Modern supply chains are increasingly complex as companies seek to optimize costs while retaining flexibility. Supply chains that stretch across multiple countries and sites pose major challenges in terms of quality, compliance with regulations and standards relating to safety, as well as environmental …
ISO developed this strategy because we anticipate that market demand for service standards will steadily increase and we want to make sure that ISO, and its members, have the tools and knowledge necessary to respond to this demand and to the challenges and opportunities it brings.
A practical guide on how to manage services in today’s dynamic service environment using ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018.
ISO/TC 228
ISO/TC 228
Visit the Technical Committee's own website for more information.
Woman serving a cup of coffee
A list of services-related publications that you can download free of charge.

The people who develop standards

Covering almost every sector you can think of, from Assistive products to Zinc alloys, ISO has over 200 technical committees. Below we've listed just a handful that we think will be of particular interest to you. If it doesn't have what you're looking for, you can find the complete list of technical committees here.

  • Related ISO technical committees

  • ISO/TC 68
    Financial services
  • ISO/TC 312
    Excellence in service
  • ISO/TC 224
    Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems and services
  • ISO/TC 225
    Market, opinion and social research
  • ISO/TC 228
    Tourism and related services
  • ISO/TC 232
    Education and learning services

ISO Store

  • ISO/PAS 5643:2021
    Tourism and related services — Requirements and guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the tourism industry
  • ISO 10002:2018
    Quality management — Customer satisfaction — Guidelines for complaints handling in organizations
  • ISO 46001:2019
    Water efficiency management systems — Requirements with guidance for use

Visit the ISO Store to buy more standards