Corporate Standards: the "What" behind Compliance
Bridging The Gap Between Policies and Procedures
Creating corporate policies is the first step in establishing a strong governance framework, but policies alone aren’t enough.
To ensure consistent compliance and operational efficiency, businesses need well-defined corporate standards—the second critical governance document type.
While policies define the "why" by outlining company objectives and principles, standards define the "what"—breaking policies down into specific criteria, benchmarks, and compliance metrics.
In this article, we’ll cover:
What corporate standards are and why they matter.
How standards transform policies into actionable compliance metrics.
Examples of key corporate standards.
How to simplify the process using a template.
What Are Corporate Standards?
Corporate standards are structured guidelines that detail what is required to ensure compliance with corporate policies.
They serve as a bridge between broad governance policies and detailed procedures by setting clear expectations and measurable criteria.
Think of standards as the rulebook for applying policies consistently across departments.
They ensure that policies aren’t just ideas on paper but are actually implemented effectively within an organization by defining the compliance metrics for associated processes and procedures.
Ultimately, standards turn your policies into measurable, enforceable standards.
Why Are Standards Important?
A well-defined corporate standard framework helps organizations:
Establish Measurable Compliance Metrics – Ensures policies are applied consistently and audit-proof.
Reduce Operational Risks – Mitigate inconsistencies, security risks, and regulatory violations.
Standardize Workflows – Creates repeatable, structured processes for teams across departments.
Support Audit Readiness – Provides clear documentation for regulatory and quality audits.
Drive Accountability – Assigns responsibility for meeting compliance expectations.
Without standards, businesses lack a clear path for turning governance policies into real-world practices—leading to confusion, inefficiencies, and compliance gaps.
Key Examples of Corporate Standards
While policies focus on broad topics, corporate standards break them down into related sub-categories, providing detailed criteria and benchmarks for implementation. Below are some common business standards and their role in governance:
RIM Standard – Ensures proper retention, classification, and disposal of records.
Controlled Document Standard – Defines how documents are created, version-controlled, and stored.
Engineering Standard – Covers product development specs, testing procedures, and regulatory compliance.
SharePoint Standard – Outlines IT governance for site setup, user permissions, and data security.
Cybersecurity Standard – Establishes encryption, access control, and incident response requirements.
Financial Reporting Standard – Defines internal controls, audit protocols, and reporting guidelines.
💡 These standards align with corporate policies but provide the detailed “what” required to ensure policies are properly followed.
How to Create Effective Corporate Standards
Developing corporate standards doesn’t have to be complex. Follow these key steps to ensure clarity and consistency:
1️⃣ Align Standards with Policies
Each standard should directly support a corporate policy, breaking it into measurable requirements. Ask:
What must be done to comply with this policy?
How will success be measured?
Who is responsible for enforcing this standard?
2️⃣ Define Specific Requirements & Benchmarks
Standards should include:
Clear Compliance Metrics – Minimum thresholds for compliance.
Performance Expectations – Specific criteria for quality, security, or efficiency.
Industry or Legal Requirements – Regulations, best practices, and certifications.
3️⃣ Assign Roles & Responsibilities
Standards should clearly define each role or group accountable for meeting, administrating, or enforcing the compliance requirements. This prevents gaps in responsibility and ensures a structured governance approach.
4️⃣ Review & Update Regularly
To remain effective, standards should be:
Reviewed every 1 - 3 years for relevance and regulatory updates.
Communicated to employees through training programs.
Monitored for compliance using internal audits or assessments.
Simplify Standard Creation with a Professional Template
Drafting corporate standards from scratch can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created a suite of done-for-you Governance Templates to help you easily create structured, audit-ready standards.
The Standard Template is one of three in our Governance Document Bundle and features:
Industry-standard headings – To eliminate redundant information and content overlap between the Standard and governing Policy.
Guided writing prompts – To help you turn policy requirements into measurable compliance metrics.
Custom styles & appendices – Professional, easy-to-follow formatting so you can focus on writing, not document design.
Easy customization – Our templates are 100% customizable, so you can tailor your policies to fit your specific business needs.
🚀Game-Changing Bonus!
The Governance Bundle includes three pre-built examples to jumpstart your standardization process.
The Governance Bundle comes with a completed:
Health & Safety Policy
Health & Safety Standard
Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment Procedure
📥 Download your ready-to-use Standard Template today and turn your policies into measurable, enforceable standards.
Final Thoughts
Corporate standards are essential for translating policies into actionable guidelines—ensuring compliance, consistency, and efficiency across an organization.
By implementing clear, structured standards, businesses can eliminate ambiguity, strengthen governance, and maintain compliance with confidence.
🔜 Next in the Series: In Part 3, we’ll explore Procedures—detailing the exact steps necessary to implement standards effectively.
👉 Need a standard template? Get the Corporate Standard Template here!
