The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) encourages relevant stakeholders to register for two workshops to develop an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) International Workshop Agreement (IWA) on guidelines for contactless delivery service, which has seen an uptick among consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual workshop meeting dates are on March 22-25, 2021, and June 1-3, 2021.
Background on Contactless Delivery
With restaurant closures and some mandated stay-in-place orders, many consumers are increasingly dependent on grocery and restaurant delivery services. As a precautionary measure during the health crisis, various food delivery platforms in the United States, UK, Germany, Japan, India, Malaysia, and other countries are providing contactless delivery services.
The Standardization Administration of China (SAC) submitted the proposal for the development of the ISO International Workshop Agreement on Guidelines for contactless delivery service. ANSI, which is the U.S. member body to ISO, encourages participation in the IWA workshops, which is intended to improve transparency and understanding between consumers and delivery service providers (referred to as couriers), in order to promote the transformation of service standards and operation models. As the invitation document explains, by improving quality, professionalism, ethical behavior, and new techniques of delivery service, the IWA document is intended to enhance the effectiveness of the delivery industry and accelerate the development of the profession.
What is an IWA?
An International Workshop Agreement, or IWA, is a document developed outside the normal ISO committee system to enable market players to negotiate in an “open workshop” environment. A member body typically administratively supports IWAs. The IWA may serve as a starting point in developing standardization work that will support enhanced safety in the consumer market.
Due to COVID‐19 restrictions, the meetings will take place in an online format. Register for the virtual meetings no later than March 5, 2021.