Standards Comparison

    ISO 37001

    Voluntary
    2025

    International standard for anti-bribery management systems

    VS

    ISO 55001

    Voluntary
    2014

    International standard for asset management systems

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 37001 builds anti-bribery management systems to prevent corruption and mitigate legal risks across all sectors, while ISO 55001 establishes asset management systems to optimize lifecycle value in asset-heavy industries. Companies adopt them for certification, trust, and operational excellence.

    Anti-Bribery/Compliance

    ISO 37001

    ISO 37001: Anti-Bribery Management Systems

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Certifiable anti-bribery management system framework
    • Risk-based bribery assessment and controls
    • Mandatory third-party due diligence requirements
    • Leadership commitment and policy mandates
    • PDCA continuous improvement cycle
    Asset Management

    ISO 55001

    ISO 55001: Asset management — Management systems — Requirements

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP)
    • Annex SL structure for system integration
    • PDCA cycle for continual improvement
    • Formal asset decision-making framework
    • Lifecycle risk and opportunity management

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    ISO 37001 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 37001: Anti-Bribery Management Systems is an international certifiable standard providing requirements and guidance for establishing an ABMS. Its primary purpose is to help organizations prevent, detect, and respond to bribery risks while complying with anti-bribery laws. It follows a risk-based approach structured around the ISO Harmonized Structure (Clauses 4-10) aligned with PDCA cycle.

    Key Components

    • Core pillars: context/risk assessment, leadership/policy, planning, support/training, operations/due diligence, performance evaluation, improvement.
    • 8 key control areas including financial/non-financial controls, third-party management.
    • Built on proportionality and continual improvement principles.
    • Optional third-party certification with audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mitigates legal risks (e.g., FCPA, UK Bribery Act) via evidentiary due diligence.
    • Builds stakeholder trust, enhances reputation, reduces compliance costs up to 15%.
    • Enables market access, ESG alignment, operational efficiencies.
    • Addresses 95% third-party bribery exposure.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, risk assessment, control design, training, audits.
    • Scalable for all sizes/sectors; integrates with ISO 9001/27001.
    • Typical 6-12 months to certification; requires documented evidence, internal audits.

    ISO 55001 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 55001:2024 is the international standard specifying requirements for an Asset Management System (AMS). It provides a management system framework to establish, implement, maintain, and improve asset management, enabling organizations to realize value from assets across lifecycles. Applicable to any organization with assets, it uses a risk-based, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach aligned with Annex SL for integration with other ISO standards.

    Key Components

    • Core clauses (4-10): Context, Leadership, Planning, Support, Operation, Performance Evaluation, Improvement.
    • 72 'shall' requirements focusing on SAMP (Strategic Asset Management Plan), decision-making framework, risk/opportunities, competence, outsourcing controls.
    • Built on ISO 55000 principles; certification via accredited third-party audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Drives lifecycle value optimization, cost/risk/performance balance.
    • Meets regulatory pressures, enhances resilience (e.g., climate change).
    • Builds stakeholder trust, breaks silos, supports competitive bidding.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, SAMP development, process integration, training, audits.
    • Suits asset-intensive sectors (utilities, infrastructure); scalable by size.
    • Certification optional but common for validation (18-36 months typical).

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 37001
    Bribery prevention, detection, response via ABMS
    ISO 55001
    Asset lifecycle value optimization via AMS

    Industry

    ISO 37001
    All sectors, high-risk like extractives, global
    ISO 55001
    Asset-intensive like utilities, infrastructure, global

    Nature

    ISO 37001
    Voluntary certifiable management system standard
    ISO 55001
    Voluntary certifiable management system standard

    Testing

    ISO 37001
    Third-party certification audits, annual surveillance
    ISO 55001
    Third-party certification audits, annual surveillance

    Penalties

    ISO 37001
    No legal penalties, loss of certification, liability mitigation
    ISO 55001
    No legal penalties, loss of certification only

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 37001 and ISO 55001

    ISO 37001 FAQ

    ISO 55001 FAQ

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