Standarden

Standarden refers to the concept of standards and standardization, the process of establishing and applying technical specifications to achieve uniformity and compatibility across products, services, and processes. Standards provide common references that reduce uncertainty, enable interoperability, and support safety and quality.

Standards can be voluntary or mandatory, and they may be international, regional, national, or industry-specific. They cover different aspects, such as product characteristics, performance criteria, testing methods, terminology, and interfaces. A standard may describe how a product should function, how it should be tested, or how different components connect with one another.

Development of standards is typically consensus-driven. Stakeholders from industry, academia, government, and consumer groups participate in committees that draft proposals, circulate drafts for comment, and vote before publication. The process balances technical feasibility, market needs, and public interest, and it often allows for periodic review and revision.

Organizations involved in standardization include international bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), as well as regional and national bodies like CEN, CENELEC, ETSI in Europe and ANSI or DIN in other regions. There are also sector-specific standards organizations and industry consortia. Standards can be accompanied by conformity assessment schemes to verify compliance.

Standards impact trade, innovation, and risk management by enabling compatibility, improving safety, and guiding best practices. They can be updated to reflect new technology, but may also face criticism for cost, speed of development, or potential hindrance to novel approaches. Notable examples include ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security.