MODULE 2

THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOW OF STANDARDS

UNIT 4

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT

The aims of this unit:

· to make you think about the importance of standardization and the benefits standards bring to the manufacturers and the consumers;

· to give a brief overview of the information about standards and the standardization process;

· to provide understanding of standards development processes and procedures as well as technical terms related to the issue;

· to develop practical skills involved in standards development.

 

START UP

1 A standard might simply be defined as ' a set of rules for ensuring quality'. Do you agree with this definition?

The latest Home Nations Forum in Edinburgh focused on Standards and how they need to be thought of. Study the following statements and comment on them. Express your agreement or disagreement.

 

 

1. Plugs are like standards – they are boring and dull but you need them. There are differences between UK and European plugs and if you have the wrong one you get inoperability.

2. Different people interpret things in different ways even if they are in the same community.

3. We need to focus less on the standards and more on what we’re trying to achieve with them. We don’t want standards for their own sake. What we really want are the benefits that standards can provide.

4. We felt that standards are very costly and really need to be embedded at a whole set of different levels. They are currently seen to be a techy thing… That’s a problem because standards should go across all those different layers – standards are not just for techies.