Why standards?
Norms, standards and rules are a matter of course in a highly developed and work-sharing society. They provide trusted principles for a functioning economy, provide security at the work place and in everyday life and ensure compatibility and comparability of products and services.
Standards document what is „state-of the-art“ in a specific technical area and indicate solutions for what is economically practicable, technically and ecologically doable and useful.
Furthermore, standards provide the basis from which further development and innovation is possible. While standardisation was limited to technical areas when it begun, the principle of composing rules by consensus now reaches almost all areas of the economy and everyday life; such as job safety, environment, services and much more.
Find out more about the diverse areas in which standards are vital today: visit our topic-portal.
Further reading:
What are standards?
Who develops standards?
Where are standards developed?
Who profits from standards?
