Today, a majority of goods and services around us have been standardised. This goes unnoticed in most cases.

They are mostly quiet, unseen forces that ensure that things work properly, interactively and responsibly. How standards come about is mystery to most people, should they even ponder the question. Standards are documented, voluntary agreements and provide for:

• Compatibility between different parts of a product or different products;

• A minimum level of quality, defined in terms of fitness for purpose or safety;

• Variety reduction, based upon best practice;

• Technological information, regarding materials, processes and functions.

Standards contain a solution that is intended and expected to be used repeatedly. Therefore, there is something “static” in standardisation, as the solution is “frozen” during a certain time of period until developments make it necessary to develop another solution and the old one makes way for the news one.

Standards are developed under one of the standardisation organisations and made publicly available through national standardisation bodies.

Worldwide harmonisation is the aim of the ISO, International Standardisation Organisation, whereas European consensus is aimed at in CEN, Comité Européen de Normalisation (European Committee for Standardisation).

Standards are beneficial to the three major stakeholder groups: industry, citizens and government. Thus, it is also crucial, that these groups are well represented in the standardisation process.

Standards find its place through the product’s life cycle from the introduction phase till the end. It is up to industry to decide, if company internal codes of practice or European Standards are the appropriate tool, but any such paper is standardising a process or product. Standards also can be used supportively for commercial strategies.