Standardization
Standardization (also called standardization) is the process of developing, applying, and improving standards that are used in various scientific, industrial, or economic activities., in order to order and improve them. For its part, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) defines standardization as the process of formulating and applying rules, for an orderly approach to a specific activity, for the benefit and with the cooperation of all those involved.
According to the International Organization for Standardization, standardization is the activity that aims to establish, in the face of problems such as real or potential, provisions intended for common and repeated uses, in order to obtain an optimal level of ordering in a specific context. given, which can be technological, political or economic.
Objectives
Standardization basically pursues three objectives:
- Simplification: it is about reducing the number of models and rules depending on each, to stay only with the most necessary ones.
- Unification: this is about allowing international exchanges and comparisons.
- Specification: It is intended to avoid identification errors, creating clear and accurate language.
The large sums of money that developed countries invest in standards bodies, both national and international, is an indication or proof of the importance given to this issue.
Organizations
Private Standardization Organizations
- ICAO - American Concrete Institute
- API - American Petroleum Institute
- ASCE - American Society of Civil Engineering
- ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials
- HL7 - Health Level Seven Inc.
- IAPMO - International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
- NEMA - National Electrical Manufacturers Association
- NFPA - National Fire Protection Association
- NSF - NSF International
- UL - Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
Regional Standardization Organizations
- AMN - Mercosur Standardization Association
- APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
- CENELEC - Européen Committee of Normalisation Electrotechnique - European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
- CEN - European Standardization Committee
- COPANT - Pan American Commission on Technical Standards
- CROSQ - Caribbean Community Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality
- RAN - Andean Network of Standardization
National Standards Organizations
Some examples of national standards bodies are:
| Country | Agency | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Deutsches Institut für Normung | DIN |
| Argentina | IRAM - Argentine Institute for Standardization and Certification | IRAM |
| Bolivia | Bolivian Institute for Standardization and Quality | IBNORCA |
| Brazil | Associação Brasileira de Standards Técnicas | ABNT |
| Chile | National Institute for Standardization | INN * |
| Colombia | Colombian Institute for Technical Standards and Certification | ICONTEC |
| Colombia | Colombian Certification Council IVAISCB | CCC |
| Costa Rica | Instituto de Standards Técnicas de Costa Rica | INTECO |
| Cuba | National Standardization Office | NC |
| Ecuador | Ecuadorian Standardization Service | INEN |
| El Salvador | National Council for Science and Technology | CONACYT * |
| Spain | Spanish Association of Standardization and Certification | AENOR |
| United States of America | American National Standards Institute | ANSI |
| Philippines | Bureau of Product Standards | BPS |
| France | Association Française de Normalisation | AFNOR Archived on 26 January 2019 in Wayback Machine. |
| Guatemala | Guatemalan Standards Commission | COGUANOR |
| Honduras | Honduran Council on Science and Technology | COHCIT ** |
| Italy | Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione | UNI |
| Japan | Japanese Industrial Standars Committee | JISC |
| Mexico | General Directorate of Standards | DGN |
| Nicaragua | Directorate of Technology, Standardization and Metrology | DTNM * |
| Panama | Panamanian Commission on Industrial and Technical Standards | COPANIT |
| Paraguay | National Institute of Technology and Standardization | INTN * |
| Peru | National Quality Institute | INACAL * |
| United Kingdom | British Standards Institution | BS |
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Institute for Quality | INDOCAL * |
| Russia | Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology | GOST |
| Switzerland | Swiss Association for Standardization | SNV |
| Uruguay | Uruguay Institute of Technical Standards | UNIT |
| Venezuela | National Autonomous Service of Standardization, Quality,Metrology and Technical Regulations | SENCAMER |
* Corresponding member of ISO ** ISO Subscribing Member
International Organizations for Standardization
- ISO - International Organization for Standardization.
- IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission.
- IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
- ITU - International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T and ITU-R).
- IATA - International Air Transport Association.
- Codex Alimentarius - International Food Standards.
- RABQSA - International Management Systems Standards.