Standardisation

The word "standard" is multi-valued as it may mean a physical standard, prototype of mass or a technical document. A standard is defined as a general agreement or a model or a rule or a method established by authority or consensus or custom or created and used by various levels of interest. For example, an Industrial standard is the generally accepted statement of the requirement. Standardization is setting such standard and observing, adhering to and practicing. In other words, standardization is the orderly and systematic formulation, adoption, application and review of industrial standard which leads to simplification or variety reduction.

The standardization implies reducing unnecessary varieties to the most economical sizes, grades, shapes, colours or types of parts. A common misconception about standardization must be removed at this stage. There are some people who think that to achieve standardization; one should limit ones purchases to a single manufacturer's product out of many others in the field. True standardization does not restrict competition. It focuses on standardizing product (or process or service) but not the producer. One of the objectives of standardization is cost reduction and in fact, the standardization on a single manufacturer's product only defeats the objective. Moreover, by restricting purchase in this fashion one may not have a standard at all.