Standardisation

Standardisation is the process of developing and agreeing upon technical standards. According to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), standardisation is the process of formulating and applying rules for an orderly approach to a specific activity for the benefit and cooperation of all concerned, and in particular for the promotion of the overall economy, considering due safety requirements.

Determines classes of a commodity or service that has fixed limits.
Involves the determination of basic limits.
Provides scientific language to define a commodity and serves as
the yardstick of quality.

A standard is a document approved by a recognized body, such as the NSI, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for products or related processes and production methods, with which compliance is not mandatory.  It may also include or deal exclusively with terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labelling requirements as they apply to a product, process or production method

Standards can be divided into three categories:

Products
The quality and safety of goods and services.

Processes
The conditions under which products and services are to be produced, packed and refined.

Management systems
Systems that help organisations to manage their operations. They are often used to create a framework within which an organization consistently achieves the requirements set out in product and process standards