1. Fundamentals of standards and standardization

1.1 What is a standard?

A standard is a reference document used to establish recognized and shared technical requirements for products or services in exchanges between several parties. They are used in particular for commercial contracts, typically between a customer and a supplier/service provider. These documents enable each party to agree on all or part of the requirements supplied, so as to avoid having to deal contractually with elements that correspond to good practice normally implemented on a market, or to avoid having to dwell on points of detail.