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What is a standard?

A standard is a document, established by consensus that provides rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results.

Why are standards important?

Behind the scenes, standards make everyday life work. They may establish size or shape or capacity of a product, process or system. They can specify performance of products or personnel. They also can define terms so that there is no misunderstanding among those using the standard. As examples, standards help ensure that film to fit our cameras can be purchased anywhere in the world, that a light bulb fits a socket, and plugs for electrical appliances fit outlets.



How are standards created?

Standards are developed by technical experts that work together to meet a common marketplace need. The term “voluntary consensus standard” describes a document developed through a process where all views and objections are considered and where affected parties (including government, consumers, and business) have reached consensus on its contents.

Who creates standards?



  • Gaining insider knowledge and early access to information
  • Exerting influence on technical content


Learn how to get involved in the American National Standards (ANS) process, and participate in decisions that affect your bottom line.

What is conformity assessment?



How is compliance with standards verified?




What is the “Standards Boost Business” (SBB) campaign?

SBB is a public awareness campaign intended to inform and educate C-suite (e.g., CEO, CFO, COO, etc.) executives, senior public policy officials, and upper/middle managers about the ways that standards and conformity assessment activities boost business performance and innovation, lower costs, and help U.S. industry to be more competitive in the global marketplace. Its goal is to increase awareness and understanding amongst businesses, organizations, government, young or emerging professionals, and students about the U.S. voluntary standardization system, and to promote a culture that values the infinite contributions standardization and standards professionals make to society.

What issue is the campaign aiming to address?

An educational and outreach effort, the campaign’s primary goal is to serve as a “call to action” for corporate America to devote resources – time, money, and manpower – to the U.S. standardization system and its activities. As such, SBB aims to address three main issues:

  • Lack of knowledge by C-suite (e.g., CEO, CFO, COO, etc.) executives, senior public policy officials, and upper/middle managers about standardization, its significant impact on the U.S. economy, and how to get involved.
  • Decreased participation in standardization activities by some industries, organizations, and companies. In recent years, some sectors have decreased their participation in standards development and conformity assessment activities. Whether this decrease comes from a tightening of the belt or shifting priorities, the concern remains the same: participation by certain industry sectors is down, and the U.S. standardization community should do whatever it can to increase engagement.
  • Education and training opportunities for college and young or emerging professionals about standards and conformity assessment. Each spring hundreds of thousands of college graduates seek to enter the workforce, but very few of them have even the most basic awareness of standards and conformance. Additionally, engineers and standards professionals are retiring at a rapid pace. We need to make sure that we are cultivating the next generation of standards professionals in order to avoid a knowledge vacuum.

How will the campaign generate awareness?

SBB key messages will be incorporated into brochures, flyers, presentations and speeches, testimony, publications, press releases, websites and social media applications, advertising, contributed articles or letters to the editor, and much more. More importantly, the messages and deliverables may be used freely by any stakeholder within the standards community to help explain the strategic value of the voluntary standards system to U.S. businesses.

Who is behind this effort?

The SBB campaign is administered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of our nation’s voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment system. For more information, visit

Why now?

For more than a century, voluntary consensus standardization and conformity assessment activities have been coalescing markets and saving money for organizations in both the private and public sectors. However, there remains a marked lack of standards and conformance-related knowledge by decision makers in business and industry. This has caused organizations, companies, and government agencies to avoid participation, down-size, or eliminate standards-related sections and programs. More and more, corporate standards professionals are not being replaced when they retire, and new, younger professionals are not being developed for corporate standards roles.

With recent efforts to increase dialogue about the current U.S. voluntary standardization system, now is the time for the standards community to showcase the strategic value of the system to U.S. businesses, organizations, and government, and help corporate decision makers and senior public policy officials understand the critical importance of their participation.

How can I participate?

Companies, organizations, government agencies, consumers, young or emerging professionals, and students can read the materials provided throughout the SBB website, share the link with your staff and colleagues, and utilize the free tools and resources. Show your support today, and email us if you’d like to be featured in our Case Studies section.

Make a resource commitment to the U.S. standardization system and join the SBB Partnership. Send us a message to learn more about Partnership opportunities.
