Benefits of applying standards

Standards are an invisible infrastructure working behind the scenes to protect the safety of all Peoples. They ensure the products, services and systems we depend on are safe and reliable, and consistently perform the way they were intended to. In fact, standards touch virtually every aspect of our lives—from the moment our alarm clock sounds in the morning to the time our head hits the pillow at the end of the day. Without standards, we couldn’t trust that the water we drink is safe, that the cars we drive will steer properly, or that the toys our children play with won’t harm them. 

Benefits for consumers

Standards increase consumers’ confidence and improve their quality of life.

Safer products and services
Consumers of all types (e.g. parents, employers, workers, athletes) list health and safety as their top consumer concerns. Adherence to standards and third-party conformity assessment gives the public confidence that the products and services they use are based on some level of safety, measurement, and quality. Adherence to standards and third-party conformity assessment gives consumers confidence that the products or systems they purchase will not cause harm when used as intended.

Enhanced purchasing power
In addition to increased confidence in the safety and quality of their purchases, consumers benefit from efforts to make standardized products stand out in the marketplace. Manufacturers are responding to consumer demands by making their products more user-friendly, multi-functional, and even less expensive than the competition.

Simplicity and compatibility
Standards provide consumers with greater assurance that the various components they purchase will be easy to use, and that components (e.g. audio-visual equipment, car parts, computer software) will work together. Consumer participation in standards development helps manufacturers make their products more user-friendly, multi-functional and even less expensive than the competition.

Improved social and economic well-being
Standardization not only impacts the quality and safety of individual items or services, it also plays an integral role in improving the overall health and safety of peoples, and of their physical environment.