"A standard is an agreed way of doing something. It could be about making a product, managing a process, delivering a service or supplying materials – standards can cover a huge range of activities undertaken by organizations and used by their customers." BSI
Standards establish specifications and procedures designed to ensure the reliability of the materials, products, methods, and/or services.
Why are they important?
The Standards and Accreditation Act makes provision for standards in New Zealand.
Standards New Zealand, develops, manages, publishes and sells standards in New Zealand. It is a business unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Standards are not mandatory but if they have been referenced in legislation, they become part of the technical regulation framework.
Standards can be:
New Zealand standards are organised by ICS (International Classification for Standards) codes managed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).