What are standards?
From ANSI's educational website Why Standards Matter, Module 1, Lesson 1:
A standard is "a recognized unit of comparison by which the
correctness of others can be determined." Another definition is "a set
of characteristics or qualities that describes features of a product,
process, or service."
Who produces standards?
Professional associations (e.g. ASME,
IEEE, and SAE), trade organizations, and governments create and produce standards.
Standards are produced nationally and internationally. In the United
States, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) coordinates
many standards producing organizations.
International standards are produced by organizations such as the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission. Engineers frequently encounter standards from other countries such as Germany (DIN), Japan (JIS), or the UK (BSI).