Improving standards

Citation

Heap, J. (2004), "Improving standards", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 53 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm.2004.07953aaa.002

Improving standards

Improving standards

In all sorts of technology areas, "standards" are necessary to ensure interoperability and efficiency. One clear and very early example was the standardisation of railway gauges across Britain so that all trains could use all lines. I have just been working on a project that needed to examine a metadata standard so that a number of inter-connected though disparate computer systems could "talk a common language". The problem is that the UK often "improves" on US standards (or adapts them to "local" differences) but much software is of US origin and expects to conform to the original US-based standard. International groups work to resolve these issues and tensions but often not fast enough in such a fast-moving world. So, many standards do not become standards until they are already out of date. This leaves us looking to adopt de facto standards – those that prevail in the marketplace – but this has its own risks and disadvantages. I am sure there is no solution – other than by preventing innovation, and I would hate to be accused of that!