The Importance of Standards Zelda Carson CIS /28/03

Introduction  What are Standards  Where do Standards Come From  Standards in IT  The Role of Standards in Km and IRM  The Importance of Standards

What Are Standards  The meaning of the term standard is not always clear. In fact it is commonly used to refer to four different definition types 1.The item itself 2.The process of creating the item 3.The document describing how to create the item 4.The process of creating this particular document ACM l-SB /02/03

Standards Definitions The definition of standards also depends on whether it is used as a noun or an adjective.The definition of standards also depends on whether it is used as a noun or an adjective. A.Noun Definitions 1. An acknowledged criterion, reference point or basis of comparison, judgement and evaluation of other things, for quantitative or qualitative value. 2. A practice or a product that is widely recognised or employed, especially because of its excellenc~. 3. Something (a definite rule, principle or measure) established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example, or a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality ACM l-SB /02/03

Standards Definitions B.Adjective Definitions 1. Conforming to or constituting a usual, regularised or accepted kind of standard of measurement or value, accepted kind of standard of measurement or value, especially as established by law or custom especially as established by law or custom 2. Established or widely recognised as a model of authority or excellence, having recognised and authority or excellence, having recognised and permanent value permanent value 3. Regularly, well established, familiar and widely used, supplied, available or sold. supplied, available or sold. 4. Sound and usable but not of top quality Many definitions have stated that a standard is something that is Many definitions have stated that a standard is something that is used by many, and often being so because of it being established used by many, and often being so because of it being established by some authority. by some authority ACM l-SB /02/03

Formal Definitions 1. "...an anthoritative principle or rule that usually implies a model or pattern for guidance, by comparison with a model or pattern for guidance, by comparison with which the quantity, excellence, con'ectoess, etc of other which the quantity, excellence, con'ectoess, etc of other things may be determined." things may be determined." 2. "Document, established by consensus by a recognised body, that provides, for common and repeated use, body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities and rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities and their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context. Standards should be degree of order in a given context. Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technology based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits." community benefits." 3. "A technical specification approved by a recognized standards body for repeated or continuous application, standards body for repeated or continuous application, compliance with which is not compulsory." compliance with which is not compulsory." ACM l-SB /02/03

Where Do Standards Come From  THERE ARE TWO GENERAL STANDARDS CATEGORIES 1.Defacto Standards 2.Formally Established Standards

Defacto Standards  Definition: Standards are used whether or not they are formally specified and these standards are referred to as formally specified and these standards are referred to as defacto standards. defacto standards. - These standards grow as they are - These standards grow as they are needed within the industry. needed within the industry. -They are not established through -They are not established through concensus by a recognized body. concensus by a recognized body. -defacto standards because they lack formalization by a -defacto standards because they lack formalization by a recognized authority and do not come from a specified recognized authority and do not come from a specified planning process are hit or miss. planning process are hit or miss. -Defacto standards in general use may be formalized by a -Defacto standards in general use may be formalized by a standards organization. standards organization.

Formalized Standards  Who creates them  How are they created

Standards Organizations  There are many standards Organizations who are responsible for creating formalized Standards from the international level down.  The main international standards organization for us is The American National Standards Institute(ANSI)  Below the umbrella of ANSI we have such organizations as IEEE, ACM, ADAPSO, ASQC, EIA etc.

Creating Standards  In general standards are created by subcommittees within these groups which must then be approved  Participation by as many people as possible is usually encouraged in the standards creation process  Standards creation usually takes years to complete

IEEE EXAMPLE Software Engineering Standards ANSI IEEE Computer Society Technical Committee on Software Engineering TCSE Software Engineering Standards Subcommittee SESS Working Groups Standards Activities Board SAB Standards Coordinating Committee Others

The Organizational Environment A. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) acts as the umbrella organization for all volunteer standards- making organizations in the United States. Details of ANSI are provided in the ANSI Constitution and Procedures. making organizations in the United States. Details of ANSI are provided in the ANSI Constitution and Procedures. B. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) operates in part under the umbrella of ANSI as one of several volunteers standards-making organizations. As an international organization, the IEEE also operates a of several volunteers standards-making organizations. As an international organization, the IEEE also operates a portion of its standards-making functions outside of ANSI. The major activity of the IEEE with which this guide is portion of its standards-making functions outside of ANSI. The major activity of the IEEE with which this guide is concerned is the IEEE Standards Board. Details of the IEEE organization are provided in the IEEE Constitution concerned is the IEEE Standards Board. Details of the IEEE organization are provided in the IEEE Constitution and Bylaws while the detailed requirements of the IEEE Standards Board are provided in the IEEE Standards and Bylaws while the detailed requirements of the IEEE Standards Board are provided in the IEEE Standards Manual. Manual. C. The IEEE Computer Society is one of the member societies of the IEEE. Details of the IEEE Computer Society organization are provided in the IEEE Computer Society Constitution and Bylaws. organization are provided in the IEEE Computer Society Constitution and Bylaws. D. As established in Article XI of the IEEE Computer Society Bylaws, the Standards Activities Board monitors all Stan- dards Activities to assure conformance to approved policies and practices. One specific activity of the Standards dards Activities to assure conformance to approved policies and practices. One specific activity of the Standards Coordinating Committee of direct interest to all is the Computer Dictionary Project Coordinating Committee of direct interest to all is the Computer Dictionary Project E. The Technical Committee on Software Engineering (TCSE) is one of several IEEE Computer Society Technical Committees that sponsor the development of standards. Computer Society Technical Committees that sponsor the development of standards. Details of the organization and activities of the TCSE are Details of the organization and activities of the TCSE are contained in the IEEE Computer Society Technical Activities Handbook. contained in the IEEE Computer Society Technical Activities Handbook. F.The Software Engineering Standards Subcommittee (SESS) itself performs several activities: (1) It develops and ballots draft Software Engineering (1) It develops and ballots draft Software Engineering standards. standards. (2) It co-sponsors Software Engineering Seminars with (2) It co-sponsors Software Engineering Seminars with the IEEE Standards Board. the IEEE Standards Board. (3) It organizes and runs the Software Engineering Stan- (3) It organizes and runs the Software Engineering Stan- dards Application Workshops. dards Application Workshops. Proceedings acm’84 conference the fifth generation challenge

The Process 1.The standard begins in the working group where membership is not restricted anyone can and is encouraged to participate. 2.Once the working group has completed its efforts the SESS chairperson will run a ballot on the draft standard.(The ballot group is restricted according to IEEE rules). 3.The SESS and Work Group Chairperson resolve comments from balloting, notify the balloting group and forward the draft Standard to the IEEE Standards Board for approval 4.After approval the standard board normally forwards the standard to ANSI for adoption as an ANSI standard Proceedings acm’84 conference the fifth generation challenge

Standards for IT  Standards for IT are well developed  They can be seen in all areas of computing such as networking, ascii text conversion, and snmp to name a few  While standards are still being developed for IT it has become a fairly routine procedure

Standards for KM and IRM  KM and IRM are relatively new  Standards are currently being created to deal with the new issues these fields create.  The IEEE example mentioned previously is one of these

Approved Standards For Software Engineering StandardTitle ANSI/IEEE Std IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology ANSI/IEEE Std IEEE Standard for Software Quality Assurance Plans IEEE Std IEEE Standard for Software Configuration Management Plans ANSI/IEEE Std IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation IEEE Std IEEE Guide for Software Requirements Specification

Standards in the Future  It is expected that most of the standards work in the future will be in the area of KM and IRM  Both because they are new fields and conceptually complex there is a lot of work to be done.

Why Are Standards Important  Business people who can anticipate the emerging standard have the market at their feet.  Standards provide cheaper better software  Standards allow consumers more flexibility  Standards are essential for creating ever larger economic communities COMMUNICATIOMSOFTHEACM December 1993/Vol.36, No.12 17

Conclusion  We have covered the following points: 1.Definitions 2.Types of Standards 3.Standards Organizations 4.Standards Creation Process 5.Standards in IT, KM, and IRM 6.The Importance of Standards

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