Types of standards

Standard on data to be provided
Standard that contains a list of characteristics for which values or other data are to be stated for specifying the product, process or service

NOTE: Some standards, typically, provide for data to be stated by suppliers, others by purchasers.

Interface standard
Standard that specifies requirements concerned with the compatibility of products or systems at their points of interconnection

Service standard
Standard that specifies requirements to be fulfilled by a service, to establish its fitness for purpose

NOTE: Service standards may be prepared in fields such as laundering, hotel-keeping, transport, car-servicing, telecommunications, insurance, banking, trading.

Process standard
Standard that specifies requirements to be fulfilled by a process, to establish its fitness for purpose

Product standard
Standard that specifies requirements to be fulfilled by a product or a group of products, to establish its fitness for purpose

NOTE 1: A product standard may include in addition to the fitness for purpose requirements, directly or by reference, aspects such as terminology, sampling, testing, packaging and labelling and, sometimes, processing requirements.
NOTE 2: A product standard can be either complete or not, according to whether it specifies all or only a part of the necessary requirements. In this respect, one may differentiate between standards such as dimensional, material, and technical delivery standards.

Testing standard
Standard that is concerned with test methods, sometimes supplemented with other provisions related to testing such as sampling, use of statistical methods, sequence of tests

Terminology standard
Standard that is concerned with terms, usually accompanied by their definitions, and sometimes by explanatory notes, illustrations, examples, etc.

Basic standard
Standard that has a wide-ranging coverage or contains general provisions for one particular field

NOTE: A basic standard may function as a standard for direct application or as a basis for other standards.