Industrial standards: the development process

It is pointed out that the development of industrial standards challenges standards setting bodies both intellectually and intrapersonally. The majority of these organizations depend upon the cooperative efforts of volunteers who are generally associated with companies that compete with each other in either the production or use of the commodity of interest. An historical perspective is provided which highlights the somewhat surprising fact that the most effective stimuli for standards developments have involved wars and tragic events. Two recent efforts in standards development are examined, and the lessons apparent in the success of one and the failure of the other are drawn