Linking standardization and quality. Some manufacturing implications

First, we review some fundamental issues involved in the development of standards and examine the interrelationships between standards and quality in process control and other related activities. Next, we examine some related critical implications in manufacturing. Then, we introduce formal mathematical models of two important decision problems in the practice of standardization and in the economic selection of a standard. We illustrate the use of these models towards minimization of possible adaptation losses as a consequence of standardization choices in manufacturing. We suggest possible procedures to improve manufacturing 'quality' through an improvement of 'standards,' and we propose a phase approach with practical steps for implementing such procedures. Overall, the paper clarifies some important modeling issues for an effective practice of standardization in quality control related tasks, and points to possible opportunities for further research in this area of critical importance to manufacturing successes.