What is the Difference between Standards and Standardization?

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  In one of our Online Courses, a participant recently posed the question, "​What is the Difference between Standards and Standardization"? To answer this question we need to first define each of the two terms.

What is a standard?
   A Standard is considered to be the best way or expectation of performing, building and producing a product, task, process or service. In short it is a rule or example of how to perform an activity correctly that establishes a clear expectation for those performing the activity.

What is Standardization?
   Many processes depend heavily on standardization, which is the process of establishing, sharing, conforming and then improving standards.​

What is the Difference between Standards and Standardization?

   With these two terms now defined we can see clearly how they work together and how they are different.  A standard is considered to be the "best way" of performing something while standardization is the process by which the standard is established and improved upon.