The Yin and Yang of Standards Development

Stephen C Lowell

1/01/2005
(Original Publish Date: 1999)

There is an ancient Chinese concept called yin-yang that holds that everything in the universe consists of opposite aspects (for example, hot-cold, dark-light, or life-death), which must be kept in balance for an entity to thrive. The yin and yang are opposing forces that constantly change, are in continual conflict, but are dependent on each other for survival. These opposites drive each other towards creativity and excellence, while at the same time, they restrain each other to ensure harmony. To the ancient Chinese, there was nothing in life that was exempt from the natural order of yin-yang, including standards. In today's world, there are two opposing forces when it comes to standards development. On one side is the more traditional, formal standards development process, which is based on consensus, openness, and due process. The formal standards process is represented by the yin, which has the qualities of calmness and deliberateness. On the opposite side is the consortia standards process, which is more market driven, and the principles of consensus, openness, and due process may be limited or all together ignored. Consortia standards are developed jointly by companies or organizations that have similar strategic standardization goals, and are characterized by the need to develop standards quickly enough to meet market demands or to harmonize or differentiate requirements within a specific industry. In some cases, formally chartered groups develop consortia standards. In other cases, two or more companies may informally work together towards a common standard because it meets their business goals at that time. The consortia standards process is represented by the yang, which has the qualities of strength, action, and speed.