Standards are technical specifications or other criteria that a product, process or service must meet. Standards provide information to consumers, manufacturers and retailers, and enhance safety, reliability and performance of the products, processes and services consumers use. Standards assure consumers about reliability or other characteristics of services provided in the marketplace. Standards also give consumers more choice by allowing one firm’s products to be substituted for, or combined with, those of another.

Source: Government of Canada – 2013

Read the full article at the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.