What Is Product Standardization?

Product standardization is the homogenization of items available to consumers that reduces the variety of products that fall under similar descriptors. This process is intended to help shoppers make up their minds more easily and create informed decisions. Product standardization also is meant to make consumers safer by creating technical standards and guidelines for what manufacturers must create in order to qualify for sale.

Product standardization creates general practices and standards that all similar items on the market must meet. It helps lower prices by encouraging a broad range of different resources for shoppers that all offer somewhat different benefits but still meet a generally accepted idea of what a specific product is meant to be. This reduces confusion or mislabeling of specific items that actually qualify as other types of resources. In this way, consumers are guaranteed protection from manufacturers and that these businesses are accountable for their actions.

Product standardization ensures specific measures of cleanliness, consistency and quality with every shipment of a product. Creating a set form for all items in a class expedites manufacturing and provides a greater degree of control over testing and management of these assets. It gives inspectors and auditors an easy means of determining whether a company is in compliance with product standardization.