Like a symphony, it takes a lot of people working together to develop a standard. ISO’s role is similar to that of a conductor, while the orchestra is made up of independent technical experts nominated by our members.
They begin the process with the development of a draft that meets a market need within a specific area. This is then shared for commenting and further discussion.
The voting process is the key to consensus. If that’s achieved then the draft is on its way to becoming an ISO standard. If agreement isn’t reached then the draft will be modified further, and voted on again.
From first proposal to final publication, developing a standard usually takes about 3 years.