Standardization Program Plan

Overview

The 'Standardization Program Plan' shall:

• promote commonality between systems by providing common usage of equipment, components, parts, and materials;
• Maximize use of commercially available parts, materials, processes to lower cost, reduce down-time, facilitate interchangeability, and promote commonality;
• Maximize repetitive use of existing reliable items;
• Maximize use of common publications, manuals, training aids and materials;
• Provide documentation for future reuse of the innovations which are initially used under the contract.

Standardization program objectives will be different from project to project. This plan will be prepared during the acquisition phase of a procurement. It use will be mandated during the development and production phases via contractual agreement.

The main function of standardization shall embrace the concepts of 'variety prevention' and 'variety reduction'. Variety prevention is a forward-looking activity which discourages the design of new items if an existing item can fit the purpose. Variety reduction is a retrospective activity which encourages the removal of items from an inventory if their function can be completely satisfied by another inventory item. This function is sometimes incorporated into the System Design phase.

Problems associated with implementing a program of standardisation are the propensity to oppose standardization ('I did it my way', 'not invented here' syndromes) which makes it difficult to prevent ' re-inventing the wheel'.

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