For people to live a comfortable social life, it is necessary to have some agreements common to everybody.
An organization grows into a village or town, then to a big city and a nation. Still further, economic activities of today have gone beyond the borders of nations. The "borderless world" is getting closer to reality, which is why it is now indispensable for us to have some things universally agreed in the interests of all. This need leads to what is called "standardization", or, to be more specific, the development and implementation of standards.

The word “standard” was originally applied to metrology – the use of agreed measurements. Measurement standards make it easier to create things by unifying what is meant by units of e.g. weight, length and time. This means that a 100 meter race is the same distance, whether it is run in Tokyo or Athens, a kilogram of rice in Kyoto is the same as a kilogram of rice in Bangkok and airline timetables are understood internationally.

When we talk about product standards, we tend to think of shapes and sizes of “objects” (for instance a screw), safety requirements, such as electrical standards, or performance standards, such as those for the strength of construction materials. Recently, the concept of standards has been applied more widely. An example is management system standards, such as ISO 9000 and ISO 14001. These standards apply to the broader concept of an “organization” rather than an “object”. These standards make it possible for creators (= organizations) to supply products and services of consistent quality to a wider market, and for receivers (= consumers) to enjoy the supply of products and services of consistent quality.

Standardization offers:

1. Mutual understanding:	By specifying common units and symbols, people everywhere can recognize them.
2. Compatibility:	For instance, if batteries are of the same specification, it is possible to use them without checking with the manufacturer. The same applies for CDs, cassette tapes, electric light bulbs, etc.
3. Spread of new technology:	Because batteries, CDs, etc. as above are the same specification, the spread of new technology becomes easier.
4. Consumer benefit:	Standardized marks on products indicate product quality.
5. Safety and environmental protection:	Standardized marks also indicate that the product is safe and will not harm the environment.

The evaluation of the products that organizations (suppliers) produce, or their services (processes/ systems), based on standards and agreed criteria is called "Conformity assessment".

Conformity assessment covers:

•	"Product certification": checking that a product conforms to relevant standards and other requirements such as packaging and labeling.
•	"Personnel certification": checking that the people who test, inspect or audit products or systems against standards, or who undertake specific technical activities such as welding or non-destructive testing, have the appropriate skills and procedures.
•	"Management system certification/ registration": checking that the quality management systems or environmental management systems of organizations or companies conform to relevant system standards.
•	"Testing and calibration": checking the measurement, composition or performance of a sample product, using scientific methods.
•	"Inspection": checking the design, construction, performance and safety of plant or products using simple devices and the five senses of professional judgment.

The term “certification” in this context, means that a qualified person has assessed the product, system or service, using agreed procedures, and has guaranteed in writing that it satisfies specific requirements (criteria, standards, specifications), and is “ in conformity”. Conformity assessment certification is carried out by a third party, independent from the manufacturer/service provider and the customer. When a qualified auditor certifies a company or organization as conforming to system standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO14001, the term “registration” may be used to indicate that the company is registered against that standard.

When an independent third party (certification body, laboratory or inspection body) undertakes an audit, test or inspection and issues a certificate of conformance, users need to be sure that the third party is technically competent, that the process is objective and that the results are reliable. Major decisions may be based on these results and mistakes can be very expensive and, in some cases, very dangerous. The process of assessing the competence of the certification body, laboratory or inspection body is called “accreditation”.

In Japan, certification bodies undertake the assessment of individual organizations and companies and it is they who certify/register these organizations against the ISO management systems standards. The body that assesses and accredits these certification bodies is called an “accreditation body”. In Japan this accreditation function is carried out by “The Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (JAB)”. Before the establishment of JAB, this role was undertaken by accreditation bodies from abroad. In 1993, with strong support from industrial circles, including Keidanren, the Minister for International Trade and Industry and the Minister for Transport, granted an accreditation license to JAB. This resulted in the establishment of JAB as the only accreditation body in Japan covering certification/ registration bodies and auditor training bodies.