In today’s complex engineering landscape, organizations are under increasing pressure to meet stringent safety, performance, and compliance demands. Yet many still struggle to manage engineering standards effectively due to fragmented systems, siloed processes, and outdated manual methods.
Engineering standards are formal documents that define technical specifications, procedures, and guidelines for designing, testing, and producing engineering components and systems. Developed by international standards organizations and national standards bodies such as ISO, IEEE, the British Standards Institute and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), these documents ensure consistent quality, interoperability, and compliance with federal regulations, building codes, and defense and federal specifications. They serve as the foundation for innovation and safety across a broad range of industries, including construction, mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, and more.
Improperly managing standards can hinder efficiency and also put teams at risk of referencing outdated technical definitions, missing changes to federal regulations, or violating federal specifications. As engineering disciplines like mechanical engineering and electronic engineering evolve alongside innovations in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and information technology, so too must the approach to managing the related technical documents prepared by international standards organizations.
This blog post will explore how engineering standards are developed, why they matter across industries like energy, construction and aerospace, and the best practices that organizations can adopt to maintain consistent quality, reduce risks, and ensure compliance with federal specifications and technical regulations.
Continue reading to learn:
- What engineering standards are and why they matter
- The most important standards for engineers
- Common challenges and best practices for managing standards
- Making the leap from paper to digital engineering standards
What Are Engineering Standards and Why Do They Matter?
Engineering standards are documents prepared by expert committees to establish agreed-upon criteria for materials, procedures, specifications, and systems. These technical standards are vital for ensuring safety, reliability, interoperability, and efficiency in engineered products and processes. Global standards ensure consistency across industries, allowing engineers to work internationally with recognized qualifications. Safety standards are crucial for compliance, addressing regulatory requirements and best practices to protect public and workplace safety. Standardization helps maintain quality and interoperability, facilitating trade and enhancing public safety.
Example of a NASA standard
Whether you’re designing aerospace components to withstand extreme stress or building infrastructure to meet seismic requirements, standards help ensure that you’re using tested, validated methods backed by industry-wide expertise. They also reduce rework and costly errors, helping teams meet deadlines while staying compliant with technical regulations.
How Do Engineering Standards Relate to Regulations?
Standards often serve as the foundation for technical regulations. Regulatory bodies frequently reference specific standards to enforce safety, environmental, or operational compliance.
A U.S. federal regulation – 30 CFR PART 250 – OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF – with references to API standards.
In the U.S., regulatory bodies like OSHA, the EPA and BSEE cite industry standards in their regulations for the energy and petrochemicals industries. Similarly, in the aviation and aerospace industries, FAA regulations reference industry standards from ASTM, SAE and others.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plays a crucial role in promoting innovation and industrial competitiveness by developing standards that ensure safety, quality, and efficiency across various industries. International standards organizations are also vital in developing guidelines for safety and compatibility, especially in rapidly evolving fields like autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. Federal specifications are essential for compliance and best practices, providing a wide range of standards, guidelines, and technical documents necessary for various industries.
In the European Union, “harmonized standards” underlie many directives in regulated industries, including construction and machinery. Harmonized standards are technical specifications developed by recognized European Standards Organizations (ESOs), such as CEN, CENELEC and ESTI, in response to a mandate from the European Commission. Once published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) they become harmonized.
These standards provide a presumption of conformity with specific EU regulations, meaning that if a product is designed and manufactured in accordance with an applicable harmonized standard, the manufacturer is presumed to comply with the essential health, safety and environmental requirements of the corresponding legislation.
Failure to follow regulations and the standards that are referenced within those regulations can have far-reaching consequences, including fines and legal action.
How Are Engineering Standards Developed?
Developing a standard is a structured and consensus-driven process. Standards developing organizations like ISO, ASME, and API bring together technical experts, industry representatives, and regulatory stakeholders to create and revise standards. These procedures ensure that each standard reflects the latest knowledge, best practices, and safety requirements.
For example:
- ISO uses a six-stage process including proposal, preparatory, and approval phases.
- ASME relies on volunteer committees and public comment periods.
- API, an ANSI-accredited body, follows strict rules for transparency and balanced participation.
Industry standards are typically reviewed every five years, although not every standard is updated during the five-year revision cycle. Some standards are updated more often, and some are not updated at all.
New standards are also introduced in response to emerging technologies or changing industry trends. For example, ISO Technical Committee 265 is dedicated to developing standards related to carbon dioxide capture, transportation and geologic storage – an emerging technology in the energy industry. This committee, with members from 36 countries, has published 15 ISO standards, with an additional 6 under development.
Most Important Standards for Engineers
There are over 450 organizations globally that develop standards, with millions technical documents available. These standards are crucial for ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of engineering components across various industries. Mechanical engineers, for instance, rely on these standards to maintain uniformity and productivity in their practices. Similarly, electronic engineering standards play a significant role in the development of global standards encompassing power generation, consumer goods, and internet technology.
Here are some key standard development organizations (SDOs):
- ASTM International – Testing standards for materials, products, systems, and services.
- Top ASTM standards: ASTM E8/E8M – Tension Testing of Metallic Materials, ASTM A36 – Standard Specification for Carbon Structural Steel and ASTM C150 – Standard Specification for Portland Cement.
- IEEE – Standards for electrical and electronic systems.
- Top IEEE standards: IEEE 1800-2023 – Standard for SystemVerilog-Unified Hardware Design, Specification and Verification Language, IEEE 519-2022 – Standard for Harmonic Control in Electric Power Systems and IEEE 2800-2022 – Standard for Interconnection and Interoperability of Inverter-Based Resources (IBRS) Interconnecting with Associated Transmission Electric Power Systems.
- ASME – Codes and standards for mechanical engineering, especially pressure vessels and piping.
- Top ASME standards: ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), ASME B1.1 – Unified Inch Screw Threads (UN, UNR and UNJ Thread Forms) and B31 series – Piping Courses.
- API – Standards for oil & gas infrastructure and operations.
- Top API standards: API 650 – Welded Tanks for Oil Storage, API 570 – Piping Inspector, and API Specification 5L.
- ISO – International standards across industries.
- Top ISO standards: ISO 9001 (Quality Management) ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety).
- SAE International – Standards for aerospace and automotive sectors.
- Top SAE standards: SAE AS9100D – Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Aviation, Space and Defense Organizations and SAE J Series – Ground Vehicles
- IEC – Standards for electrical and electronic technologies.
- Top IEC standards: IEC 60529 Ed. 2.2 b:2013 – Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code) and IEC 60601-1 Ed. 3.2 en:2020 – Medical Electrical Equipment – Part 1: General Requirements for Basic Safety and Essential Performance
- NAS/AIA – Aerospace industry standards and guidance.
- Top NAS/AIA standards: NAS9945 Series – Airworthiness Engineering and NAS 9933 – Aerospace Cybersecurity Standard
Challenges of Managing Engineering Standards
Without centralized tools to streamline document access and search, teams spend valuable hours locating relevant technical standards. Even after finding them, engineers frequently struggle with managing versions and ensuring they’re referencing the latest, approved edition. This lack of visibility can lead to decisions based on outdated or incorrect standards—putting projects, certifications, and organizational credibility at risk.
Tracking standard revisions is another major challenge. Because standards are frequently updated, engineers must be notified of updates in real time. In the absence of automated alerts or comparison tools, organizations risk continuing to use superseded content. Manual monitoring is error-prone and inconsistent, particularly across departments like procurement, engineering, and quality assurance, where responsibilities for standards often overlap.
Tips for Managing Standards Updates
Achieving end-to-end traceability is difficult without digital workflows. Standards are often embedded into designs or specifications through manual copy-and-paste methods, screenshots, or makeshift text excerpts. This not only strips away the context and source attribution but also limits collaboration and auditability. Without direct links to the originating standard or embedded metadata, teams lose visibility into the rationale behind decisions—undermining confidence in engineering outcomes.
Finally, the manual extraction of requirements and specifications from standards is still prevalent. Engineers frequently work from printed documents or PDFs, highlighting sections or retyping them entirely. This laborious process can stretch across weeks or months, introducing opportunities for human error and jeopardizing product quality, compliance, and traceability down the line.
Efficiently managing standards is critical for highly regulated industries like oil & gas, aerospace & defense and architecture, engineering & construction:
- In the energy industry, compliance and safety are paramount. Missing an update to a standard or regulation can lead to safety violations or environmental incidents.
- For aerospace & defense companies, failure to follow standards throughout the design process can lead to late-stage change orders. Engineering change orders often lead to project delays and budget overruns.
- Engineers working in the architecture, engineering & construction sector must comply with local building codes and environmental/sustainability requirements, which are often tied back to engineering standards. Non-compliance can lead to safety issues, project delays and costly rework.
Making the Leap from Paper to Digital Engineering Standards
Transitioning from paper-based or PDF engineering standards to a fully digital system is no longer a future goal—it’s a necessity. Digital standards empower organizations with faster search, real-time updates, and seamless integration into design and compliance workflows. Instead of flipping through binders or static documents, engineers can access the latest specifications instantly, ensure alignment across teams, and embed standards directly into their systems. The shift not only improves efficiency and accuracy, but also supports traceability, collaboration, and compliance in today’s fast-moving industries.
Best Practices for Managing Engineering Standards
Effectively managing engineering standards requires a proactive, systematized approach to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance across teams. Here are a few proven best practices:
- Centralize access with a digital platform to eliminate silos and improve document access.
- Implement version control to ensure teams are always using the most current standard.
- Automate update alerts so engineers are notified when standards are revised or replaced.
- Provide training and awareness programs to keep teams informed and aligned.
- Integrate standards into digital workflows to support traceability and reduce manual rework.
- Establish cross-functional ownership among engineering, procurement, and compliance teams to maintain accountability.
Build a Modern Standards Workflow
Whether you’re designing safer infrastructure, improving engineering components, or striving to meet the latest building codes, managing engineering standards efficiently is no longer optional—it’s essential. A modern, digital-first strategy helps organizations ensure safety, meet performance requirements, and stay compliant. By streamlining access to standards, automating updates, and embedding references into your digital workflows, your teams can focus on solving engineering challenges instead of chasing documents.
With the right tools and processes in place, organizations are better equipped to deliver smarter, safer, and more reliable design solutions across a broad range of applications.