Historicalbackground
TheAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI)wasfoundedin1918.Atthattime,manycompaniesandprofessionaltechnicalorganizationsintheUnitedStateshadalreadybegunstandardizationwork,butbecausetheydidnotcoordinatewitheachother,thereweremanycontradictionsandproblems.Inordertofurtherimproveefficiency,hundredsofscienceandtechnologysocieties,associations,andorganizationsallbelievethatitisnecessarytoestablishaspecialstandardizationagencyandformulateunifiedgeneralstandards.In1918,theAmericanSocietyforTestingandMaterials(ASTM),andtheAmericanSocietyofMechanicalEngineers(ASME),theAmericanSocietyofMiningandMetallurgicalEngineers(ASMME),theAmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers(ASCE),andtheAmericanInstituteofElectricalEngineers(AIEE)werejointlyestablishedTheAmericanEngineeringStandardsCommittee(AESC).ThreedepartmentsoftheUSgovernment(theDepartmentofCommerce,theDepartmentoftheArmy,andtheDepartmentoftheNavy)alsoparticipatedinthepreparationsforthecommittee.
In1928,theAmericanEngineeringStandardsCommitteewasreorganizedintotheAmericanStandardsAssociation(ASA).Inordertobecommittedtotheinternationalstandardizationcauseandthestandardizationofconsumerproducts,inAugust1966,itwasreorganizedastheUnitedStatesofAmericaStandardsInstitute(USASI).OnOctober6,1969,itwaschangedtoitscurrentname:AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).
Membership
TheAmericanNationalStandardsInstituteisanon-profitprivatestandardizationorganization.Butithasactuallybecomeanationalstandardizationcenter;standardizationactivitiesfromallwalksoflifearecarriedoutaroundit.Throughit,relevantgovernmentsystemsandprivatesystemscooperatewitheachother,andplayaroleasabridgebetweenthefederalgovernmentandprivatestandardizationsystems.Itcoordinatesandguidesnationalstandardizationactivities,helpsstandardformulation,researchanduseunits,andprovidesdomesticandforeignstandardizationinformation.Italsoplaystheroleofanadministrativeagency.
ANSIcurrentlyhasabout200industrial,associationandothergroupmembers,andabout1,400company(enterprise)members.Itsfundingcomesfrommembershipduesandstandarddatasalesincome,withoutgovernmentfunds.Theleadingbodyisaboardofdirectorscomposedofthechairman,vice-chairmenand50seniorbusinessrepresentatives,exercisingleadership.Whentheboardofdirectorsisnotinsession,theexecutivecommitteeexercisesitspowers,andtheexecutivecommitteehasastandardreviewcommitteecomposedof15people.HeadquarteredinNewYork,thesatelliteofficeislocatedinWashington.
ThestaffoftheNationalBureauofStandards(NBS)andtheofficialrepresentativesofmanyotheragenciesoftheUSgovernmentalsoparticipateintheworkoftheAmericanStandardsInstitutethroughvariouschannels.
TheAmericanStandardsInstitutehasvarioustechnicalcommitteessuchaselectricalengineering,construction,dailynecessities,drawing,andmaterialtesting.
Workprocedures
DuetothediversityandliberalizationofAmericansociety,auniquedecentralizedstandardsystemintheUnitedStateshasbeenformed.Inadditiontothestandardssetbyvariousenterprisesandcompanies,therearestill400professionalinstitutions,societies,andassociationsformulateandpublishstandardsintheirrespectiveprofessionalfields,andmorethan580organizationsparticipateinstandardizationactivities.Itscorporatestandardizationworkhasalsostartedearlyandhasbeenquiteeffective.Withthecontinuousexpansionoftheenterprise,thestandardizationorganizationofenterprisemanagementisalsoexpanding.Somestandardizationorganizationsbelongtotheleadershipofthemanagerdepartment,whileothersbelongtotheleadershipofthedesignunitortheprocessunit.Corporatestandardsaregenerallynotexternal.In1996alone,thestandardincreasedby4%,bringingthetotalto13,056.
TheAmericanNationalStandardsInstituteitselfrarelysetsstandards.ThepreparationofitsANSIstandardmainlyadoptsthefollowingthreemethods:
1.Relevantunitsareresponsiblefordrafting,invitingexpertsorprofessionalgroupstovote,andsubmittingtheresultstothestandardreviewmeetingestablishedbyANSIforreviewandapproval.Thismethodiscalledthepollingmethod.
2.RepresentativesofANSItechnicalcommitteesandcommitteesorganizedbyotherorganizationspreparedraftstandards.Allmembersvoteforit,andfinallythestandardsreviewcommitteewillreviewandapproveit.Thismethodiscalledthecommitteemethod.
3.Fromthestandardsformulatedbyvariousprofessionalsocietiesandassociations,thosethataremorematureandofgreatsignificancetothewholecountrywillbeupgradedtonationalstandards(ANSI)AndprefixedwithANSIstandardcodeandclassificationnumber,butatthesametimeretaintheoriginalprofessionalstandardcode.
ThemajorityofthestandardsoftheAmericanNationalStandardsInstitutecomefromvariousprofessionalstandards.Ontheotherhand,variousprofessionalsocietiesandassociationscanalsoformulatecertainproductstandardsbasedonexistingnationalstandards.Ofcourse,itisnotnecessarytoformulateyourownassociationstandardsaccordingtonationalstandards.
ANSIstandardsareadoptedvoluntarily.TheUnitedStatesbelievesthatmandatorystandardsmaylimitproductivitygrowth.However,standardsquotedbylawsandformulatedbygovernmentdepartmentsaregenerallymandatorystandards.
Organization
ANSIisledbytheexecutiveboardandconsistsoffourcommittees:academiccommittee,boardofdirectors,membercouncilandsecretariat.
Academiccommitteesinclude:ExecutiveStandardsConference,InternationalTechnicalCommittee,PatentGroup,StandardsandDataServicesCommittee,LicensingCommittee,andNationalCommitteeoftheUnitedStates,etc.
Theboardofdirectorsiscomposedoftheexecutivecommittee,thefinancecommittee,theboardofdirectorsandtheconformityassessmentcommittee,theinternationalcommitteeandthenationalpublicationcommittee.
Membercouncilsincludecompanymembercouncils,governmentmemberscouncils,organizationalmemberscouncils,andconsumerrightscouncils.
Thesecretariatiscomposedofseniordirectors,standardspublishingofficeandmanagementexecutionoffice.
Mainfunctions
ANSIrecognizesproductcertificationbodies,qualitysystemcertificationbodies,laboratoriesandreviewers,andrecognizesqualitysystemcertificationandpersonnelqualifications.TheimpartialityoftheANSIassessmentprocessisreviewedbyeveryone,andthecommentswillbepublishedinANSI'sweeklymagazine.Atthesametime,agrievancemechanismandmanagementmeasuresshallbeestablishedtohandleallgrievancecasesinatimelymanner.
ThecharacteristicofANSI'soperatingorganizationistheextensiveestablishmentofcooperativerelationshipswithotherorganizations.Inadditiontotheaccreditationoflaboratoriesandreviewers,theprojectsthatANSIcooperateswithotherinstitutionsarealsoaccreditedbyproductcertificationagencies,systemcertificationagencies,etc.,andactivelyborrowthepowerofotheragenciestocomplete.ItspartnersandrelatedinformationcanbeinquiredontheInternet.
Developaccreditationpoliciesandaccreditationplans.ANSIparticipatesinrelevantinternationalconferencesandactivitiesonbehalfofthecountry,andonbehalfoftheUnitedStates,intendstocontributetotheestablishmentofmutualrecognitionofinformationtechnologyequipmentaroundtheworld.
ANSIisnotdirectlyengagedinproductcertification.Heparticularlyemphasizedthatpassingcertificationcanimproveproductcompetitivenessandgivebuyerstrust.Atthesametime,unifystandards,unifytechnicalrequirements,unifyinterpretations,andachieveaconsistentunderstandingofstandardsandtechnicalrequirements.Thisisthemeaningofaccreditation,anditisalsoaveryobviousbenefitbroughtbycertification.