1. Standardization

This chapter discusses the concept of standardization, a concept that is usually given for granted. However, its understanding and use are critical in strategic thinking and decision-making processes. The discussion began in the early Industrial Revolution when the modern concept of standardization arose as a response to the need to satisfy the growing markets. It presents the key moments and actors in developing this concept and describes its importance in the second wave of the Industrial Revolution. It also discusses standards used in the IMS, QMS, and EMS for standardizing management systems and their documented procedures ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001. Finally, it presents examples of the integration of models, methods, and tools for reaching business profitability, the responses during the ramp-up and ramp-down stages in the product life cycle, and reaction cases to the crisis that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic period.