WORLD METROLOGY DAY

Measurement is a key factor in global trade as harmonized measurements mean everyone involved can speak the same language and know they are getting a fair deal. Which is why it is the theme of this year’s World Metrology Day, and many ISO standards play an integral role in making it work.

The theme for World Metrology Day 2020 is “Measurements for global trade” to highlight the importance of measurement in fair global trade and the role it plays in scientific discovery, innovation, the development of new products, manufacturing and sustainability, among other things.

Exactly how to measure things in a harmonized, internationally agreed manner is fundamental to our society, thus it is defined in what is known as the International System of Units (SI) used by scientists, academics, businesses and governments everywhere.

Given that harmonized quantities and units are used in many aspects of the trading process, from transport packaging and container ships to the dimensions of the product itself, the SI literally “makes the world go around”. This internationally agreed way of measuring things also supports conformity assessment, allowing not only efficient logistics but also the satisfaction of both legal requirements and customer expectations.

The ISO and IEC 80000 series of standards, Quantities and units, published respectively by ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), is a key component of the SI as it provides harmonized terms, definitions and symbols of quantities on which the International System of Units is based. These standards offer a unified language for communicating accurate measurement information between scientists, engineers and anyone else involved in the field of measurement.