Kompass Digital Transformation
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2020-12-21

Digitalization of standards: DKE digital strategy for the further process of transformation

The Standardization 2020 program was created around five years ago for the identification and initiation of digitalization projects. For DKE, the successful completion of the program is by no means the end of, the topic of digitalization of standards - quite the contrary!
Contact
Damian Czarny
Tel.: +49 69 6308-297
damian.czarny@vde.com

The major challenges on the way to a digital standard

Whether it is a document, formula, text excerpt, reference or commentary, whether it is to be read by people or interpreted by a machine, whether it is for the office, a construction site, an engineering system or a test bench: a digital norm provides precisely the relevant information in the appropriate form, whenever and wherever it is needed.

For the digital standard to become a reality, there needs to be a comprehensive digital transformation of current standards and, naturally, standards organizations. Such fundamental changes constitute a complex transformation process, within which a progression towards the goal of a digital standard must occur in numerous small steps. Standards organizations, industry, research and standards users worldwide are thereby confronted with seven significant challenges:

The biggest challenges for a digital standard
DKE

Digital standards demand a completely new level of information assets, both qualitatively and quantitatively. As content creators, experts must be given the best possible support in order to ensure comprehensive application across all standards.

Expert support

  • Digital standards demand a completely new level of information assets, both qualitatively and quantitatively. As content creators, experts must be given the best possible support in order to ensure comprehensive application across all standards.

IT infrastructure

  • Digital standards demand a completely new level of information assets, both qualitatively and quantitatively. As content creators, experts have to be given the best possible support in order to ensure comprehensive application across all standards.

Agile processes

  • Standardization processes need to be adapted to the basic parameters of the digital world. In some respects, they need to become more flexible, agile, open and lively, so that technological advancements and standardization can seamlessly combine.

Digital financing models

  • New sales and distribution models, which guarantee the attraction and profitability of standardization, need to be developed in the application of standards.

New standards

  • Rules for the use of formal forms of description for improved semantic force of expression of standard content, as well as standards for content development, interpretation and the exchange of normative information.

Digital mindset

  • For standards, too, the acceptance, and thus success, of the digital revolution depends on the extent to which digitalization can be established in daily life and business thinking.

New tools

  • Development and implementation of new tools and information systems for the creation, combination and validation of standard content as well as in conjunction with existing information.

Our vision of DKE’s role in the digitalization of standards

DKE is the independent digital platform of the standardization community in electrical and information technology. The digitalization of standards is a major challenge, that we as a standards organization have taken on, and for which we have a clear vision.

This vision includes, for example, supporting and promoting digital pioneers and, as an active driving force, sharing the results with the standardization community. Our products and processes are equally subject to significant changes due to digitalization: today, standards are available in the familiar PDF format and have long moved on from a mere paper format. But as technology advances, further developments also takes place - from improved access to information to machine-interpretable content. Standards and services are thus a significant part of the digital value creation chain. However, the concept of networking belongs equally to our vision, given that digitalization knows no limits. As such, we are engaged in worldwide cooperation with important partners and are already implementing an internationalization of digitalization.

Our compass on the path toward and through digital transformation

With our vision of DKE’s role in the digitalization of standards, our sights are firmly set on the future. For successful implementation, we have elaborated a digital agenda with a focus on four primary pillars:

We’re pursuing our vision and implementing measures - together!

Our vision of DKE’s role in the digitalization of standards can only be pursued successfully with a well thought-out strategy. As a standards organization, we want to be the digital platform to which all our stakeholders - experts, companies, users and young professionals - can turn for relevant information in the most suitable form, whenever and wherever they need it. For this very reason, we need a digital standards as a basis for our vision!

The digital agenda defines topics of the utmost importance, which are mirrored in the challenges for digital standards and which constantly help us to stay on the right track. As the results from Standardization 2020 show, we’ve already been dealing with the digitalization of standards for several years. There already exist numerous national and international projects on the topic. The next step will be to develop a road map for the digitalization of standards. To this end, relevant activities need to be identified, prioritized and scheduled - no easy task as there are numerous projects, interests, requirements and target systems to be considered.

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