DKE: So what are the main benefits of SMART solutions for standards? And do those benefits differ between highly industrialized countries and emerging economies?
Pernel: The benefits are fundamentally the same everywhere: greater clarity, more consistent use and better integration into digital workflows. What differs is how those benefits are accessed. In highly industrialized economies, the immediate impact is often efficiency and innovation. Standards can be integrated directly into engineering tools, compliance systems or automated testing environments. That creates a completely different level of speed and precision. We often speak about digital twins – and a SMART approach to standards are a key enabler for that, because they allow systems to interpret standards directly. I remember from my telecom background how much time we spent manually searching 3GPP standards for values. Instead of engineers spending hours scanning hundreds of pages, systems can retrieve exactly the required parameter instantly.
Lazarte: At the same time, SMART can remove a very different barrier in emerging and developing economies: the usability barrier. Standards are not always easy to navigate, and that can slow down adoption. If SMART makes standards easier to access, search and understand, it can significantly widen participation. Even in highly industrialized economies, there is a wide range of users – from multinational companies with advanced digital workflows to SMEs that need simpler, more intuitive tools.
Pernel: That is why we talk about different entry points. SMART does not mean the same thing for everyone from day one. Some users want full integration via APIs. Others simply need a better way to navigate and extract information. Both are valid. So, SMART serves not just these use cases, but many more.
DKE: That sounds like an important message for the wider IEC community: no one has to start at the same point.
Lazarte: Exactly. Users have very different levels of maturity, resources and expectations. Some need advanced features, others need clarity and simplicity. For example, you don't need to know how a computer works in order to use it and understand why it makes your life better. Some users will need to know how it works, but for the majority of us, we just need to know what it does. SMART has to accommodate all of that.
Pernel: Inclusion is not something you add later – it has to be built into the design from the beginning. SMART is developed as a joint IEC and ISO programme, and from the start the challenge has been to reflect a very diverse set of needs. Not everyone needs advanced functionality. Some users need very practical tools to find and use information more easily. That diversity is built into the programme through advisory groups and use case development.
Lazarte: This is also why it is important to say clearly: SMART is not a single product. It is a programme and a wider approach to bringing standards into the digital age in a flexible way; enabling a range of solutions that can adapt to different needs.
DKE: You are emphasizing use and access. But is SMART also changing the way standards are developed?
Pernel: Yes and no, and that is the next big step. So far, much of the focus has been on transforming the existing catalogue. But we are now moving towards what we call “SMART from the Start” – integrating SMART features directly into standards during their development. That is not trivial, because standards are developed through structured processes involving technical committees and multiple stages. We need to determine where and how to introduce these new requirements into that process, without creating additional burden for experts. This is currently work in progress. What will not change is the standards themselves or the rigor of their development.
Lazarte: And it shows that this is not just about consumption. Over time, SMART will affect the entire standards value chain – from development to application. It is a long-term transformation.
