Standards, Volume 2, Issue 2 (June 2022) – 9 articles

In organizations that manufacture products or provide services as well as in academic practice, the visualization of management systems’ standards is presented primarily in the form of static diagrams or tables. Demands for the quality of products and services are reflected in the complexity and interconnectedness of standards, which could cause complications during the implementation phase. This article presents a visualization of the standard IATF 16949 Automotive Quality Management System Standard, Quality management system requirements for automotive production and relevant service parts organizations, which incorporates in its content ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems—Requirements using a dynamic cluster model built using software TouchGraph Navigator. The visualization process began with a detailed examination of the two-stage requirements, documented information, and notes detailed in IATF 16949 and continued with the creation of a central node to which new nodes were subsequently connected, containing the introductory parts of the standard, including clauses. The activation of clauses and sub-clauses for other parts of the document followed. The dynamic behavior of the resulting cluster can be used in the implementation, execution, maintenance, or certification process to encourage organizations to improve their operational processes by incorporating more rigorous quality considerations into their operational frameworks. Full article

To explore the spatial and temporal variations in salinity and suspended-sediment concentration in the Danshuei River estuary of northern Taiwan, two intensive field surveys were conducted in July 2016 and 2019 to assign high- and low-flow conditions, respectively. According to the analysis of tidal characteristics, the duration during ebb tide was longer than that during flood tide, while the maximum ebb discharge was higher than the maximum flood discharge, causing the occurrence of tidal asymmetry during ebb and flood tides. The barotropic forcing dominated during high flow, resulting in lower salinity and a shorter distance of saltwater intrusion. Based on the analyzed results using stratification indices, most of the time was spent in the state of partial mixing at the Guandu Bridge and good mixing at the Taipei Bridge during high flow, while most of the time was spent in the states of partial mixing and good mixing at both Guandu Bridge and Taipei Bridge during low flow. More stratification occurred during high flow at high slack tide compared to that during low flow. The freshwater discharges from upriver reaches controlled the suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) in tidal estuaries. The higher SSC appeared downstream of the tidal estuary at ebb tide during high flow. Observations also revealed that there was an estuarine turbidity maximum at the bottom layer of Guandu Bridge. Full article

The paper presents the mode in which an accredited laboratory, according to SR EN ISO/IEC 17025, monitors its performance by comparing the results with the results of other laboratories. This article aims to analyse the results of the participation of an accredited laboratory in two ILC schemes, one organized in France and the other in Romania, on cement, discussing only the results of the determinations of the water-soluble hexavalent chromium content. Although chromium (VI) is not present in large amounts in cement, it is responsible for allergic reactions on the skin of workers. Thus, in EU countries, the maximum amount of water-soluble Cr (VI) in bagged cement or in the products based on cement is limited to a maximum of 0.0002% by mass of cement. The Chromium (VI) results obtained by the lab must meet the requirements of the standard SR EN 196-10 for the repeatability and, where appropriate, the reproducibility. Questions about the validity of the results arise when the laboratory obtains satisfactory results in the ILC scheme, but the standard deviation of the scheme is higher than that recommended in the standard method. The elements of the novelty of this paper are the interpretation of water-soluble Cr (VI) results and the use of information obtained from participating in interlaboratory testing schemes tom improve the validity of laboratory results. Full article

Background: The performance assessment of tests that express qualitative results in the medical laboratory is of primary importance in characterization, diagnosis, follow-up, and screening. An important contribution to this type of assessment may be the publication of the Eurachem AQA 2021 guide. The text intends to principally discuss the consistency of the subclauses of this guide with ISO 15189 and CLSI EP12-A2. Methods: The study involves a literature review within the scope of qualitative tests. Results: Tables are used for crossing AQA. with ISO 15189 and CLSI EP12-A2. Conclusions: Consistency with ISO 15189 and CLSI EP12-A2 is demonstrated in the study. Introducing “uncertainty of proportion” reflects the necessity of assessing uncertainties when dealing with qualitative results. Full article

This work attempts to draw attention to the importance of a multidimensional approach when creating standard requirements in the assessment of construction products with the example of ceramic tile adhesives (CTAs). CTAs are an essential group of building materials today, the continuous development of which has been noted since the 1960s. However, until 2001, i.e., the year when EN 12004 was published, there were no precise requirements for CTAs at the European level, which often made it difficult or, in extreme cases, even impossible to assess the product objectively. Under the provisions of EN 12004, for twenty years, the basis for the assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP) of CTAs has been adhesion determined by tensile strength. The paper discusses the test methods, paying attention to their imperfections, including the impact of the materials used in measurements, i.e., concrete slab, ceramic tile, and water quality. The results of the multi-annual interlaboratory tests indicate that an essential factor that must be considered in the process of AVCP is test measurement uncertainty. Additionally, it should be remembered that uncertainty also occurs at other assessment levels. It also seems that the simple acceptance rule that does not consider the variability resulting from the measurement uncertainty is inadequate when assessing CTAs. Full article

Technologies and systems for indoor positioning, mapping, and navigation (IPMN) have rapidly developed over the latest decade due to advanced radio and light communications, the internet of things, intelligent and smart devices, big data, and so forth. Thus, a group of surveys for IPMN technologies, systems, standards, and solutions can be found in literature. However, currently there is no proposed solution that can satisfy all indoor application requirements; one of the biggest challenges is lack of standardization, even though several IPMN standards have been published by different standard developing organizations (SDOs). Therefore, this paper aims to re-survey indoor positioning and mapping technologies, in particular, the existing standards related to these technologies and to present guidance in the field. As part of our work, we provide an IPMN standards system architecture consisting of concepts, terms, models, indoor positioning technologies, software and tools, applications, services and policies, and indoor mapping and modelling; and, we present IPMN standards developed for our projects in practice, such as multi-source fusion positioning data interfaces; seamless cooperative positioning service interfaces; content model for indoor mapping and navigation, and specification for digital indoor map products. Full article

This paper presents the main aspects of implementing a laboratory for testing qualification and approval related to crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic devices. In this aspect, a simplified review-based IEC 61215 standard methodology for mechanical and electrical tests is presented from a practical-experimental view. The instrumental requirements and uncertainties are discussed. Specially focused on the nowadays high-size PV modules. Full article

Precision agriculture (PA) aims to provide data on soil, nutrient use, irrigation, and crops, to guide management strategic decisions towards an efficient use of inputs, increasing production and avoiding environmental problems due to excessive accumulation of fertilizers. In this paper, PA data from a large Portuguese farm producing maize were used to assess the effectiveness of agronomic management decisions concerning fertilizer and nutrient use, seed choice, and water content, in terms of crop productivity. The maize yield in 2017 and 2018 was modelled as a function of manageable inputs and unmanageable factors introduced as control variables. Panel spatial econometric methods were used for specification and estimation, to control for spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity. The model proved to fit the data remarkably well and could be a good reference for specifying models to explain maize production; thus, helping researchers who need to deal with the huge amount of data that normally originates from PA. Additionally, it can be considered another tool for farm managers, helping in the design and evaluation of their agronomic management decisions. Full article

Trademarks are distinctive signs designed to promote and enhance the products/services of companies. In recent years, the concept of quality has asserted growing interest, especially among enterprises, aiming to promote consumers by creating distinctive marks. In Italy, in 2021, the number of filled quality trademarks for products and services will amount to about 81. Through the “Decreto Crescita”, Italy supported Italian companies to limit their delocalization overseas. In this regard, the historical mark of national interest was established, from which Italian companies with a trademark filed for at least 50 years can benefit. Therefore, the study aimed at evaluating two different types of trademarks, quality marks and historical marks, highlighting the main aspects that characterize these two marks as a function of the standards that distinguish them from the most common trademarks. For this purpose, the study focused on evaluating historical brands in Italy to promote their strategic importance and enhance the temporal continuity of the marks. These were considered a new marketing tool to promote know-how and “Made in Italy”, which is particularly useful for the brand image of companies to be competitive in a global market. Full article