Building and energy codes, green building programs, architects, specifiers, consultants and other industry professionals rely on performance standards to select the right products for different projects. For standards to support this purpose effectively, it’s important for companies of all sizes to participate in the development process so the published documents represent input from companies focused on various product segments and in various regions.

Throughout our history of industry leadership, AAMA has become known for the development of comprehensive standards that deliver confidence in product performance and quality. AAMA standards are developed in response to the needs of our member companies to solve critical issues in the industry. It takes the interest, energy and experience of our members to help support the development of these standards. It is effective collaboration and communication that make us strong.

Diverse participation in the standards development process ensures that those documents deliver the highest quality testing procedures and qualification requirements possible. Plus, standards are intended to establish minimum performance levels and create a level playing field for marketplace competition, so the requirements need to be reasonably achievable by companies of all sizes while balancing the need for well-performing products. Finally, different regions of the country have different considerations for how products need to perform in the field so diversity of the geographic regions that companies participating in the standards development process focus on helps ensure those standards are applicable and relevant across the country.

The consensus document development process that industry trade organizations like AAMA utilize creates an ideal forum for productive collaboration among companies of varying product interests and varying sizes. At AAMA, for instance, each corporate membership is assigned one vote regardless of the size of the company, so everyone has an equal opportunity to influence a standard’s requirements.

And so, consider this my pitch: get involved in the standards development process to invest in the interests of your company and your products. While doing so, you can help ensure high-quality and complete, comprehensive standards are delivered to the marketplace. Future you will thank you, and so will your company!