The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recently hosted a 1.5-day intensive International Organization for Standardization (ISO) training session on the Online Standards Development (OSD) platform, the default standards process for new projects and revisions in ISO as of January 2025. This new default approach means all committees will begin new projects and revisions within the OSD unless an exemption request is submitted.
What is the Online Standards Development Platform?
Developed by ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the OSD tool replaces traditional Word document-based standards development processes with an integrated collaborative workspace that guides all contributors from the preparatory stage through to publication.
By enabling standards developers to create complex structured content based on XML right from the outset, and embedding ISO/IEC Directives directly into the workflow, the platform allows experts to focus more on the technical content of the standard rather than editorial formatting. The shift to XML-based content represents a significant step forward in ISO/IEC’s digital evolution toward turning standards into actionable content that benefits the end user.
About the OSD Platform Training Session
As change management strategies are essential to supporting ISO participants in using the OSD, recent training held at ANSI headquarters and conducted by ISO staff bridged both the authoring aspects of the OSD as well as the commenting aspects for ISO National Standards Bodies and national mirror committees. Over 70 representatives attended in-person and virtually—representing roles including ISO committee managers, chairs, working group convenors, project leads, and U.S. Working Group experts, as well as U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) administrators, chairs, and members. During the training session, attendees brainstormed what various user groups need in terms of resources, education, and training in order to successfully use the OSD.
Various ISO training resources are currently available for the OSD:
ANSI also announced an upcoming pilot with select U.S. TAGs to explore the use of “Commenting Option A” in the OSD – a new process used to gather, disposition, and submit national comments to ISO.
For more information, visit the OSD webpage or contact [email protected].
