Enterprise Interoperability: Smart Services and Business Impact of Enterprise Interoperability

15 Standardization and Innovation: a Multipriority Approach

Processes standardization (to be distinguished from product and technology standardization, which deal with specifications for products and technologies; hereinafter, “standardization”) is one of the most acceptable practices used to improve performance, including efficiency, quality and the prevention of errors in organization. A process that is standardized is constantly performed following the same sequence of steps. Standardization is achieved by setting formal rules of work in instructions, guidelines, manuals and work procedures to guide employees’ activities. Standardization assists in improving performance because it is a repository of organizational memory, expresses past experience and the best available knowledge, improves knowledge transfer among employees, and provides control and coordination (Nissinboim, Naveh, 2018).

The growing complexity, dynamism, and interconnectedness of contemporary business environments compel organizations to cope simultaneously with multiple contradictory and tensional requirements and priorities. In order to succeed, organizations must be innovative and also provide high-quality products and services; they must prevent errors from occurring while dealing with time pressure and other resource limitations. This development resonates with organizational research, but only to a certain extent. Although we have learned much about standardization, we know little about how multifaceted ...