However, the responsible party or any other party marketing the equipment must provide a test report and other information demonstrating compliance with the rules upon request by the Commission. described fully to include thickness, size, color, etc. 0000009860 00000 n They can then make any necessary corrections to allow the implementation to conform. If you cant describe what your organization need on piece of paper then imagine how suppliers can understand your needs, then quote/propose the right solution for it. The conformance clause of a standard specification is a high-level description of what is required of implementers and application developers. On the other hand, the policy might be that a certificate is issued (or a claim of conformance is made) only if no errors are found. 20899 USA, Email: lisa.carnahan [at] nist.gov Tel: (301) 975-3362 FAX: (301) 948-6213, Prepared by Robin Cover for the The SGML/XML Web Page archive. Conformance testing (also called conformity assessment) is a way of verifying implementations of a specification to determine whether or not deviations from the specification exist. 0000069347 00000 n There are additional advantages when a technical specifications document is drawn up and it forms an integral part of the procurement process and order placement. Specifically, if buyers don't demand that a product be . This is a document, parallel to but distinct from the official specifications, that contains a list of recognized extensions to the standard. 4) The car shall travel at speeds between 0 and 100 mph. Early stage specifications can be seen as part of the review with the customer (internal or external) about what they are looking to achieve on the project. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. quantity scheduled purchases. Nevertheless, the larger and more varied the set of inputs is, the more confidence can be placed in an implementation whose testing generates no errors. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. submitted written justification to this effect and the Director Procurement professionals - Which type of specs needed? A certificate issuing organization is responsible for issuing certificates for products determined to be conformant. ~ F3!"c|?f0u{X)(oMU1H"Yq66fI1ar3f$cq. This button displays the currently selected search type. 3) The car shall have a red custom paint job with chrome accents. Speaking generally, one is the specification that both product and price competition requires that specifications These requirements are specified in a standard or specification as either part of a conformance clause or in the body of the specification. Tip - Never design and make a product if there is an 'off-the-shelf' part available. Similarly, validation cannot exist without a test suite, but a test suite can exits without validation. DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS: Design 4 Examples of Conformance Quality - Simplicable Creating Balance Between Performance and Conformance Working Title - NIST When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. a. Additionally it may specify the permissibility of extensions, options, and alternative approaches and how they are to be handled. Generically, a conformance test suite is a collection of combinations of legal and illegal inputs to the implementation being tested, together with a corresponding collection of "expected results." should be limited and justified before solicitation. Certain countries request a CoC for certain categories of imported products. There are two main types of specification when contracting namely: #1 CONFORMANCE SPECIFICATION With this type of specification the buyer says what they want and how they want it and the supplier has to meet this Examples of conformance specification are: Engineering drawing A chemical formula Model name, number or brand etc performance, quality or essential characteristics must be This would include the documentation of how the testing is to be done and the directions for the tester to follow. Falsification testing can only demonstrate non-conformance. What is this thing called Conformance? | NIST Requisition 2 - A clear defined specification "I would like a knife and fork to eat my dinner with, They must be no more than 5 inches high and they must be made of metal. Request for Proposals and purchase agreements commonly require conformance to these standards. The conformance clause may specify minimal requirements for certain functions and minimal requirements for implementation-dependent values. It is best practice to ensure that suppliers are contractually required to provide line item spend details. A profile is a subset of the overall specifications that includes all of the functionality necessary to satisfy the requirements of a particular community of users. 1. You must translate the EU declaration of conformity into the language or languages required by the EU country in which your product is sold. A defect can lead to a failure that might result in loss of life. In the event of a dispute or other commercial issues the specification can provide a formal method of identifying what the purchaser wanted against what was delivered. Product List (QPL). The buyer uses the results of the testing to verify that a seller provides a product that conforms to the specification and meet procurement requirements. ? .. or you receive totally different proposals .. capabilities that are pertinent to the intended use of the PDF EXAMPLE PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS Example Specifications and Test Conformance to specification means to meet the regulatory requirements; Customer needs means to meet the customer reasonable specific requirements. 0000001115 00000 n . The work is accomplished under the auspices of OASIS Technical Subcommittees, with contributions from OASIS member companies and in close coordination with the appropriate W3C Working Groups. When validation is coupled with certification, successful completion of conformance testing results in the issuance of a certificate (or brand) indicating that the implementation conforms to the appropriate specification. Ideally, it would be nice to prove beyond any doubt that an implementation is correct, consistent, and complete. The test suites are available athttp://xw2k.nist.gov/xml/index.html. It is generally inspected during customs clearance if the product being imported requires it. met to be considered responsive. 0000005693 00000 n tested and are considered equal, state testing methods and others may require laboratory tests. Identification of any third-party laboratory on whos testing the certificate depends: Provide the name, full mailing address, and telephone number of the third-party laboratory. Performance / Output Based Specifications - SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT These requirements are specified in a standard or specification as either part of a conformance clause or in the body of the specification. legitimate but limited place in public purchasing. 7 What is the definition of quality of conformance? Purchase Specification - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics In many of these cases the problem is not that the scope changed but that the original Specification was incomplete. That school sees planning as "strategic brand-name-or-equal specification cites one or more brand-names, How many times have you looked at this afore mentioned specification and instantly picked holes in the acheivabilty of the desired outcome? Typically, a design conforms to requirements and work products conform to both design and requirements. all necessary drawings, dimensions, terms, and purpose intended. Reference method tests and PEMS drift tests are conducted to determine conformance of the PEMS with the specification. The general definition for conformance has changed over time and been refined for specific standards. Conformance Clause Every specification SHALL contain a conformance clause. 0000006382 00000 n In the marketplace, conformance test suites and consequently conformance testing provides a vehicle for exchanging information between buyer and seller. CoC for importing consumer goods in the USA, Certification authorization vs. SDoC (Suppliers Declaration of Conformity) for electronics being imported into the USA, Certificate of Compliance vs. Extensions shall not re-define semantics for existing functions, Extensions shall not cause standard-conforming functions (i.e., functions that do not use the extensions) to execute incorrectly, The mechanism for determining application conformance and the extensions shall be clearly described in the documentation, and the extensions shall be marked as such. by vendors to add products to the QPL. The final test suite is expected to be complete by March 2001. used to establish the QPL and indicate steps to be taken represents the kind of thinking in which architects and engineers Here, suppliers need to get like briefing about working environment of such item needed then they will start thinking/designing a solution for you and maybe they will even propose different options in which a lot of collaborative and joint discussions/sessions will be needed between suppliers with requesting departments and procurement. need. items regularly available in the market place, as is More recently with the advent of the Internet and rapidly changing information technology, the notion of conformance testing has become less formal allowing developers and users to assess for themselves the validity or correctness of the software or data with respect to the relevant specification. Some importers choose to purchase components for their new products that are already certified to avoid needing to go through the testing and certification process. Conformance to Specifications. By signing the DoC you takefull responsibilityfor your products compliance with the applicable EU law. Written by Lewis Hutson - Thank you for taking the time to read my first of hopefully (dependant on the first ones reception)many articles. 8 What does it mean to have a conformance clause? Does a KitchenAid have a juicer attachment? A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. and to invite maximum reasonable competition. My company Sofeast, can probably help you. Conformance involves two major components: (1) a test tool and (2) a testing program (e.g., certification or branding). Others have qualified third party testing laboratories that apply the test suite according to the established policies and procedures. This board should be a body of impartial experts. Substitutions or alterations will not be permitted without Company's written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed. Procurement serves as the primary Its use is called for where a structure or When all deviations and omissions are eliminated, the implementation conforms to the specification. The conformance clause identifies what must conform and how conformance can be met. 0000006359 00000 n 0000003127 00000 n Performance responsibilities focus on strategy, value creation and resource utilization whereas conformance responsibilities focus on providing assurance to stakeholders that the organization . The testing program should strive to be as impartial and objective as possible, i.e., to remove subjectivity of both the procedures and the testing tools. The supplier has to supply this, even though the supplier may not know what the product is for. 0000004193 00000 n what cost. At last the month and year should be shown and the city, state, and country needs to be shown. Each test should be traceable back to a statement or statements in the specification. Official websites use .gov What is the definition of quality of conformance? ! Supplier Resources| Raytheon Determining whether a product faithfully implements a standard or specification is essential to creating robust, interoperable solutions. Barbara Shayan, M.A, Six Sigma Green Belt Certified. for different products. In essence, specifications are about communication and the exchange of information between the Customer, the designer, the contractor and all stakeholders in the project. Conformance Testing and Certification Model for W3C Specifications The conformance clause is a part or collection of parts of a specification that defines the requirements, criteria, or conditions that shall be satisfied by an implementation in order to claim conformance. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 4 Examples of Conformance Quality. The tests are then executed and the results displayed. In contraast, see Performance or Functional Specifications . The ECMAScript suite allows the user to select a category of tests from a drop down menu. The conformance clause may specify sets of functions, which may take the form of profiles, levels, or other structures. A specification becomes an essential contract management document which is used to ensure that the chosen supplier provides what is specified. They can also be selected from a drop down menu, executed and results displayed. %PDF-1.2 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) are addressing XML-related interoperability issues by jointly developing test suites that are intended to complement the W3C Recommendations. The sponsor has a fundamental interest in ensuring the success of the program. There are many organizations, including private sector companies, standards group, consortia, and government agencies that develop conformance tests and/or tools. Standards, Specifications and Purchase Descriptions - Buyandsell.gc.ca This makes the purchasing process inefficient. DEFINITIONS 2.1 Centroidal Area. ISO/IEC TR 13233 defined conformance and conformity as "fulfillment by a product, process or service of all relevant specified conformance requirements." I like the point about cost only .. This is the official blog of Sofeast.com. 2) Actions - related to things such as functions, processes, ,procedures, services, performance. CONFORMANCE VS. PERFORMANCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR EVALUATION - tandfonline.com The documentation should be detailed enough so that testing of a given implementation can be repeated with no change in test results. What refers to product conformance with standards and specifications? Depending on the type of specification (e.g., application programming interface (API), protocol, programming language, metafile), there are various methodologies that can be used in developing conformance test suites. Examples of Conformance to specifications in a sentence. 4. As a procurement professional . Give examples of performance specification. It may also be called a certificate of conformance or certificate of conformity.. This is usually in a conformance clause or conformance statement, but sometimes some of the criteria can be found in the body of the specification. It is generally inspected during customs clearance if the product being imported requires it. The process for developing conformance test suites begins with defining the set of test assertions (TA) upon which the test suite is based. 1215 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 1217 /H [ 1477 988 ] /L 355460 /E 76811 /N 21 /T 331040 >> endobj xref 1215 38 0000000016 00000 n Some standards have no official testing organizations. In general, the . Well explain what a CoC is, what its used for, and what it includes. An official website of the United States government. It increases a buyer's confidence in a product and its ability to meet their needs. In 1996 ISO/IEC Guide 2 defined the three major terms used in this field. A lock ( criteria for the purpose of qualifying the bid document. The difference between the performance dimension and the conformance dimension is that the former is more forward-looking and the later backward-looking. When does a buyer ask the supplier for a CoC? For ensure testability of a specification/standard, care should be taken in the wording of the specifications itself. Definitions - what is conformance (to a standard)? 1.2 Upon request by the Owner, the Manufacturer at its expense shall provide proof of conformance with any or all requirements of this specification. Chartered MCIPS. Usually testing programs are initiated for those specifications or standards for critical applications, for interoperability with other applications, and/or for security of the systems. model numbers, or other designations that identify the specific What are the types of specification in procurement? product has to be specially made to meet the purchaser's unique Taking the time to think, write & challenge what your internal customer need is one of the most important keys to have efficient, smooth, transparent & successful procurement process. products before soliciting competitive bids. Do you have any other example on Conformance & Performance specifications? Paper combination is: 3 layers carton (Layer1 is Kraft liner of 125GSM + Layer2 is Test/Recycled liner of 100GSM + Layer3 is Kraft liner of 125GSM) with mentioning Flute type and total GSM. 0000008579 00000 n 0000002964 00000 n For example, ideally it should be possible to fully test a product's conformance before sign-off and deployment. ANSI/BIFMA standards are go-to references when evaluating the safety and durability of furniture products during the specification and procurement process. 0000004999 00000 n characteristics of the item desired. establish a QPL must list the products that have been @hA hbF`h`. product is to be put together. TYPES OF SPECIFICATIONS WHEN CONTRACTING | plus pdf download 4 What are the characteristics of a good specification in procurement? Without knowing whats really needed costs can be far higher than required and the solution procured for the business not fit for purpose. Departments wishing to A conformance clause is a section of a specification that states all the requirements or criteria that must be satisfied to claim conformance to the specification. competition consistent with seeking overall economy for the When a requisition does not include an existing standard, specification or purchase description, which the contracting officer considers . For any . eliminates, items that are outside the boundaries drawn. It's important to have several calls/meetings with the requesting department to get more clarity about their needs, ask them to get piece of paper and write on it what they need whatever they can write! definitions of non-standard terms. Quality of conformance is the ability of a product, service, or process to meet its design specifications. AnEU declaration of conformity(DoC) is a mandatory document that you as a manufacturer or your authorised representative need to sign to declare that your products comply with the EU requirements. Levels are nested subsets of the specifications. Lock Examples of conformance specification; It is possible for a standard to have both profiles and levels defined for the entire specification (i.e., an implementer could choose to implement any one of (number of profiles) x (number of levels) subsets). Conformance testing is NOT a way to judge if one product is better than another. For example, statements indicating that an implementation "shall," "should," or "may" implement a certain feature. If the bid does not conform to the specification in all elements, it is not a bid at all; but a new proposition. Any mention of commercial products or reference to commercial organizations is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by NIST nor does it imply that the products mentioned are necessarily the best available for the purpose. defined in the bid invitation. Shipping of cartons will be in 20 container & max optimization of container. This free eBook shows importers who are new to outsourcing production to China or Vietnam the five key foundations of a proven Quality Assurance strategy, and also shows you some common traps that importers fall intoandhow to avoid or overcome them in order to get the best possible production results. A good conformance clause is the ultimate goal of these guidelines, and is sanctioned by conformance to this specification. 5. sizable latitude in how to accomplish the end purpose. This more common approach usually includes some additional, more specific, requirements in the conformance clause, along the lines of: One approach that has been used successfully is to have a register for extensions. These criteria and Define performance specification. The size of staff necessary to do should be put on notice that the criteria used to define But what are specifications? 0000066460 00000 n It should be possible to know by observation of the finished system/product that the requirement has been met. Values that may be different for different conforming implementations of the standard, The color model(s), if any, supported by the standard, Test tool (e.g., tool, suite, and/or reference implementation, Organization(s) to do testing, issue certificates of validation, and arbitrate disputes. purchased under indefinite quantity term contracts and definite Thus, the tests when executed on the implementation under test will generate a pass/fail condition. There are two main approaches to handling implementation specific extensions to a standard. A conformance clause is a section of a specification that states all the requirements or criteria that must be satisfied to claim conformance to the specification. However, this is generally impossible for implementations of nontrivial specifications. Materials used must be predicated on a written specification which includes certain Departments using performance The success here will obviously depend on how you frame your specifications. In recent years, the term conformity has gained international use and has generally replaced the term conformance in ISO documents. 2. Specifications are statements of requirements to be satisfied in the supply of a product or service There are two main types of specification when contracting namely: With this type of specification the buyer says what they want and how they want it and the supplier has to meet this Examples of conformance specification are: What are the types of specification in procurement? It is the basis of all offers and therefore the foundation for a contract. 7. PDF Construction Quality Structural Concrete Placement and Procurement Although conformance testing is not a guarantee for interoperability, it is an essential step towards achieving interoperability. (3) list reproducible test methods to be used in testing for Each test should lend itself to providing objective, reproducible, unambiguous, and accurate results. Correct implementation and utilization of standards leads to portability and interoperability. 0000009274 00000 n Depending on the nature of the electronic device being imported, you will either need to go through a more comprehensive FCC certification or can submit your own Suppliers Declaration of Conformity. Lets look at the difference between the two: For RF Devices with the greatest potential to cause harmful interference to radio services like smartphones, Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, etc, that emit radiation a self-declaration is not acceptable to comply with FCC regulations and they must be certified by an FCC-recognized Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) based on an evaluation of the supporting documentation and test data submitted by the responsible party (e.g., the manufacturer or importer) to the TCB. The conformance clause of a specification is a high-level description of what is required of implementations. The advantages afforded by testing (and certification) are fairly obvious: quality products, interoperability, and competitive markets with more choices. specifications; performance specifications; and the Qualified Proprietary Specification. As a user I may legitimately have an issue that while testing a prototype I discover that I cannot steer the car and it has no braking system. with the Procurement Officer reserving the final right to The understanding is that an implementation that is determined to satisfy each assertion will be considered to be in conformance to the standard. What does it mean when software conforms to a standard or specification? This approach, used in both the Public and Private sectors is best described The following discussion defines conformance and conformance testing as well as describes the components of a conformance testing program. Conformance Specification defines requirements when the buyer specifies what they want, how they want it, and the supplier has to meet these specifications. A standard may classify features as "mandatory" vs. "optional," and provide a table listing features so classified. Within these For this reason it is a good practice to write a test of the Spec at the same time the Spec is being written. The best position is to list Although there may be ISO/IEC Guide 2[2] defines conformance (also referred to as conformity) as the fulfillment of a product, process, or service of specified requirements. In my opinion, as the data requirements on projects become more complex and we strive for more collaboration, it is crucial that everyone has the same basis of project requirements, and this makes specifications as essential now as they have ever been. This is called strict conformance. this sense means that the specification concentrates on how the The specification must: Be set out in the relevant Procurement Documents clearly describe what is required detail the characteristics required not refer to the following: brands or trade names (IUT) is the object that is being tested for conformance. Another alternative is the requirement that XSLT Test Suite NIST is working with W3C and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) to develop a comprehensive test suite for the Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) processors. A buyer would typically ask for a CoC on products/components that are critical or high risk. If you are required to submit your First Article Inspection reports Raytheon per PO flow down (example: QNote DX) you . Please tell me by leaving a comment. 8 Examples of Conformance - Simplicable - Simplicable Guide - Simplicable In these cases, it may be desirable to partition the specifications into subsets of functionality. A lock ( Sample 1 Sample 2 suitability of specifications, Procurement cannot initiate or situations when the use of this specification is our only Specifications often used to be one of the last items written before a package was issued for tender, but this has changed over time. 0000007164 00000 n Here is one example. Operational teams view quality in terms of conformance to specifications. more interested in how it performs, how well it performs, and at procurement program and to evaluate the implementation of quality assurance (QA) program requirements that ensure that the appropriate structural concrete meeting approved concrete specifications is used in the UPF construction activities. The developers might respond that those were not part of the requirements and this would be scope creep to the project. Procurement professionals need to come out of cost only mindset when such contracts are being evaluated. have been trained. Performance purchasing is results orientated in terms of function and cost. The test documentation describes how the testing is to be done and the directions for the tester to follow. Failure to pass a test implies failure to conform. Thanks! Often a hybrid of these is appropriate -- i.e., issuing a certificate for a longer period of time (say 2 years) if no errors are found and for a shorter period (say 1 year) if there are errors. An airline buys fan blades for their planes engines. Also, what is the difference between conformance specification and performance specification? Do you face challenges of getting required specifications while creating Tender/RFQ package?