The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies. ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, which coordinates the system. The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Any organization may submit a proposal for the preparation of an international standard.
When an international standard has been published, any member body may declare that its country adopts it as a national standard.
The benefits of adhering to ISO standards include increased efficiency and productivity, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction.