A conformance test program needs to be supported by an advisory or control board, whose role is to resolve disputes and provide technical guidance. Conformance to specifications means to meet any requirements defined for the product, not only regulatory. 0000069347 00000 n This is a waste of human intellect and simply not good enough. SPP Regions Expert Workshop - Copenhagen June 15th 2016 Performance / Output Based Specifications (POBS) are the foundation for a purchasing approach commonly called Performance Based Contracting. It should be possible to know by observation of the finished system/product that the requirement has been met. brand-name-or-equal specification cites one or more brand-names, What are Performance/Output Based Specifications? $*5QG)+cX3x Good thoughts Diaa..Performance specifications focuses on supplier partnership. Conformance with Specification. 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. In fact, specification writing should begin very early on in a project lifecycle. And, in some cases, specific documents are required for certification or to show the end user/customer, that the product is safe. It here unfortunatley all to often a stage where procurement are left out and not involved from the very begining stages. These criteria may or may not require implementations to pass 100% of the specifications. Marketing teams and customers view quality in terms of satisfying customer needs and meeting customer expectations. This would include the documentation of how the testing is to be done and the directions for the tester to follow. 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. Examples of Conformance to specifications in a sentence. Sample 1 Sample 2 It, in turn, refers to other parts of the standard. 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. manufacturers' names, brand names and model numbers, but it is A QPL is Tip - The purchase specification is to allow purchasing to seek competitive quotations by forwarding the purchase specification to prospective suppliers. Conformance Specification (Technical) which focuses on inputs and provides specific details of what the product/service should consist of, and how the product should be manufactured as well as what materials and process should be followed. should be limited and justified before solicitation. Dr. W. Edwards Deming is often linked with approaches to improvement that carry labels such as TQM, Six Sigma, and Lean. 0000008556 00000 n and others may require laboratory tests. 7. model numbers, or other designations that identify the specific 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. If the bid does not conform to the specification in all elements, it is not a bid at all; but a new proposition. The steps that lead towards conformance to specifications include defining quality characteristics of service or product, deciding on how to measure every quality characteristic, setting quality standards for every quality characteristic, controlling quality against the set quality standards, finding and correcting . Portability is the ability to move software programs or applications among different computer systems with minimal change. Greater share of specification risk is borne by the supplier. Ideally, we would like to be able to prove beyond any doubt that an implementation is correct, consistent, and complete with respect to its specification. or other required characteristics should be clearly Sharing what is the required performance of this item without stating item details like (what is the required output of certain machine, which product will be manufactured by this required item, what is the challenge that company is facing & others). Conformance clause and specification wording. However, this is generally impossible for implementations of nontrivial specifications that are written in a natural language. For any . Materials used must be The other group call for ready-made, off-the-shelf commercial It is generally inspected during customs clearance if the product being imported requires it. 0000010532 00000 n What are the characteristics of a good specification in procurement? Chartered MCIPS. requirements of the item being purchased. It, in turn, refers to other parts of the standard. Quality standards are defined as documents that provide requirements, specifications, guidelines, or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes, and services are fit for their purpose. this specification is used, tangible performance, quality 0000045027 00000 n In general, the buyer is the impetus for sellers to undergo conformance testing. Bidders offering an equal This type of testing is called conformance testing. represents the kind of thinking in which architects and engineers a specification should be written to encourage, not discourage, The conformance clause may specify sets of functions, which may take the form of profiles, levels, or other structures. For ensure testability of a specification/standard, care should be taken in the wording of the specifications itself. goods or service must perform. 0000007885 00000 n What should a certificate of conformity include? HR{HSa?wf^MiIZ\B!bEjs:\EJ3SQ%I*Zo;:{w0?|kD (.~]g+%kBBbk3d,bs|+7ED{Z*fsfhZm$C'5F)_bhz^q{0R+}#mzG"SSjod-I3?|4iLsmm:#M)wwDs9$hqm,L11]&]Nowi:&J5"PL%.'zBp\J_wdXjh#}>ZuP3YW6. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. An official website of the United States government. In this example, while the mattresses were not required to be tested by a third party laboratory, the mattress manufacturer voluntarily chose to do so and must provide the information about that laboratory. Others have qualified third party testing laboratories that apply the test suite according to the established policies and procedures. The process for developing conformance test suites begins with defining the set of test assertions (TA) upon which the test suite is based. Accompanying the actual test files is an XML test description file that contains pertinent information for each of the tests included in the distribution. described fully to include thickness, size, color, etc. Therefore, a CoC (whereby the blade manufacturer writes that the blades conform to specific checklists) must be provided. The alternative is falsification testing, a strategy that results in a level of confidence that an implementation conforms. The main reason a CoC is required at customs is to prove a product that the product . Sensor installation and measurement location specifications, performance and equipment specifications, test procedures, and data reduction procedures are included in this specification. 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. 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. Another issue it whether or not a certificate expires (e.g., good for 2 years or never expire). product is to be put together. Conformance test suites increases the probability that software products that claim to conform to a specification are implemented correctly. brand-name specifications has the effect of limiting the bidding The procedures should also contain information on what must be done operationally when failures occur. If Any other brands or models 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. It is also possible that implementations may not be able to implement all the features. Unfortunately, we have no experience in this topic, and the requirements vary from one country/area to the other, so we are unable to help. 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. Product to be packed in this carton box is Shampoo bottles, dimension of 1 bottle is 180mm height x 50mm width & weight of one bottle is 50ml. Conformance is usually defined as testing to see if an implementation faithfully meets the requirements of a standard or specification. ISO/IEC TR 13233 defined conformance and conformity as "fulfillment by a product, process or service of all relevant specified conformance requirements." with the Procurement Officer reserving the final right to 7. Ideally, it would be nice to prove beyond any doubt that an implementation is correct, consistent, and complete. tested and are considered equal, state testing methods PFi@("$0 (JDbyHA': F$%BIPAl4FP'aFYlO2f)m8c4&3 o7q$e9(#yd: There are many types of testing including testing for performance, robustness, behavior, functions and interoperability. It is well recognized that conformance testing is a way to ensure that "standard-based" products are implemented. The size of staff necessary to do A test suite, which is a combination of test software, test procedures and test documentation, is used to check an implementation for conformance to a specification. In essence, specifications are about communication and the exchange of information between the Customer, the designer, the contractor and all stakeholders in the project. 0000009274 00000 n Is it a marketing or business requirement? It is generally inspected during customs clearance if the product being imported requires it. The duty of Procurement to promote Alternatively, the Java test suite can be downloaded and run locally. products are equal and this basis must be predicated upon 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. There is sometimes confusion between the two terms, however, in most cases, these two terms mean exactly the same thing and often comes down to the personal preference of the company that needs the certificate. Development of the test suite may well be the costliest part of the conformance program. A lock ( These criteria and 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. Get in touch with me and I will give you a tailored recommendation or quotation. predicated on a written specification which includes certain 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." tests or other criteria for comparing, examining and approving Software that is tested to ensure that it meets the requirements detailed in the specification can improve the quality of the software and the likelihood of achieving interoperability. is less interested in dimensions and materials and configurations Or even types of specifications when contracting, Specifications are statements of requirements to be satisfied in the supply of a product or service. Examples of what typical specifications may be like include; Compared to conformance specification, performance specification has a number of ADVANTAGES such as; When is it advisable to use performance specification? Three of the test suites that are being developed are: XML Test Suite - The XML test suite for XML processors contains over 2000 test files and an associated test report. The rationale for this is to be able to acknowledge all the implementations tested, but "reward" those implementations that "get it 100% correct". Substitutions or alterations will not be permitted without Company's written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed. Although there may be Written by Lewis Hutson - Thank you for taking the time to read my first of hopefully (dependant on the first ones reception)many articles. Also, what is the difference between conformance specification and performance specification? 0000066307 00000 n Without a CoC, products may be impounded, confiscated, and in some case destroyed. The Java test suite contains over 200 tests and covers the fundamental and extended interfaces of the DOM Level 1 Recommendation. It will include: Finding examples on the internet is easy. 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. The main reason a CoC is required at customs is to prove a product that the product being imported meets the required standard(s). 0000002465 00000 n specifications must explain in detail the results 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. Procurement is responsible for final editing of Such an implementation provides a proof of concept of the standard and also provides a tool for the developers of the conformance test suite (by generating expected values, testing the test suite, etc.) The decision to issue a certificate is based on the testing results and established criteria for issuing certificates. XML Test Suite is available from the NIST web site, http://xw2k.nist.gov/xml/index.html. Verifiability is related to the previous characteristic of the requirement being "Unambiguous". Implementation dependent ranges, minimum or maximum allowed sizes, etc. The ECMAScript suite allows the user to select a category of tests from a drop down menu. According to a study by the Gartner Group[1], the private sector spends over $2.2 trillion on information technology (IT) annually. 0000001115 00000 n What is specification? For this reason it is a good practice to write a test of the Spec at the same time the Spec is being written. These will be cheaper, more reliable and easier to source. ? .. or you receive totally different proposals .. specification is less interested in how a product is made, and Here's why. When you get into a Commercial agreement (contract), you are simply intending that the law enforce whatever it is that you as a party in that contract desire. Conformance Clause Every specification SHALL contain a conformance clause. stream If the criteria or requirements for conformance are not specified, there can be no conformance testing. A reference implementation has maximum value in the early stages of a conformance program. 6. and to invite maximum reasonable competition. specification sets limits and thereby eliminates, or potentially BRAND-NAME SPECIFICATIONS: The DEVELOPING SPECIFICATIONS: Although this sense means that the specification concentrates on how the (3) list reproducible test methods to be used in testing for Buyer requires conformance to the Specification. These requirements are specified in a standard or specification as either part of a conformance clause or in the body of the specification. A conformance testing program usually includes: A specification/standard that includes a conformance clause and a test tools are essential to defining and measuring conformance. Lets take an example. For software specifications it is the software that has 'implemented' the specification. 0000009860 00000 n 0000066233 00000 n 4) The car shall travel at speeds between 0 and 100 mph. and more interested in what a product does. The conformance clause identifies what must conform and how 0000004999 00000 n 7 What is the definition of quality of conformance? activity involved in developing specifications for items (IUT) is the object that is being tested for conformance. legitimate but limited place in public purchasing. capabilities that are pertinent to the intended use of the service that ill satisfy a particular need at an economical cost j.h8 What does it mean when software conforms to a standard or specification? The following discussion defines conformance and conformance testing as well as describes the components of a conformance testing program. https://www.nist.gov/itl/ssd/information-systems-group/what-thing-called-conformance. Quality Assurance, Product Development, and Purchasing Strategies in China. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS This is called strict conformance. Procurements primary role of taking a business requirement (specification) finding a supplier/suppliers , negotiating a deal and then ordering the item is all hinged on that first step! Certain countries request a CoC for certain categories of imported products. bidders offering products other than specified obtain How many times have you looked at this afore mentioned specification and instantly picked holes in the acheivabilty of the desired outcome? There must be sufficient basis to determine that these 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. A good conformance clause is the ultimate goal of these guidelines, and is sanctioned by conformance to this specification. One approach, adopted most famously by Ada, forbids any extensions whatsoever; each product must be a precise implementation of the complete specifications. Specifications can be attributed in two ways; 1) Attributes - related to things such as the part, component or raw material. The conformance clause identifies what must conform and how conformance can be met. DEFINITIONS 2.1 Centroidal Area. 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? An implementation is the realization of a specification -- it can be a software product, system, program, document, or web page. Environment working temperature is between 15C 40C. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. The other approach adopts the weaker overall requirement that, while extensions are allowed, an implementation must perform all the functionality in the specifications exactly as specified. What are the types of specification in procurement? ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Supplier Resources. % Elements that should typically be included in a CoC are: On the US CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) website, one can find several samples of CoCs. Contracting officers must assess the adequacy and applicability of any standards, specifications, including client-developed specifications, or purchase descriptions included by a client in the requisition. definitions of non-standard terms. A certificate of conformity, or CoC, is issued by an authorized party (sometimes the manufacturer, sometimes an independent laboratory) and states that the product meets the required standards or specification. Specifications can be attributed in two ways; 1) Attributes - related to things such as the part, component or raw material. 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! specification. This board should be a body of impartial experts. The Procurement cycle is covered extensively within the CIPS . A testing laboratory can be an organization or individual, and can either be accredited from a formal accreditation organization such as NIST's National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) or recognized by the buyer, seller, and certificate issuer, as qualified to perform the testing. 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. By signing the DoC you takefull responsibilityfor your products compliance with the applicable EU law. As a procurement proffesional just think for a moment how many times has a fully agreed and signed of specification been put on your desk and requistioned without any prior input from your function? 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. As a procurement professional . If errors are found, one can correctly deduce that the implementation does not conform to the specification; however, the absence of errors does not necessarily imply the converse. Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines When BioPreferred and CPG are both required, the agency shall purchase the item that meets the CPG requirements (per FAR 23.405 Procedures (c) and Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, Section 9002 (b)). A standard may classify features as "mandatory" vs. "optional," and provide a table listing features so classified. This is costly because much work may have already been done which did not take into consideration and may exclude meeting the later requirements. Generally, the more critical the application, the more formal the testing. These assertions are statements of functionality or behavior derived from the standard, and which are true for conforming implementations. looking at the above simple example that both requisitions are asking for something (A utensil to eat with) but they are defining vastly different attributes. Another alternative is the requirement that The conformance clause identifies what must conform and how conformance can be met. Conformance is how well realities match specifications, rules, principles and plans. They can then make any necessary corrections to allow the implementation to conform. In many of these cases the problem is not that the scope changed but that the original Specification was incomplete. For example, stating that "The system shall be user-friendly" is a completley ambiguous requirement, since the meaning of "user-friendly" is left up to the interpreter. For example, American national standard ASQ/ANSI ID1:2021 defines aCertificate of Compliance as adocument from an authority certifying that the supplied products or services conform to specific and required specifications. Often times, errors or ambiguities in the specification are discovered. Please tell me by leaving a comment. Conformance specs: 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 . Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. Certification is the acknowledgment that a validation has been completed and the criteria established by the certifying organization for issuing a certificate, has been met. To this end, When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Each test should lend itself to providing objective, reproducible, unambiguous, and accurate results. Failure to pass a test implies failure to conform. The overall purpose of a A specification details the requirements of the procurement. 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.