U.S. API Valve standards, for example, are created by groups of end-users, manufacturers, engineer/contractors and occasionally government agency representatives. Content is debated at subcommittee and committee meetings, and a diverse group of interested parties vote on the documents. As a result of this process, a dozen refinery representatives, 20 manufacturers and/or a handful of engineer/contractors may be deciding on the content of the document.

The ISO standards creation process also involves committees and subcommittees, but a huge difference is that each country only has one vote. This system creates complex politics that transcend those of the usual manufacturer vs. end-user battles. It also makes it much more difficult for each individual company