Folks: Please remember that all this measuring and processing of measurements is about the allocation of resources and of money. What is the cost to you and your partners of ambiguity in measurement? How hard will it be to move to new processes using this data? You'll certainly see new applications for processing this information. Will research not get done because of disagreements over the allocation of this money (cost)? What decisions can we make that will make it easier for people to cooperate and get the work we support done? Carl A. Wright Service Level Corporation +1 734-827-2000 ext. 219 (voice) +1 734-827-2200 (fax) http://www.servicelevel.net/ PS: I think standards are useful, but I was disturbed by comments that treated standards as though they were gold-plated. The fact that an ISO or EU standard exists matters little if it doesn't serve our goals. Those standards were made by mere mortals like ourselves with their independent goals that they were striving for. I'm not arguing against using them, just use them with our goals in mind.