Unlocking Productivity and Security: Why Software Standards Matter More Than Ever

In today’s fast-moving digital world, organizations can’t afford to overlook the impact of robust software standards. As businesses grapple with cybersecurity threats, the need for scalable products, and rising customer expectations, adherence to internationally recognized standards is no longer optional—it’s a strategic necessity. This practical article introduces three critical standards—SIST EN 50657:2017/A1:2023, SIST EN ISO/IEC 25064:2017, and SIST-TP CEN ISO/IEC TR 25060:2017—equipping professionals and the public alike with an accessible understanding of their benefits for software quality, usability, and safety. Whether you’re managing rail rolling stock systems, delivering high-quality software products, or ensuring seamless digital experiences, these standards offer pathways to improved efficiency, enhanced security, and sustainable growth.

Overview / Introduction

The Role of Software Standards in Modern Business

The Information Technology sector underpins virtually all industries, from transport and finance to healthcare and manufacturing. As digital transformation accelerates, companies face increasing demands for reliable, secure, and user-friendly software. But how can organizations consistently achieve these goals amid rapidly evolving technologies? The answer lies in international software standards.

Software standards are structured guidelines and requirements, developed by global experts, that establish best practices for software design, development, security, usability, and evaluation. When organizations adopt such standards:

• They ensure software products are robust, secure, and efficient.
• They provide clarity and consistency for development teams and stakeholders.
• They enable better risk management and compliance with regulations.
• They foster interoperability and scalability across markets.

This article demystifies three influential standards that anchor software excellence in both general and specialist domains. You’ll discover how:

• SIST EN 50657:2017/A1:2023 governs essential safety and management processes for rail rolling stock applications.
• SIST EN ISO/IEC 25064:2017 delivers a common industry framework for identifying, documenting, and evaluating user needs—making software more usable.
• SIST-TP CEN ISO/IEC TR 25060:2017 lays the foundation for usability-focused software design, offering a cohesive, system-level approach.

Read on to see how these standards empower businesses to boost productivity, sharpen security, and scale operations with confidence.

Detailed Standards Coverage

SIST EN 50657:2017/A1:2023 – Software on Board Rolling Stock

Railways Applications – Rolling Stock Applications – Software on Board Rolling Stock

This important European standard sets out the specific requirements for software used on railway vehicles (rolling stock), building on lessons from signaling systems and adapting them for the unique environment of rail transportation. It details the expectations for quality, safety, and process management throughout the software’s life cycle, ensuring reliability for both new and existing rail systems.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Applies to all software installed and used on-board railway rolling stock, whether in passenger or freight operations.
• Ensures software is developed, managed, and maintained through rigorous processes reflecting operational safety and industry best practices.
• Integrates risk management, verification, validation, and configuration control throughout the development lifecycle.
• Allows for legacy software developed under EN 50128 (primarily used for signaling) to be reused in new rolling stock projects, preserving past investments and ensuring consistency (see note in subclause 1.6).

Who Should Comply? Rail vehicle manufacturers, system integrators, suppliers developing on-board software, and railway operating companies.

Practical Implications:

• Compliance drives improvement in operational safety and system reliability in railway networks, protecting passengers and assets.
• Mandates robust management of software configuration and changes, reducing risk from unforeseen software behavior.
• Helps ensure interoperability and easier system upgrades as rolling stock technology advances.

Key highlights:

• Ensures alignment with latest safety regulations for rail transport
• Facilitates the reuse of legacy EN 50128-compliant software, streamlining project ramp-up
• Detailed requirements for management, design, verification, and validation processes

Access the full standard:View SIST EN 50657:2017/A1:2023 on iTeh Standards

SIST EN ISO/IEC 25064:2017 – Common Industry Format for Usability: User Needs Report

Systems and Software Engineering – Software Product Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) – Common Industry Format (CIF) for Usability: User Needs Report

This international standard introduces a structured model for capturing and reporting on user needs in software and hardware development projects. By standardizing how organizations collect, analyze, and document what users truly require, this guideline helps ensure that systems are designed with the user in mind—from the outset.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Provides the format and essential content elements of a User Needs Report (UNR), forming part of system-level documentation.
• Outlines methods to collect user needs from various sources—end users, stakeholders, domain experts—and consolidate them into actionable insights.
• Ensures user needs are differentiated from stakeholder or managerial needs but considers where overlap exists.
• Compatible with international development processes like ISO 9241-210 (Human-Centred Design) and aligns with the broader Software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) framework.

Who Should Comply? Software engineers, product owners, user experience (UX) professionals, requirements analysts, and project managers in any industry developing interactive software or hardware systems.

Practical Implications:

• Structures the process of understanding end-users, making products more usable, accessible, and satisfying.
• Accelerates time to market by clarifying requirements early, lowering costly redesigns and change requests.
• Provides traceability between user needs and system requirements, facilitating quality assurance and auditability.

Key highlights:

• Detailed content structure for collecting and reporting user needs
• Encourages evidence-based design, reducing design bias and guesswork
• Usable in conjunction with other process models and quality management frameworks

Access the full standard:View SIST EN ISO/IEC 25064:2017 on iTeh Standards

SIST-TP CEN ISO/IEC TR 25060:2017 – General Framework for Usability-Related Information

Systems and Software Engineering – Systems and Software Product Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) – Common Industry Format (CIF) for Usability: General Framework for Usability-Related Information

This foundational technical report defines the overarching framework for designing, specifying, evaluating, and documenting usability in interactive systems. Rather than prescribing a specific development method or lifecycle, it provides the structure and consistency required to communicate and manage usability throughout product evolution.

Scope and Key Requirements:

• Describes the Common Industry Formats (CIF) for usability, laying the foundation for a family of relevant International Standards.
• Establishes consistent terminology, classification, and structural guidelines for specifying, evaluating, and reporting usability.
• Applicability spans both software and hardware used for predefined tasks, making it relevant for broad industry adoption.
• Outlines essential usability-related information items, including context of use, user needs, requirements, interaction, interfaces, and evaluation reports.
• Promotes process independence, enabling use with agile, waterfall, and hybrid life cycles.

Who Should Comply? Developers, software engineers, UX and usability specialists, requirements analysts, project/product managers, and procurement professionals needing to specify or evaluate usability criteria in procurement bids or development.

Practical Implications:

• Provides a shared language and clarity across cross-functional teams and external partners, improving results in procurement, design, and validation phases.
• Supports better risk management: systems are designed and validated against real user requirements, minimizing errors and costly redesign.
• Enables organizations to benchmark, certify, or assess software usability, helping ensure products are fit for purpose and meet end-user expectations.

Key highlights:

• Defines core usability information items for design and evaluation
• Supports contracts, procurement, benchmarking, and quality audits
• Flexible: supports multiple project types and software growth strategies

Access the full standard:View SIST-TP CEN ISO/IEC TR 25060:2017 on iTeh Standards

Industry Impact & Compliance

Why Are Software Standards Crucial for Today’s Businesses?

The relentless pace of digital innovation introduces both enormous opportunity and risk. Adhering to international standards levels the playing field—whether you’re a multinational developing smart rail systems or a startup launching a new app. Here’s why these standards make a difference:

• Boosting Productivity: Clear guidance accelerates development, reduces duplication, and shortens time-to-market. Teams spend less time reinventing the wheel and more time innovating.
• Enhancing Security: Rigorous process controls and measurable requirements lower the risk of vulnerabilities and defects, especially in safety-critical sectors (like rail).
• Ensuring Compliance: Meeting industry and governmental regulations (such as those for passenger safety or procurement contracts) becomes manageable and auditable.
• Improving User Experience: Codifying usability and user needs delivers products people actually want to use, driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Scaling With Confidence: Standardized processes ease scaling—across teams, markets, or geographies—because everyone shares the same baseline for quality, security, and performance.

Risks of Non-Compliance

• Project Delays: Unclear requirements or overlooked user needs often lead to costly rework.
• Lost Markets: Failing to meet accepted standards can mean disqualification from major contracts, especially in regulated industries.
• Reputational Damage: System failures, security breaches, or usability complaints risk eroding user trust and brand value.
• Legal and Financial Penalties: Especially in transport, healthcare, and government sectors, non-compliance may result in fines or litigation.

Following globally recognized standards isn’t just good engineering—it’s smart business.

Implementation Guidance

Adopting these standards can feel daunting, but a structured approach will maximize your investment and accelerate benefits.

Common Implementation Approaches

1. Gap Analysis: Compare current processes to standard requirements to identify where changes are needed.
2. Training and Awareness: Educate teams on why the standards matter and how to interpret their requirements.
3. Integrated Process Development: Update or create procedures and templates that reflect standard recommendations.
4. Tool Support: Leverage tools for requirements management, configuration control, and usability assessment.
5. Pilot Projects: Start with pilot implementations in discrete teams or projects to gather feedback and refine the approach.
6. Audit and Review: Periodically review adherence to standards, capturing lessons learned for ongoing improvement.

Best Practices for Adopting Software Standards

• Start early: Embed user needs and usability considerations from day one—not as an afterthought.
• Cross-functional involvement: Include input from end users, developers, quality, security, and business stakeholders.
• Document everything: Consistent, structured documentation (as outlined in UNRs and the CIF framework) helps with traceability and future audits.
• Iterate and evolve: Treat standards not as static requirements, but as living guides—keep learning and refining as your team matures.
• Leverage external expertise: Where necessary, partner with standards consultants or use certified trainers to accelerate adoption.

Resources for Organizations

• iTeh Standards Platform: For access to up-to-date standards and best practice resources—visit the iTeh Standards Software Collection
• Industry Groups and Forums: Participate in professional associations, online forums, and conferences (many standards bodies also run outreach programs).
• Internal Champions: Appoint or designate compliance leads or champions for key domains.

Conclusion / Next Steps

International software standards bring structure, safety, and quality to a world of accelerating technological change. By implementing key documents such as SIST EN 50657:2017/A1:2023, SIST EN ISO/IEC 25064:2017, and SIST-TP CEN ISO/IEC TR 25060:2017, your organization can:

• Deliver more secure and productive software products
• Improve customer and user satisfaction
• Meet regulatory and procurement requirements with confidence
• Reduce avoidable risks and costs
• Scale products and services effectively and consistently

Action steps for organizations:

• Review your current software development and documentation processes for compliance gaps.
• Invest in awareness and training for staff involved in software and system design.
• Consult the iTeh Standards portal regularly for updates and resources.
• Make continuous improvement, compliance, and user experience central to your culture.

By embedding these standards into your people, processes, and products, you’ll unlock sustainable growth, a competitive edge, and a reputation for excellence in today’s digital economy.