One of the main concerns when selecting a standard component is quality. The product life cycle in the computer industry is short. If you follow the leading edge at some distance, prices will fall dramatically without necessitating the purchase of low quality, no-name products. Select items from major manufacturers. Magazines such as PC Magazine, PC Week, and InfoWorld all provide information on product quality.
Software is another area in which the adoption of a standard is important.
The job of providing support for word processing, for example, is made much more difficult if one must deal with several different word processing packages with various revisions of each product. Rather than allowing each individual to decide on which brand or version of an application to use, set up a committee to evaluate products with the condition that a single product be selected for use throughout the network. Then be sure to update the product on a periodic basis and support it with training. Develop a standardized file and directory structure and stick with it. Use available tools to restrict the places where users may deposit files and periodically encourage them to delete unused files.