ISO 18542 is structured in two parts:

• Part 1 defines a framework and a process for agreeing terms;
• Part 2 defines the process implementation requirements for a terminology management system and for a Registration Authority with a digital annex.

The basic purpose of ISO 18542 is to facilitate searching of vehicle manufacturer (VM) repair and maintenance information (RMI) websites by independent operators (IOs).

ISO 18542-1:2012 provides a general overview and structure of each part of ISO 18542. It also specifies use cases related to repair and maintenance information (RMI) terminology in order to standardize the access to RMI for IOs.

The provision of the agreed automotive RMI terminology itself is outside the remit of ISO 18542 and therefore outside the scope of ISO 18542-1:2012. Rather, it is foreseen that the agreed automotive RMI terminology will follow a lifecycle beyond the timeframe of ISO 18542. It will be dependent upon the work of a Registration Authority, a Terminology Review Group for its creation and management, and of a digital annex for its publication. For the development of the digital annex, existing standards will be reviewed and elements included where appropriate and practical.