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Workflow Committee Charter (2026)

Defining Workflow

For the purposes of this committee, workflow is defined as the intersection of process (what gets done), technology (the tools used to get work done), and organization (the people, structures, and companies that work to deliver agreed-upon goods and services). The workflow committee focuses on standards and best practices for the development of content, metadata, and tools required to deliver book content across departments, organizations, and industry segments.


Current State

Existing publishing workflows are not well documented or understood, and success is not clearly defined. Cross-segment workflows can be siloed, limiting communications. Undocumented workflows may not deliver on their requirements. Workflow problems and their solutions are difficult to identify without undertaking end-to-end research.

Effective workflows are central to facilitating work in remote, in-office, or  hybrid environments and sustain productivity when blending or shifting work models. Platforms and tools used to support both in-person and remote work have also prompted consideration of the privacy and ethics concerns associated with their use. Legal requirements, including those of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA), increasingly rely on workflows that address diversity, inclusion, and accessibility for anyone who is print disabled, including those with visual impairments.

In the past few years, the impact of AI tools and technologies on how book publishing operates have been both of great interest and increasing concern. Amid ongoing ethical and environmental concerns around the use of AI, we've seen AI tools incorporated into publishing workflows, at times accompanied by the introduction of AI-enabled publishing workflows.


Objectives

  • Promote BISG examples of effective workflows, within and across segments.

  • Discuss, identify, and document best practices and identify approaches to selecting tools and resources required to improve approaches already in place.

  • Maintain workflow-related guides and best practices to ensure that BISG resources address current and anticipated industry opportunities and challenges, including accessibility, audiobooks, and AI as topics.


Stakeholder Impact/Benefits

Existing workflows have been developed as responses to prevailing conditions, with little access to best practice or alternative resources. The workflow committee’s efforts can help close information gaps, foster best practice and increase awareness of available tools and how they might be used. In turn, this can improve perceived quality in areas that include accessibility and improve reader value by eliminating errors that are introduced when workflows are not aligned or consistent.


Deliverables

In 2026, the Workflow Committee will:

  1. Advance and support the Book Publishing Next initiative to develop and modernize industry standards through the following projects:

    1. Propose industry standards for digital product workflows to streamline the creation and distribution of ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital formats.

    2. Develop guidelines for digital-first metadata (e.g., pre-release visibility, AI summaries, accessibility tags).

  2. Through May 2026, advance and support the BISG Accessibility Working Group’s efforts to amplify accessibility resources ahead of the ADA Title II update. Assume responsibility for accessibility-related workflow work beginning in June 2026.

  3. Oversee the BISG AI Working Group as it evaluates opportunities and risks associated with AI in publishing, and assume responsibility for AI monitoring and workflow-related education after the group’s closure in June 2026.

  4. Oversee the BISG Audiobook Best Practices Working Group in their efforts to adapt, update, and expand BIC’s work on audiobook best practices. 

  5. Offer support and engagement opportunities for new student members following the introduction of the new student dues level.


Blockers

Subject-matter knowledge about topics like audiobooks and AI may not be readily available, making progress potentially difficult. As well, the AI landscape is changing quickly, and the working group may need to adjust its plans along the way to respond to new developments.