Workflow Committee Charter (2024)

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 text,  images, and the metadata 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. Without comprehensive analysis, problems and their solutions can be difficult to identify.

The impact of remote and hybrid work has increased the importance of effective workflows. 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.

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. However, the information available about the use and impact of these technologies is largely anecdotal and generally not yet specific to book publishing.

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 but not limited to topics like audiobooks and AI.

• Build awareness of opportunities to use workflows to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

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 inclusivity

• Improve reader value by eliminating errors that are introduced when workflows are not aligned or consistent

• Ensure a more equitable work environment

Deliverables

In 2024, the Workflow Committee will:

• Oversee the Audiobook Best Practices Working Group, which was formed in 2023 to apply BIC’s findings and recommendations to create a Best Practices Guide for Audiobooks

• Oversee the AI Working Group, which was formed in 2023 to consider opportunities and risks associated with its use in book publishing

• Continue its coffee-break webinar series, with 2024 topics to include:

  • “Incorporating DEI in content reviews” (February 14)

  • Workflow information flows (how do all of the pieces of a workflow solution need to fit together?) “Wiring for Change” (March 13)

  • “DEI in publishing: Steps to get there” (stakeholder identification and management) (April 10)

  • “DEI in publishing: Steps to get there” (use cases for different types of books, etc.; case studies illustrating effective stakeholder management) (June 12)

  • “Workshop to discuss DEI across the supply chain” Solicit engagement from other publishing associations (October 9)

  • Continue to expand participation in the workflow committee, with a focus on under-represented segments (libraries, manufacturing, distribution, retail, industry partners). As an ongoing part of this outreach, BISG will reach out to early-career and under-represented members of member organizations.

Blockers

Subject-matter knowledge about topics like audiobooks and AI may not be readily available, making progress potentially difficult. The committee anticipates hiring an external resource to draft deliverables, circulate them among working group  members and knowledgeable subject matter experts, and respond to comments and direction from those audiences. 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.

Timeline