12 Critical Challenges Facing Standards Organizations Today

If you’re an executive at a Standards Developing Organization, you’re navigating one of the most transformative periods in our industry’s history. The business models that sustained us for decades are under pressure from every direction: EU regulations demanding free access, aging technology platforms that can’t keep pace, users who expect AI-powered experiences, and competitors who are moving faster than ever.

Based on conversations with SDO leaders across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, we’ve identified 12 critical challenges that are reshaping how standards organizations create value and sustain operations. These aren’t theoretical problems – they’re real situations facing organizations right now, backed by specific data points and urgent timelines.

Here’s what’s keeping your peers up at night:

1. Revenue Model Transformation: Moving Beyond Single PDF Sales

SDOs are scrambling to shift from traditional unit PDF sales to subscription-based, tiered service models. Some organizations offer 20% discounts in subscriptions but frustrate customers with copy/edit restrictions. Others see 20-30% YoY growth in training versus flat standards sales. One organization successfully pivoted to a 50/50 split between subscriptions and single sales over the past decade.

The question: how do you grow recurring revenue without punishing paying customers?

2. Technology Obsolescence & Platform Replacement Urgency

Legacy systems are becoming liabilities. Organizations must replace 17-year-old platforms to meet accessibility legislation. Some struggle with ancient IBM Lotus Notes systems. Others deal with platforms that lack security and customization options. Most critically: industry experts identified 2028 as the deadline when current PDF-based business models become obsolete due to EU free access requirements.

The clock is ticking.

3. AI & Translation as Critical User Needs

Language barriers lock customers out of standards. Research identified finding relevant content and language barriers as the top two user pain points. Translation is a “critical problem” for many organizations – technically correct translations are rare. Some SDOs rely on Google Translate but require extensive manual review. Others have seen translation vendor quality collapse despite terminology databases. Users need AI that understands technical terminology, not just word-for-word translation.

4. Content Protection vs. Usability Paradox

Traditional DRM creates support nightmares while failing to prevent piracy. Some organizations removed major DRM solutions due to excessive support issues. Others switched DRM providers when per-user pricing became unsustainable. SDO leaders emphasize their responsibility for copyright protection while acknowledging the tension with user experience.

The challenge: protect content without crippling legitimate use.

5. Harmonized Standards & Free Access Threat

EU regulations requiring free access to harmonized standards are eliminating 15-50% of SDO revenue streams. Some organizations operate as 100% government-funded with all revenue going to treasury. Others have 15% of standards as free harmonized standards, requiring new revenue streams. The 2028 deadline looms when free access requirements fully hit.

Organizations need new business models – fast.

6. Cross-Organization Complexity & Metadata Challenges

Real engineering work requires standards from multiple SDOs, but fragmented systems make cross-reference nearly impossible. Advanced platforms offer sophisticated functionality but only include their own organization’s standards – major national SDOs report zero customers accessing full collections from international bodies. Organizations manage tens of thousands of standards with a small percentage driving 80% of usage. Large catalogs follow Pareto principles.

Users need unified access, not organizational silos.

7. Organizational Structure & Decision-Making Complexity

Complex governance and government funding make agile decision-making nearly impossible. Some organizations are 100% state-funded with no bank account control – all revenue goes directly to state budget. Others face 1-year budget approval lags. Mergers and organizational changes push platform implementations out by years.

Digital transformation requires navigating bureaucratic realities.

8. Small Market Constraints & Resource Limitations

Small national SDOs face impossible economics. Some organizations’ standards sales cover only 15-16% of operating costs. Others see zero requests for free harmonized standards despite legal requirements. Some decided against implementation when six-figure conversion costs proved too high relative to their catalog size.

Small markets need scalable solutions, not enterprise pricing.

9. Workflow Integration & Requirements Extraction

Engineers don’t want to read standards – they need to extract requirements and push them into PLM systems, CAD tools, and testing equipment. Research identified the gap between standards platforms and engineering tools. SDOs report frequent requests for individual elements: figures, tables, formulas, symbols – some requests involve hundreds of technical drawings. Leaders emphasize version control liability when engineers unknowingly work with outdated standards.

10. User Demographics & Change Management Resistance

Aging technical committees create massive adoption barriers. Organizations report over 1,000 technical committee members predominantly 55+ years old. Some SDOs serve 93% users who prefer paper – they’ve cut printing significantly and plan further reductions to push digital adoption. Leaders believe customers won’t adopt digital options if PDFs remain available – they’ll keep printing and sharing copies.

Digital transformation requires change management, not just technology.

11. Competitor Benchmarking & Industry Movement

SDOs watch each other closely – afraid to move first but equally afraid of being left behind. Some organizations fear deviating from regional alignment, having historically been followers. Others face competitive pressure as companies buy standards wherever service is better. Cross-border purchasing increases due to pricing differences. Major European SDOs have deployed AI capabilities; others expect platform expansions.

Leading countries already offer commercial smart services. The window for strategic positioning is closing.

12. Pilot Projects & Implementation Timelines

SDOs need proof before commitment, but long approval processes create paralysis. Organizations schedule board meetings to review action plans including pilots. Leaders propose pilots with high-demand standards. Some suggest testing limited standards with specific customers, evaluating after one year. Others postpone evaluation by months or target complete digital distribution 18+ months out. Organizations need fast proof points for budget approvals.

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The Path Forward: Making Standards Smart

These twelve challenges aren’t isolated problems – they’re interconnected symptoms of a fundamental shift in how standards create value. The organizations that thrive won’t be those with the best PDF delivery systems. They’ll be those that transform standards from static documents into intelligent, integrated knowledge systems.

This is where Get More Brain enters the picture – not as just another platform vendor, but as a strategic partner in content transformation.

We Don’t Just Provide Technology. We Make Content Smart.

Get More Brain combines three critical elements that most platform providers can’t offer:

• Streaming Architecture That Solves the DRM Dilemma: Like Spotify for music, our platform protects content while delivering seamless user experiences. No frustrating restrictions, no support nightmares, no piracy vulnerability.
• AI That Understands Technical Context: Our natural language interface doesn’t just translate words – it understands technical terminology, cross-references between standards, and provides context-aware answers in multiple languages.
• Expert Content Transformation Services: We don’t just host your PDFs. Our team of content specialists works with you to structure, enrich, and layer your standards with commentary, training materials, and workflow integrations that create new revenue streams.

We Help You Do Business With Your Content

The future of standards isn’t about defending PDF sales – it’s about building value-added services that customers will pay for even when base content is free. Get More Brain enables:

• Flexible subscription tiers without artificial usage restrictions
• AI-powered assistance that makes standards accessible to non-English speakers
• Workflow integrations that feed requirements into PLM systems, CAD tools, and testing equipment
• Cross-SDO content integration that matches how engineers actually work
• Analytics that demonstrate value and inform strategic decisions
• Phased implementation that respects your organizational pace and budget constraints

Built for 2028 and Beyond

While others patch legacy systems, we’ve built infrastructure for the regulatory and technical environment that’s coming. Accessible by design. Ready for EU harmonized standards requirements. Scalable from small national bodies to international organizations.

Most importantly: we’ve navigated these challenges before. We understand government procurement cycles, complex governance structures, change management with aging user bases, and the economics of small markets. We’re not just selling software – we’re partnering in transformation.

Your Next Step

If these twelve challenges resonate with your situation, let’s talk. Not about features and pricing – about your specific constraints, timeline pressures, and strategic objectives. We’ll design an approach that fits your organizational reality.

The 2028 deadline is three years away. Legacy system replacements take years to plan, approve, and implement. The organizations that start now will lead their markets. Those that wait will spend 2028 in crisis mode.

Which kind of organization will yours be?