Around 300 technical committees, subcommittees, and task groups contribute to standards development at the American Welding Society (AWS). This consensus-based process relies on collaboration among subject-matter experts. Over the years, however, their work had become spread across numerous tools and file formats. Beacon brings the core stages together in one environment and establishes a consistent data foundation for the entire standards lifecycle.
One Platform Simplifies Collaboration
Drafts were created in Word, tables in Word or Excel. Ballots and reviews were handled via email, while final files were produced in FrameMaker and Acrobat. Some comments still arrived by mail or fax. Before introducing a new platform, AWS redesigned the underlying processes to simplify collaboration and make standards available as structured, machine-readable data.
Together with EBCONT and Fonto, AWS developed Beacon to support this approach. The platform connects authoring, review, committee management, and publishing. Authors and committee members work in an integrated environment that supports the core stages of standards development.
Standards Are Structured from the Start
FontoXML provides the foundation for editing, review, and publishing. NISO-STS serves as the structured XML format in the backend. Content is created and managed in a structured format from the start, enabling consistent reuse.
The technical complexity remains largely invisible to users. Subject-matter experts can focus on content without having to work directly with XML or ontologies. Beacon connects the work of developing standards with a consistent data foundation for their subsequent use.
Direct Feedback Shapes Product Development
Development followed an agile approach, with direct feedback to the Fonto product team. Input from the American Welding Society contributed to enhancements in Fonto, allowing the collaboration to benefit the underlying product as well.
Peter Portela, Director, Standards Product Development at AWS, describes the collaboration with EBCONT:
“With EBCONT’s support, we strategically redesigned and rebuilt our platform in just three months. Combining deep engineering expertise with modern technologies, AI-driven development practices, and agentic coding, EBCONT helped us build a stronger, more scalable architecture and significantly accelerate our path to market.”
Machine-Readable Standards Enable New Uses
Beacon creates a consistent foundation for working with standards throughout their lifecycle. Structured content opens up opportunities that extend beyond traditional publishing.
The platform provides the foundation for queryable tables, machine-to-machine integration, and AI-assisted tools, as well as integration with engineering and requirements systems.
Make Your Technical Content Structured and Reusable
Looking to bring the development and publishing of technical content onto one platform? Contact Lars Schlatermund to discuss how to prepare your processes and content.
Contact: lars.schlatermund@ebcont.com