Financing Standards Work at DIN
A solid company is distinguished by solid financing
68 % of the financing of the DIN Group (DIN German Institute for Standardization, Beuth Verlag GmbH, and DIN Software GmbH) comes from its own income generated by its services and products. 14 % of its revenue takes the form of project funds from industry, a further 12 % is financed through public project funds, while 6 % is covered by its membership fees.
Costs were maintained at a stable level, not only for the standards development process but also for standards distribution and the maintenance of 469,098 standards and technical rules. Overall expenditure can be broken down to approximately 42 % for personnel expenses and 58 % for material costs.
To ensure that the complex standardization processes are performed highly efficiently at the lowest possible cost, while at the same time developing and providing the products demanded by the market, especially by small and medium-sized companies, about 6,6 million euros worth of planned investments were made in the last business year, around 20 % of which was spent on hard- and software alone. These investments in IT structures, especially, help increase efficiency and lower costs for the external experts. Standards can be developed by experts working across the globe via the Internet, and video conferences help save on travel expenses. The standards development process is accelerated, the quality of products is improved, and the costs incurred by all participants in this process are reduced.
But the planned investments made in buildings at the sites in Berlin, Hamburg, Koblenz and Pforzheim during the past business year also have a positive effect on standards work and help us meet the needs of an internationally oriented group of businesses. Each year the DIN Group receives approximately 50,000 guests from all over the world at its Berlin site alone. Having conference room technology that fulfils the highest demands contributes greatly to the success of the standardization meetings, and investing in a modern in-house restaurant allows us to offer high-quality catering services to our external experts, guests and staff alike.
Last year DIN welcomed 70 new members, with only 40 cancellations, giving a total of 1,892 members by the end of 2011. This steady increase in membership illustrates the confidence industry has in DIN's work. Altogether, DIN members represent around 4,4 million employees, or 11 % of those employed in Germany. Its members also send to DIN about 8,400 staff members - about 30 % of all standards experts - to participate in standards committees, thus contributing their knowledge and expertise to the development of German Standards. The greatest number of DIN Members are based in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, closely followed by Bavaria, reflecting the concentration of industry within the German Laender.
Further information on the financing of standards projects