The problem we focus on
The rapidly evolving regulatory landscape in the European Union presents significant challenges for digital product teams seeking to innovate whilst maintaining compliance. The intersection of GDPR, the EU AI Act, European Accessibility Act, and ISO 42001 creates a complex matrix of requirements that demands sophisticated understanding and implementation. Product leaders frequently lack the integrated knowledge necessary to translate these regulatory frameworks into practical development strategies that balance compliance with commercial objectives.
Why we can solve it better
Our approach transforms regulatory complexity into structured implementation pathways.
Having directly confronted these challenges across multiple organisations, we've
developed
expertise and methodologies that bridge the traditional divide between R&D and
compliance
functions.
This practical knowledge has been refined and formalised into a comprehensive service
offering that closes the gap between abstract regulatory requirements and dynamic
product
innovation.
Our distinctive capability stems from
We translate abstract legal requirements into product specifications and development criteria, creating clear linkages between regulation and implementation based on real-world application.
Our methodologies bridge the gap between legal, design, engineering and data teams, establishing shared vocabulary and collaborative workflows that embed compliance throughout the product lifecycle.
No one-size-fits-all playbooks. We adapt our protocols to your development workflows and system architecture, enabling teams to meet regulatory goals without derailing velocity or product vision.
Beyond mere compliance, we identify how regulatory alignment can unlock market differentiation and customer trust, transforming regulatory requirements into commercial advantages.
What we have seen
In our extensive work with digital product organisations, we have observed consistent patterns of regulatory fragmentation and siloed approaches to compliance. Legal teams maintain expertise in regulatory requirements but struggle to communicate practical implications for product development. Meanwhile, product teams often view regulations as constraints rather than design parameters, leading to retrofitted compliance that increases costs and delays market entry. The result is suboptimal products that either:
- Underdeliver on innovation due to excessive caution
- Face significant rework when compliance issues emerge late in development
- Miss opportunities to leverage compliance as a competitive differentiator
- Fail to harness potential synergies between regulatory frameworks
The areas of overlap between these regulations—requiring cross-disciplinary collaboration, robust documentation, and governance integration into workflows—remain particularly challenging to navigate effectively.
Examples of regulatory intersections:
The complexity of these overlapping regulations manifests in numerous practical scenarios:
By addressing these challenges holistically through our purpose-built service offering, we enable organisations to navigate the EU's complex regulatory landscape whilst maintaining innovation velocity, reducing compliance costs, and accessing European markets with confidence and competitive advantage.
Working with Aligned Consulting gives you a peace mind in knowing that your projects are designed with strategic solutions.
AI recruitment tools
Must simultaneously address:
- GDPR requirements for data minimisation and lawful processing
- AI Act provisions for high-risk systems requiring human oversight and transparency
- Accessibility requirements to ensure the tool works for candidates with disabilities
Generation Platforms
face multi-faceted compliance challenges:
- GDPR implications for training data sources and the portrayal of identifiable individuals
- AI Act classification concerns, particularly regarding transparency in AI-generated content
- Accessibility considerations for different user groups interacting with synthetic content
- ISO 42001 governance requirements for documenting model development and deployment
Chatbots
require careful consideration of:
- Consent management for data collection under GDPR
- Clear disclosure of AI usage to meet AI Act transparency obligations
- Accessible interface design per EAA requirements
- Governance frameworks and audit trails as recommended by ISO 42001
Necessitate:
- Privacy by design considerations for data collection and processing
- Risk assessment for potential automated decision-making implications
- Interface accessibility for team members with visual impairments
- Structured documentation and impact assessments