A CONSISTENT SYSTEM INTRODUCING MERP the only possible future Fabio Gattari Software Architect Etere srl A CONSISTENT SYSTEM

This speech This speech is about what is coming. Probably the evolution is here but you do not see it. You are just moving, but probably you need to be faster. And you need to move in the direction of the future.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Topics You need to move forward File based system is not a system with file drag and drop If your system has a drop folder this is wrong All must be managed You need to change your workflow

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Evolution Evolution is a process no-one is able to stop And it’s a process than will run the easy and most profitable way. And this road can be very different from what you see now

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Something disappear

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Something appear

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Something disappear PAL NTSC SDI Tracking Balanced Unbalanced

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Something Appear Mpeg Mxf H264 TCP/IP Switch Routing Firewall

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM The result You need to learn !!! Before To protect you tapes you lock the door of the archive NOW You configure the firewall Before You adjust the audio level with a knob NOW You use a transcoder to change the loudness.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM The fear to change While IT is used to have ERP technologies ERP for Broadcast is still new. ERP or better MERP help a lot to improve the organization. But it changes the existing organization MERP = Media Enterprise Resources Planning

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM 5 benefits of MERP 1.Access the information everywhere 2.Increase business efficiency 3.Automatize business processes 4.Provide flexibility 5.Concentrate on your own business

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM How to choose an ERP system Ease of Use. How long will it take your users to learn the system? Technology. Many systems require you to start over with their implementation. Prefer a system with a fully configurable workflow. Company Stability. There’s nothing worse than building a relationship with a company and its employees only to have them be bought out or sold or disappear.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM ERP in broadcast Broadcast station need an extension of ERP MERP need also to manage the value of broadcasters The management system has not to take care of the video files only but also of the value connected to them It also had to plan the workflow and track the costs.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Changing is still ongoing In my activity often someone ask me Where is the file ? And my answer is why you need to know? When you insert data in the database of your accounting, you do not ask in which file it’s recorded ? You need only to be sure that data will go as you request in the format you need.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM MERP new vision

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM A common mistake Department A has system XXX Department B Has system YYY We need to interface them !! THIS IS WRONG You need one system One common repository One coherent GUI One consistent Database Companies waste Millions because they are not able to integrate.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Key areas of MERP Multimedia Asset Management Resource planning Scheduling Air Sales Production management Archive Playout Accounting

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM The workflow dilemma

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Workflow I am a supplier My future customers ask me. Which workflow will you propose me ? This is like you go to buy a car and you ask to the reseller. Sorry how to you suggest me to drive, left or right side !! Probably the answer will be: Go to a driving school !!!

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Supplier or consultant Because the new equipment are different And customers have no know-how. The supplier became a consultant But the customer must be ready to change workflow in all the company

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM The new workflow The new workflow is different You must tune the workflow with the new tools And you must try to improve the workflow. The best workflow is different and require a different job distribution. Only who knows the company is able to design a new workflow.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM See this example

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM The drop folder I heard a lot about drop folders. They seems the basic of file based system But. I never heard about a Tape drop bin! A place where someone drop a videotape, and someone other collect. Probably you have a drop folder only because your system is still primitive and it’s not able to do better.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM You need a Media Asset Management But someone can say: My media asset management is based on drop folders.!!! So.? You do not have a Media Asset Management. If I call a Bicycle as a Motorcycle, it does not change it. You still have a Bicycle only

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Drop Folders and Bandwith Bandwith is Expensive. And drop folders use unnecessary bandwith.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Drop folders sample You have a 200GB videofile You copy on the drop folder of Quality check QC read it and write on the Drop folders of OK files You copy the file on the Drop folder of trascoding Trascoding Read it and write the Proxy You copy the file on the Ok folders You use 2’200 GB of bandwith

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM If you have a real MAM You have a 200GB videofile Mam order QC to read it Mam put the result data in Database and Flag it Ok Mam Order a trascoding Mam Flag the file OK You use 400GB of bandwith and probably you save some hours. 2’200 against 400 ! Now you find your bandwith

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM MERP new vision

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Broadcast traditions Historically broadcast develops 2 different areas IT for management, planning, cost control Video, to manage video materials The 2 areas were completely disconnected Production orders arrive from IT and the video is managed in a different system. Some pieces of paper provide reconciliation between resource management and video products No real interaction between systems

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM systems IT Broadcast

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM But Now Now everything is a File A file is managed inside a ‘Video broadcast system’ While It has properties and costs in a ‘IT system’ But both use the same computers and same It infrastructure, the same network MERP is able to connect those system.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM systems IT Broadcast MERP

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Start to look at The Process

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM My experience I see broadcasters spending Millions to increase the bandwidth. As example to allow to receive a file 5 minutes faster, 5 minutes instead of 10! But it’s management system approval is manual and take 1 hour!! So they spend one hour to decide, but then they wish to save 5 minutes, and I listen a lot people thinking about the difference between 70 minutes and 65 minutes As it’s easy to understand the Key factor in not the 5 minutes of file transfer but the hour for the decision. This is because decision and properties stay in a different system, manually updated.

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM OTT sample You need a copy of your content to be used for OTT purposes. You need a different file format You need to trim away the black you use to insert advertising You need to convert subtitle info You need to add a trailer frame You need to create an XML file of metadata. Then you need to deliver via Hard drive

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Traditional process Mam repository CUT JOIN TRASCODE Create XML

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM How to do it in a MAM ?

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Key areas of MERP Multimedia Asset Management Resource planning Scheduling Air Sales Production management Archive Playout Accounting

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM Efficiency and quality This can be only created with an integrated system The correct decision must be activated as soon as it’s possible All the data must be available The correct workflow must be enforced The future is on MERP

A CONSISTENT SYSTEM THANK YOU Fabio Gattari Software Architect Etere srl A CONSISTENT SYSTEM