1. Scheduling System for Commercials
Etere Air Sales
Scheduling System for Commercials

2. Etere Core ETERE is based on the powerful Microsoft SQL technology
Above is a diagram illustrating some of the tables within an ETERE database
AUTOMATION is the only component independent from the SQL database, it hold the last ‘published’ schedule
This architecture offers complete redundancy and an easy to maintain system,
An ETERE system is composed by four different areas that have been clearly illustrated in four different colours:
Assets, or content management,
Scheduling,
Traffic,
Media management. 2

3. What is a Scheduling System?
A Scheduling System can be divided into 3 key areas:
Commercial management (sold by the station):
Sales
Traffic ( scheduling)
Invoicing
Planning/Reports
Programs management (purchased or produced by the station):
Program management
Series management
Rights payment
Promo management:
All these events make-up the playlist
Following playout, As-Run logs are created for both invoicing and rights management

4. Grid Preparation

5. What Is The Grid
The grid is the basic structure where the transmission list is composed
The grid guide sales and traffic in their operation
The grid guide programs and promo also
The grid is a flexible structure that can be changed anytime

6. Air Sales Grid Preparation
Etere Sales guide people on selling commercial advertising space
It allows to elaborate the best proposals based on the most important programming variables such as time-slot, cluster-position, rate-cards, etc
Each stage of the Proposal Management process includes on-demand reports

7. Weekly Grid
AIR SALES allows you to manually create schedules by using either existing or even new blocks
Create a schedule structure under a free style grid format
Just drag and drop blocks to insert them into the structure

8. Create a Block
By default, new blocks are colored according to the program contained on them
However, this color can be freely modified by the user

9. Add an Existing Block
Insert existing blocks just by dragging and dropping them

10. Segments
This a typical frame, each line contain different objects, such as:
Billboards
News
Commercials
Promos
etc

11. Structure Change This is an example of structure change,
You redifining a frame without losting his content, you can redifine the break structure.

12. Schedule Segments As in real life, Etere schedules are based on blocks
One block contains different segments that can host one or more objects (commercials)
Each segment can host only some Objects Type ( commercials, promo,programs)
Segments can be ‘split’ to be sent to different markets,with different contents
Each segment can host one or more Rate Card to define the price list to be applied to each customer, customers are divided in pricing groups (colors)
Expected incomes can be assgined to blocks
For each segment is possible to define the expected audience, so it’s possible to tell to the customers what will be the target audience for the campaign, and if this will not be reached give them free spots to reach the audience.

13. Sales

14. Features
Sales offers full management for planning and commercial operations
Complete integration with the Scheduling module
All contractual, financial and personal data is included
Different levels as:
Running
To be approved
Approved
Rejected

15. Features Scheduled events are managed via workflow
Automatic pricing via schedule structure
Different tool for supervisors and Salesmen including individual GUI
Structure-guided elaboration of advertising sales proposals
Automatic pricing according to schedule structure

16. Features Different rate card for different customers type
Use of key criteria in the booking process including cluster position, rate cards, rating
Including various charges such as commercial dubbing, production
Web support for remote booking, scheduling, and consultation of commercial events
More than 100 types of reports

17. Sales and Proposals

18. Supervisor Interface Create so many price lists as required
Associate these price lists to scheduling blocks
Define customer credit.
Define and check Salesman and customer monthly budgets
Check proposals
Proposals can be easily either approved o rejected
Check Salesman profit at any time
Check customer situation (payed invoices, expired payments, credit status)
All functions are sequentially ordered, allowing an intuitive management
Print custom reports about proposals
Set automatic checking parameters

19. Redesigned Salesman Interface
View your own budget
Check your customers’ budgets
Create or edit open proposals
Check your approved, rejected and reviewed proposals
View archived and scheduled proposals
Check your customers’ billing data including those invoiced, expired and paid
Consult your proposals history data
Print custom reports about proposals

20. Create a Proposal Set a creation and expiration dates
Select the “color criteria” to be used for the price
Choose an invoice mode
Contractual parties involved in the proposal
Proposals created with Etere Sales are based on specific evaluation criteria in order to automatically determinate the correct price of advertising spaces
The user can specify up to four invoice modes:
Charge to customer: The entire amount is invoiced to the customer
Charge customer share: Only the fraction corresponding to the customer is invoiced to him
Charge customer share indicating agency percentage: Only the fraction corresponding to the customer is invoiced to him, and the percentage invoiced to the agency is indicated
Charge to agency with credit note: To sent a credit note to the agency indicating the total amount to be paid to the station
Agencies, Media Centers and Salesmans
Insert invoicing related data

21. Extra Expenses To Invoice
Include “extra” espenses such as Production and Dubbing

22. Insert Details Define an unlimited number of independent details
Indicate the price calculation method
Set the scheduling method to be used
Insert relevant scheduling info
Schedule type: Select the pricing level to be used for the selected classification,
Channel: Indicate the station on which the event will be scheduled,
From date / To date: Set the time range on which the event can be scheduled,
Product Code: Choose the code of the product from a well-categorized list of types,
Description: Insert a brief description of the event,
Duration: Select the scheduled duration of the event specified on this detail,
Classification: Here will be listed the colours of all the pricing levels defined on the price lists, select the colour related to the current client,
Total to schedule: Enter the total number of times that the event will be aired within the given time range,
Duration, Asset, Product Code, Production, Dubbing,
Mode: Specify if the event is either a paid event (user-defined prices will be normally charged for airing this detail) or a free event (any fee will be charged for airing this detail).
Select the segments on which schedule it

23. Salesmen and Customers
Salesmans can be associated to one or more customers
Customers can be associated to up to five Salesmans
Link up to five commercial Salesmans to each customer

24. Price Lists Price lists can have a limited validity period
Each customer group has its own colored price list
A single block can have different prices according to different scheduling rules as:
Primetime
Daily rotation

25. Customer Categories
SALES allows to associate specific price lists to certain blocks within a given time range
Stations can create custom price lists for selected groups of customers

26. Client Group Colors Easiest recognition due to the use of colors
Each customer group is identified by its own color
Groups have different pricing not only discounts

27. Assign Price List to Segments
Custom assignment of Price Lists to certain blocks, to fixed days, and for specific programs.

28. Define Budgets
Budgets are related to either customer’s or Salesman’s expected revenues
Budgets allows to track all financial flow generated by proposals

29. Agencies Price List Category
Customers can be associated to a predeterminated Agency and Media Center
Each customer can have a predefined Agency to be retrieved automatically in the invoicing stage

30. Salesmen & Commissions
Set predefined Salesman’s commissions for specific customers
Michael Vasquez
Commercial Salesmans can be defined, as well as their specific commissions
Flag that indicates that a person is a commercial agent

31. Discounts Customers, Agencies, Media Buyers can have their discount
The discounts are Additive on the contract

32. Sales & Assets Sales can create the future asset
Sales can fill asset with medatada
Sales can select if asset will arrive as:
Tape
Dubsat
Adstream
Etere tapeless reception
Multiple asset can be assigned in one contract for asset rotation

33. Asset Metadata
Define the more relevant properties of your assets into a single object called Asset Form
Asset Forms are the core of the broadcasting process
An Asset Form act as a container, allows the insertion and association of all relevant metadata, media files, rights, workflows, etc
Assets are saved in the database and managed by the Etere Asset Form application, permitting you to search, visualize and amend saved assets and to create new ones as well

34. Media Source Agency that will send Who is expecting it Expected date
Can be selected who will send the video via tapeless ans who need to be informed as soon as it arrives.

35. One Touch Historical Data
Customer history on the last xx years, including total purchased and discount applied and color applied
My status and budget
Graphical and standard budget with historical data
All the proposal per customer including the archived one
Top ups detail
Payment delays detail

36. APPROVAL

37. Easy Approval Tools Automatic approval controls:
Is the proposal connected to any possible price for that block ?
What is written on the notes of that price list?
Is the amount correct?
Is there any extra discount?
Is the customer color default the same than the price list default? If it’s different, how much is the difference ?
View the customer’s history on the last XX years, including total purchased, discounts and color applied
Access Salesman’s history on the last XX years including total purchased and discount applied

38. Approved Proposals Proposals can be easily either approved or rejected
An automatic tool checks if there are any discrepancies in the proposal
Approved proposals becomes automatically ready to be scheduled by the right operator

39. Proposal Data Check

40. Traffic Scheduling

41. Schedule Commercial Orders
Air Sales carries out the entire planning of commercial activity
It ensures that commercial orders are professionally generated and efficiently managed
It Maximizes the both productivity and air-time planning

42. Commercial Orders Contractual parties involved in the order
Air Sales allows Generation and Space Reservation of commercial orders
Different status:
Preliminary, To be signed, Approved.

43. Commercial Order Details
lines
Order line details and scheduling parameters

44. Scheduling Details Program Blocks used for scheduling
Carry out the most important functions regarding commercial order's scheduling such as:
Creation of order lines
Scheduling
White and black lists management
Use remainders
Calculate used space
Manage virtual documents
etc
Difference between ordered and scheduled events

45. Air-time reservation of space: block & segment specific
Scheduling Rules
Scheduling rules
Air-time reservation of space: block & segment specific
Easy scheduling of space for commercial events
Scheduling is based on specific rules, structures and dates

46. View Space Scheduled events Reservation Details Top Up
The List of Reservations window display all events scheduled within a certain time frame
Top Up

47. View Cluster Content

48. Traffic Scheduling Engine
Scheduling Rules
Commercial Orders requests
Product Rules
Etere Scheduling
Engine
Crowding
Playlist
Properities
The Traffic Client/Server mode is studied to make faster the commercial scheduling process. The Traffic server takes care of the scheduling process while the Client application is free to process all other operations like commercial spaces reservation. The scheduling application is automatically launched locally. Reservations once launched shuts down automatically when the task ends.
White List
Black List 48

49. Scheduling Etere schedules Commercial Contracts NOT videos
This approach mix the requirements of both the Traffic and Automation department
One or more videos can be linked to a Commercial Contract
A video rotation GUI allows a multichannel easy change

50. Asset Rotation
Filter
Stations
Sequence to use
Selected
segments

51. Schedule Adjustment
Final adjustments are made on the Traffic Daily Schedule
It is also possible to make last minute changes on the Traffic Daily Schedule
All programs can also be managed from the Traffic Daily Schedule

52. Strategic Editor
Strategic Editor is an Etere application that allows you to view and modify your schedules in real time
Changes made in this application are automatically updated into the automation scheduling

53. Fine Tune Schedule Scheduled Time On-air Time Used vs. available time
Strategic Editor offers an all comprehensive way to schedule crucial material such as advertisements
Used vs. available time

54. Top UPS Insert Top Ups in just one click
Easy recognition of scheduled top ups

55. Commercial Contract starts
Reservation Workflow
Commercial Contract starts
Reserve space
Empty space
Contract
check
Confirm
reservation
Assign tapes

56. Operation Tracking All traffic operations are tracked and recorded
A certified log is generated containing all data to go back to the changes’ originator
Each change can also be have a document attached to it to prove it as the customer request

57. Event Info Track all event performed operations
For each contract and each event etere store the complete event list.
You can always view teh story of that event, when it was scheduled, changed or whitelisted.
View main event scheduling Info

58. ACCOUNTING

59. Etere Accounting
It is the new module for invoicing and invoice tracking
It counts with seamless integration between Automation and Air Sales Systems
As-run information of broadcasted schedules is automatically sent back from automation to Air Sales to proceed with the invoicing

60. Etere Accounting
Invoices includes several types of charges such as dubbing, commercial production
Different modes to invoice agency commissions:
Agency commission detracted from the invoice
Net invoice
Rebate after invoice
More …

61. Accounting Interface Manual and Automatic Invoicing Generation
Payments Management
Salesman’s Balance and Payments Management

62. Payments Easy recognition of the invoicing status
The Invoicing section allows you to view relevant details (i.e.: status, mode, data, etc) of both paid and unpaid invoices, and carry out their payment if it’s the latter case
In the Salesmans section payments to Salesmans can be performed
It is possible to give advanced payments to Salesmans based on the “financial status” of their customers
Possibility of printing invoices displayed on the screen
Total Balance Values
List of pending and paid invoices

63. Automatic Invoicing

64. Invoices List

65. Manual Invoicing Customize the layout
(e.g.: logo, numbering, footing, etc)
Define the customer
Print it
payment type
Compile relevant invoicing info
Create so many contract lines as needed
If you wish to manually create an invoice this can be done here, invoice numbers are automatically generated.
Search for the related order

66. Salesmen Accounting also track Salesmen commissions
Payment can be done before of after customer payment
Immediate check of commission balance
Immediate compare with budget

67. Salesmen Balance

68. Detailed Salesman Balance

69. Budgets Balance - Positive balances are green,
- Negative balances are red.
Compare assigned budgets with current budgets

70. Check ALL incomes obtained from a certain customer
Customer History Data
Check ALL incomes obtained from a certain customer

71. Customer Credit
Check the agreed credit of a customer and compare it with actual values

72. Reports

73. Wide Range of Reports Up to 32 AIR SALES specific reports
Reports concerning all aspects of scheduling carried out in Etere Air Sales can be produced to facilitate data management. Many of the reports are produced with user-defined parameters and search criteria.
More than 100 scheduling, financial and inventory related reports

74. Indicate the date frame on which the invoice has been carried out
Invoicing Reports
Indicate the date frame on which the invoice has been carried out
Reports concerning all aspects of scheduling carried out in Etere Air Sales can be produced to facilitate data management. Many of the reports are produced with user-defined parameters and search criteria.
Narrow the search by specifying the customer that owes the invoice(s) and/or the invoiced commercial order
Preview

75. Reports Export
Save previews as: qrp, htm, pdf, rtf, xls, txt, jpg, bmp, etc
You can export your reports in different formats such as CSV and XML
You can even customize them as you want
Reports can be easily exported to CSV and XML customizable files

76. Customers Relationship Management
CRM
Customers
Relationship
Management

77. Etere CRM Etere is equipped with a CRM module
CRM is an easy tool to remember what you need to do
It allows to automatically re-call a customer about an unapproved proposal by selecting an expiry time
Additionally, CRM gives you all the details and history of the people you are dealing with
CRM is also connected to your Outlook system

78. CRM
Company people can be detailed (e.g. purchase manager, technical staff, etc.)
A person career can be edited to better understand people background and capabilities. 78

79. To Do List The Todo list is a sequence of reminders.
It can be use to altert the customer or the Etere operator with a reminder.

80. Document Management

81. Etere Document Management
Highly efficient tool for a paperless operation
Ability to store documents in any format
Avoids space wasting by creating links to the documents required by multiple areas
Integrated scanner interface
Optional OCR integration

82. Document Management Scanner control Link functions List of documents
Auto
cleaning
Etere Air Sales use the document management feature of ETERE
It’s possible to attach documents to Orders, orders lines and even to single events
For example, it’s possible to attach the confirmation fax to every scheduling changes
Preview
Document
Data

83. Automation Integration

84. The Traditional Approach
Transmission of playlist: One day before
On Air System
Commercial
Management
Transmission
Playlist
Last Minute Changes
Programs
Management
Reconciliation
ON AIR
Invoicing &
Rights Management
As Run log: One day after

85. Problems
The export from Traffic to Automation takes place generally one day before broadcast
All last minute changes are managed manually
Unidirectional information flow
Errors arise due to the manual exchange of information on paper
No videotape information is passed back to Traffic
Traffic is not able to schedule Secondary Events

86. The Traditional Approach
Transmission of playlist
On Air system
Commercial
management
Transmission
Playlist
Last minute changes
Programs
management
Reconciliation
ON AIR
Invoicing &
Rights Management
As Run log: One day after

87. ETERE Commercial management Transmission Playlist Programs management
Last minute changes
Transmission
Playlist
Programs
management
ON AIR
Invoicing &
Rights Management

88. Advantages All communication are Bi-directional
No reconciliation required
Even last minute changes are under control
All Automation information (such as browsing) is shared with Air Sales
Reduce erros

89. EXECUTIVE EDITOR

90. Executive Editor Last minute changes are performed in executive editor
Etere EE reports all the traffic information
With EE is possible to do a traffic friendly change, to save time at reconcile time

91. Executive Editor Integration
Event properties
Perform various task such as adding secondary events
View and Modify scheduled events in a vertical view with Executive Editor
Simple view and easy access to the more relevant properties

92. Executive Editor Integration
12:41:00: LIVE_N LIVE NEWS LIVE :49: :30: :44:49:24
It is possible to even view the exact block and segment to which a “traffic event” belongs to
The highly graphical, user-friendly interface allows to easily recognize “traffic events” present on the daily schedule, and also to modify them if necessary
Associate/Remove events to a block,
Bind an event to the previous/next block