we read america hearst magazines building the prepress-printer-publisher-paper supply chain...

We Read AmericaHearst Magazines

Building the Prepress-Printer-Publisher-Paper

Supply Chain Infrastructure

February 13, 2003Amre Youssef

Director of Publishing Technology Hearst Magazines


Publishers’ Points in the Supply Chain

• Digital Photographers• Advertising Agencies• Agency Prepress• Publisher Prepress• Printer• Paper Mill• Aggregators• Web Content• Distributors• Electronic Magazine Distributors


Text

Layout

PU

BL

ISH

ER

Final PagesPrinter

Points in the Supply Chain

Digital Capture

PAPER

Agency Prepress

Agency

Stock Photo

Asset/Content Management System

Prepress

Distribution

Production


Points in the Supply Chain

International

Image/Ad Repository

AggregatorsLexisNYTSyndicateProQuestEBSCOGaleGroup

E-DistributionZinioNewstand.comQiosk

PDAs

ClassifyingLink RightsLink MICDistribute

Final Pages

Web Site


The Major Pains

• Publisher is at worst point of the chain: highest liability and least control

• Publishing most data intensive and least automated

• Great deal of manual procedures• Limited exercise of industry guidelines/standards• Limited leverage of existing technologies• Limited control of creative process• Poorly defined liabilities across the supply chain

with our partners


PAINS

Digital Photography

• Newest addition to the supply chain• Varying file format (raw vs. JPEG)• Varying color space sRGB, Adobe RGB• File size: Handling Gigs of data for single shoots• Resolution - data for color management• Each mandating a separate workflow• Searching for image information

– Caption, photographer, agency

• Linking information to rights– Digital asset and paper contract


PAINS

Stock Photo Agency

• Resolution• File format• Color guidance• Color management• Metadata

– Name – Date– Copyright– Licensing information– Model releases


Digital Photography

• DISC guidelines– Digital Image Submission Criteria

• Guidelines for digital photography• Print-specific guidelines for photographers• Potential leverage with stock photo agencies

• PRISM standards– Publishing Requirements for Industry Standard Metadata

• Controlled vocabulary for magazine publishers

• ERI Technology (Kodak)– Extended Range Imaging

• for file file format, size, color correction• Post capture compensation• Print Media Gazette. March 2003

Help is on the way . . .


Digital Photography

Hearst pilot DAM/DRM (feb-jun 03)– Standardize on rights language from > 200 to 7

definitions– Automate contract generation (MIC)– Electronic contracts/ model releases (PDF)– Establish consistent internal file naming convention for

all filesimages and edit layout

– Link contracts/releases to original asset/article in an asset management system (XML)

– Use PRISM language for consistent digital rights vocabulary

– Pilot on three publications of high international distribution


PAINS

Agency

• No link between job information and the digital content between ad agency, publisher, printer

• Time consuming changes and revisions in coordination and reconciliation of orders

• Billing discrepancies• Re-key of data• Tracking submission and arrival of insertion

order– Faxes, e-mail, v-mail – Average 2-3 revisions per ad


Agency

• SPACE XML and JDF– Specifications for Publisher & Agency

Communications Exchange XML– JDF - Job Definition Format

• Standard – Space reservation – e-insertion orders– Job tickets – Change order and confirmation


PAINS

Agency

• A key point of potential increased efficiency in the chain• Implementation is complex

– Analysis and process re-engineering at corporate level– Translator to interpret XML support across all points– Reconstruction of databases

• Requires high-level approval as it impacts cross-departmental efficiencies– circulation– advertising– finance– manufacturing– sales


PAINS

Agency

• But didn’t we try this before? - Yes.• Learn from history

– Must be Initiated by publishers (forget the chicken and egg issue)

– Requires collective support by the publishers– Required critical mass

• Forced dual workflows that drive up costs

– Plan for a comprehensive but gradual implementation– Must use open standards


Publishers’ Consortium - Pilot Initiative

Agency

• Demand standards (SPACE XML / JDF)– Facilitate deployment– Specifically defined to publisher’s needs– Continually modified to meet our changing needs

• IDEAlliance acts as prime contractor• IDEAlliance provides mechanism to work with appropriate vendors• The Consortium

– Establish a pilot of a single publisher adopting SPACE XML / JDF– Initiative funded by publishers– Agencies provide operational support– Get all members of the supply chain involved (incl client)– Develop ROI shell to help determine internal inefficiencies (16-18%)– Remember: Most publishers lack support infrastructure to properly deploy

XML• Establish Proper Expectations: the long haul

– ad production - linking I/o and digital ad– Next billing systems (AIS), sales, manufacturing, circulation


Printers

• Lack of integration to our existing workflows• New debates on file formats: vector vs. raster• Manual processes associated with Flat plan systems• Identifying Web Service tools to enable the process

– Share real-time page status information with printer – Tracking work internally and tying to back-end systems

• PROSE XML. Lack of clarity of responsibilities between publisher and printer in regards to imposition

PAINS


PAINS

Syndication

• Low revenue in secondary licensing• Manual task of tagging content, “De-Quarking”• Tools that facilitate the process

– Still at investment and time compared to revenue

• Legal departments get very nervous about syndication• High cost of internal development of DTDs - rules for

naming• Late delivery to aggregators• Work out errors in mapping content with each

aggregator• Syndicator-subscriber transactions are not automated


Syndication

• PRISM - DTD specific to magazines and aggregators – Recently released– One DTD for multiple aggregators

• PDFx - file format for e-magazines, PDAs• ICE - Information for Content Exchange

– data transfer and delivery protocol, syndication relationship,

• Use of web services (ICE)

RESOLVES


What We Need

• Internal house cleaning: no more islands• More collaboration with other publishers• Pull standards together, less overlap• Simplify XML deployment• Clearer definitions of liabilities• Complain less and do more


Thank You

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