Reaching 991, 000 readers in southern Finland in print and online, ESM employs approximately 300 employees in 18 different locations and is part of the Keskisuomalainen media company group.
ESM previously used Anygraaf´s Doris editorial system and Aprofit-ad system. Same time with Neo project servers and database were transferred from Tuusula office to Keskisuomalainen concerns headquarter in Jyväskylä. Simultaneously, the AProfit ad system was consolidated into the company group’s common database.
Etelä-Suomen Media’s papers, magazines and journals are:
Aamuposti, Helsingin Uutiset, Hyvinkään Viikkouutiset, Imatralainen, Keski-Uusimaa, Lappeenrannan Uutiset, Länsi-Uusimaa, Länsi-Uusimaa Ilta, Länsiväylä, Mäntsälän Uutiset, Nurmijärven Uutiset, Riihimäen Seudun Viikkouutiset, Sipoon Sanomat, Tamperelainen, Turkulainen, Tuusulanjärven Viikkouutiset, Uusimaa, Vantaan Sanomat, Vihdin Uutiset, Aromi, Shaker, Evento, Moottori, I love Lapland, It Invalidiliitto, Kirkonseutu, Maintworld, Matkus Shopping, Meidän Suomi, Navigator, Ota opiksi, Patina, Poppi, Port of Helsinki Magazine, Port of Helsinki News, Promaint, Solisti, Vav-viesti, Visiitti, 90 min, Iltamakasiini and Tallinna24.
http://etelasuomenmedia.fi/lehdet/
The company uses Anygraaf´s layout driven workflow concept in all it´s newspapers. All papers (except one Keski-Uusimaa) are produced in a Citrix environment.
"Workflow changed immediately"
Publication manager Silja Tenhunen, who was in charge of Neo-project, says that the first phase of the project made changes immediately. For example, the production of layouts in larger papers and their editions in the capitol area, the network performance and the image production workflow immediately realized benefits from Neo.
What were the main reasons to move from previous Doris into new Neo?
- We wanted to use Neo as quickly as possible, so that we can develop a program at the same time we plan content reforms to come. The aim was that all the ideas from practical work can be utilized as a source when we will develop working methods during year 2016.
- Decision to choose Neo was also based on the rapid growth of online newspapers: for example, in Helsingin Uutiset (free city paper in Helsinki area) measured 210,000 online readers each week in December, which was a new record. Neo needed to be put into use immediately so that we can develop dynamic production of online news in parallel with our print products..
What were the most challenging topics in this change?
- No system can be put into service only for the sake of the system itself or the replacement of the prior solution. The system users must understand why change is now, what system’s goals are for next year and how the system will be developed.
- The biggest challenge in this kind of projects is not achieving technical success, but the tolerance of not fully knowing the future, being able to conceptualize future needs, and most importantly, not making decisions that will rule rapidly emerging trends..
- User training also plays a key role. If after six months, a single user doesn´t feel that the new system has improved day to day operations, the change was not successful.
Were there factors other than the introduction of Neo such as the device environment that impacted methods of work and workflow?
- Yes. The aim of the exchange system was to use and develop Neo as quickly as possible, project also change - and it is supposed to change – working methods. Neo-project's first phase moved immediately, for example, the making layout for large capitol area papers and their editions, also network and video production workflow.
This was a large project, which was carried out in a short period of time. How was it possible?
- When changing editorial systems it is common to also change format and layout as well. We chose to focus on the system rather than making stylistic changes to our products; the editorial system was changed first before next content and layout reform. This allowed a faster than ordinary transition to Neo.
What are the most critical results of this project’s completions?
- When you have been working with an editorial system for a long time and then it is changed, departing from familiar ways of working may seem strange. It’s important to remember at the training stage – that teaching cannot concentrate only on what is changing but rather, what opportunities are being gained. There has to be always be an awareness of those steps that are not changing too..
- This is for our project staff and system designers an opportunity to learn and to reveal which workflows, practices and policies need revision and which do not.
How did users react to the project generally and to Neo specifically?
- The first phase of the Neo-project succeeded because users were willing to transition from Doris to Neo - even though it occurred during the busiest time of the year, and because the timing was unique, our staff adapted.
- The system’s benefits only starts at that point. Each products has a new jumping off point for content creation and publishing. Therefore, the most important phase of the entire project is now and must focus on expanding Neo with users in to the system so that we can produce our products, and even to establish new methods in the future.
Are there already thoughts about following topics?
- Yes. The biggest challenge in the coming years is not just how compelling we are able to make our products for our readers, or what kind of digital products we need online. One of the major challenges is digitalization of the print production process.
- Editorial staff will need more time to make content into multi-channel products and to produce high-quality print content. This requires reform of work processes. In addition to the layout driven workflow, tools and methods for making print magazine production more efficient must be adopted by our staff and driven by Neo’s deployment..
- The next step is the introduction of centralized production output for these papers, in which the print house is printing hundreds of pages in only a few hours for those printing evenings. Then we begin to purge print making process step by step. The aim is that the redesigned print papers are in production before the summer.
How many papers are made and how many pages are printed among the best days?
-In print, the busiest days of the week are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - it’s only on Wednesdays and weekends that the print house will not be printing a number of newspapers and city magazines.
- For example, on Thursday, 17.12. there was four newspapers (2 editions of Aamuposti, Keski-Uusimaa, Länsi-Uusimaa, Uusimaa), 3 editions of Helsingin Uutiset, 2 editions of Vantaan Sanomat, Länsiväylä with replaced pages concept, Turkulainen, Nurmijärven Sanomat and Mäntsälän Uutiset – all together more than 320 pages to the print house. Just an ordinary night.
The concerns a unified ad system
Etelä-Suomen Media is part of the larger media concern Keskisuomalainen. In Keskisuomalainen Neo has been in use in all regional newspapers as well as in local newspapers. Last autumn, the company changed to a common ad system as well. Anygraaf’s AProfit is now in use throughout the whole company, all together a total of 60 papers, magazines and journals. Neo and AProfit-users number about 500 throughout the Keskisuomalainen concerns.
A significant portion of the of Neo-project was unifying the AProfit ad system into the common database of Keskisuomalainen concern - so that all customer relationships, sales management and monitoring, ad booking and material management, billing and reporting data was available..
- Moving to a centralized ad management system enables the use of the same customer data model throughout the entire concern. The result a a unified package of sales management and centralized media production tools for accounting. Advertising bills made by subsidiaries are available throughout the company to any office involved with selling an ad.. Internal billing built into AProfit can produce internal invoices from subsidiary companies, says Anygraaf system designer Mika Aalto.
More information
Etelä-Suomen Media Oy, Publication Manager Silja Tenhunen, silja.tenhunen[at]media.fi.
Anygraaf Oy, (Neo) System Specialist Svante Ahlroth, svante.ahlroth[at]anygraaf.fi
Anygraaf Oy, (AProfit) System Analyst Mika Aalto, mika.aalto[at]anygraaf.fi