VMMa Establishes Streamlined Resource Planning And Cost Tracking With ScheduALL

ScheduALL has announced that Vlaamse Media Maatschapplj (VMMa), a leading Belgian television broadcaster focused on providing services to the Flanders region, has implemented ScheduALL's Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) software to streamline its news and production processes, track and control costs, and manage resources most effectively.
At any point in the production timeline, ScheduALL provides a consolidated, real-time picture of cost data, in turn highlighting productivity and profitability across specific VMMa projects and operations.
Gerrit Libbrecht, Project Manger at VMMa, said: "ScheduALL was the only cost-effective off-the-shelf resource management system that offered an intelligent cost-tracking model that we could integrate into our operations with only a small amount of adaptation.
"Now used across the bulk of our operations, the software enables informed scheduling of resources and more efficient collaboration in completing projects. ScheduALL's open database gives our project managers the ability to track multiple projects and, at any time, access actual costs for each project and quote. This real-time tracking of timelines and resources allows us to enhance overall productivity while maintaining tight control over our costs."
Prior to its deployment of ScheduALL, VMMa relied on a series of discrete applications to manage processes such as shift planning and resource allocation. Because these solutions were built on closed databases, VMMa was unable to get a unified and complete view of available resources without extracting and compiling data from different programs.
The broadcasters turned to ScheduALL to achieve greater end-to-end visibility and control over its resources, and the company now uses ScheduALL to manage critical processes throughout its news and production workflows.
The software supports studio and shift planning, holiday planning, external cost processing, completion and reconciliation of jobs, and internal billing.
Within the production realm, ScheduALL interoperates with an external quote creation system, importing technical details needed to build work orders and schedule staff (internal and external) and facilities over the length of the project. While the job is under way, ScheduALL allows VMMa to compare actual costs to those estimated at the start of the project, providing essential ROI data immediately. Because costs are broken down into categories, the broadcaster can easily identify areas in which planning and resource utilisation can be improved - enabling better business decisions and creating more accurate project budgets going forward.
VMMa's news department also relies on ScheduALL for studio and shift planning to maximise organisational efficiency.
Within a newly remodeled news desk and studio area, a large LCD monitor displays ScheduALL data, providing a comprehensive view of who is doing what and where.
At a glance, any member of the team can easily see the status of a work order, when a reporting team is expected to return, and which edit room they will use to finish the news package.
Changes to the schedule are updated in real time on the LCD monitor, and are simultaneously delivered to staff via email and /or calendar synchronisation. The automation of this process has decreased redundant data entry, minimised costly scheduling conflicts and increased productivity.
Staff can also access the ScheduALL system remotely to find out how their time and projects have been planned, ensuring they are always up to date.
Over the coming year, VMMa will fully integrate planning for its radio and on-air promo departments into ScheduALL. With all of these resources managed through a central application, the broadcaster gains more precise cost control and more consistent reporting data.
Consolidation of scheduling also has simplified the translation of shift planning data into accounting and payroll, with information automatically routed into these systems.
Accurate reporting of staff scheduling gives VMMa the insight required to leverage its existing staff more effectively and, in turn, complete more work more profitably.
More information is available at: www.scheduall.com.
(KMcA/BMcC)