Consultancy and
Projects

Every system commences with a workflow that should be either improved or simplified. In order to be able to understand and objectively evaluate processes and workflows, they need to be abstracted and depicted. Key performance indicators help to determine additional factors such as cycle time, process costs and process performance. New business processes can be drawn up on this basis and compared with previous workflows. We employ the following methods to examine, draft and ultimately quantify workflows and processes:

• BPMN - Business Process Modeling Notation
• UML - Unified Modelling Language
• EPC - Event-Driven Process Chains
• VCD - Value Chain Diagrams
• ERM - Entity Relationship Models

Processes are redeveloped based on prior analytic insights. The as-is and to-be processes are compared in a simulation, in accordance with the BPMN method. It only makes sense to consider further steps if the empirical improvements offered by a new investment can be justified. For this we rely on the following notations:

• BPMN - Business Process Modeling Notation
• UML - Unified Modelling Language
• EPC - Event-Driven Process Chains
• VCD - Value Chain Diagrams

Poor or absent project management condemns every intention to failure. The time and costs expectations generally cannot be met. Based on our many years of experience, we offer the following services:

• Specification creation and requirement management
• Budgeting and feasibility analysis
• Producing and monitoring a project plan
• Documentation, controlling and reporting
• Project closure and handover
• Interim project management

A business application has to both be cost-efficient and perform well. Both these factors are influenced by a smart choice of where to locate operations. When choosing a suitable sourcing scenario, the following criteria should be taken into account:

• Financial factors: wage structures, as well as management and infrastructure costs
• Environmental factors: political and economic stability, country’s infrastructure, cultural compatibility, security of intellectual property
• HR factors: media technology expertise on location, available job market, level of education, language ability, fluctuation of employees and the attendant knowledge

A quantitative and qualitative choice analysis is produced by weighing the various factors and their criteria. Based on such an evaluation, future-proofed investments can be made and ultimately answer the question of whether a service is better preserved in the surrounding region, more cost-effective foreign countries or even in a low-wage economy.

This entails systematic management of changes to the planned project structure, within the framework of project management. As a result of new demands, the discovery of errors, or new insights, it may be necessary to adapt previously adopted plans. Configuration management oversees the formal processes from proposal to approval to plan adaptation.

The following aspects are taken into consideration during the change process:

• Documentation of the change request
• Analysis of the scope of the change
• Expenditure estimate (material, resources, financial, time etc.)
• Risk assessment
• Deciding on approving the change; assigning the relevant department with its implementation
• Implementation and documentation of the change
• Qualification and testing of the altered product
• Release of the new product
• Conclusion of the change cycle

Media Asset Management projects in the enterprise sector generally have a six-figure budget. Additional costs for the ongoing operation of the technical and editorial infrastructure often run into five or six-figure sums per year on top of that. Proposals needs to be written out in detail for reasons of auditing. With many years of experience, we act as independent auditor and offer the following services:

• Demand analysis and the creation of functional specifications
• Tenderer screening and briefing
• Rating, evaluation and risk monitoring
• Contract drafting and assimilation

Incomplete documentation is often due to fluctuations in the workforce and service providers. We offer a project-oriented service for documentation and quality security as part of our portfolio. In addition to data storage, this also involves creating component tests, user tests and handing projects over to support.

The method and depth of documentation chosen depend on the internal targets for quality security.