We also met with representatives of The Siroky Group at Book Expo America. The Siroky Group (of Toronto, Canada) owns Hi Point Software, a complete ERP solution for book publishers and distributors.
Our conversations with them confirmed the continued growth of their client base and we reviewed the satisfaction of their clients with their rapid modification policy. Essentially, The Siroky Group has a reputation for rapid implementation and release of client feature requests. When a client requests a new feature, its often added at no additional cost and rolled into the standard product. Where a competitor might charge $5K to add a single new field, TSG may charge nothing.
We also discussed their EDI functionality - a stand feature of their program - and why they don't advertise this feature. Whereas other solutions may require you to purchase an EDI module (and EDI translator software), these features are built into the Hi Point Software. Wow! With Baker & Taylor (and Amazon, B&N and others) requiring EDI order placement, confirmation and invoicing this feature will become a required feature for publishers and distributors, and Hi Point offers it for free.
Monday, June 1, 2009
BEA 2009 - IBS Bookmaster
At Book Expo America we met with representatives of IBS Bookmaster to check up on their current projects and learn about their future plans.
During these conversations we learned that the top two add-ons for IBS Bookmaster are Integrator and their document management software.
Integrator automates file transmissions between any two (or more) IT systems. For example, you can tell Integrator to access a file at FTP location every 10 minutes, move the file to a new format, use it to update a specificed SQL database and send an email when the process is completed. What sets integrator apart from the competition is its price - about $25K as compared to $55K to $100K for competitive products.
The IBS Bookmaster document software allows the user to link any scanned document to the appropiate record(s). What sets it apart from other systems is that the user can search these documents for any phrase.
We confirmed that IBS Bookmaster is on schedule for a release of its new java based interface. This JAVA based GUI allows the user to customize the screen by user (or user function) by positioning panels where they want.
During these conversations we learned that the top two add-ons for IBS Bookmaster are Integrator and their document management software.
Integrator automates file transmissions between any two (or more) IT systems. For example, you can tell Integrator to access a file at FTP location every 10 minutes, move the file to a new format, use it to update a specificed SQL database and send an email when the process is completed. What sets integrator apart from the competition is its price - about $25K as compared to $55K to $100K for competitive products.
The IBS Bookmaster document software allows the user to link any scanned document to the appropiate record(s). What sets it apart from other systems is that the user can search these documents for any phrase.
We confirmed that IBS Bookmaster is on schedule for a release of its new java based interface. This JAVA based GUI allows the user to customize the screen by user (or user function) by positioning panels where they want.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
BEA 2009 Hosted Royalty Software
At Book Expo we talked to three vendors offering hosted royalty software solutions;
In summary, each vendor offers a royalty solution that can be accessed from any PC or MAC with an internet connection. Each software as a service offerings manage the software updates and data backups for you. The solutions are highly scalable and runs on an MS SQL or Oracle database engine. How do they differ?
We found the Media Service offering to be the clear leader in ease of use with its built in wizards that guide you through key functions and its intelligent search engine.
Klopotek's offering gives publishers an unmatched opportunity to add on functionality for other functional areas - such as editorial management, production management, title information management and more.
Publishing Technology's solution is provides a wide range of user customization options and powerful work process management tools.
Which to choose? All three solutions are comparably priced. We suggest that you 1) document your current and future requirements, 2) review all three solutions and 3) check references. Then select the solution that offers the best fit for your organization.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Avatar Book Publishing Software
We recently received email about Avatar book publishing software for publishers and distributors. Here is a quick summary of its functionality. In the next few months we plan to talk to a few of their clients to get there view of Avatar.
Developed by CLB LittleJohn, one of the top 30 UK accounting firms, this software offers publishers a fully integrated ERP solution that handles everything from accounting, financial analysis, inventory, marketing, rights, royalties, subscriptions and more in one fully integrated database.
From our review of the Avatar website four aspects of Avatar's offering set it apart from most competitors, these are;
1. Turnkey Implementation Services - that includes project management, data conversion, network & hardware implementation and training.
2. Title Management module offering fully integrated production management and scheduling.
3. Totally integrated financial accounting and financial analysis solution.
4. Fixed price implementations.
Who do we see as their competition? From our perspective their UK competition is Media Services, the Trilogy Group and Publishing Technology - companies that are based in the UK or have UK offices and target small to medium sized publishers.
For more information about Avatar visit their web-site or contact them via:
Email: mailto:avatar@clblf.com
Phone: +44 (0)20 7516 2200
Developed by CLB LittleJohn, one of the top 30 UK accounting firms, this software offers publishers a fully integrated ERP solution that handles everything from accounting, financial analysis, inventory, marketing, rights, royalties, subscriptions and more in one fully integrated database.
From our review of the Avatar website four aspects of Avatar's offering set it apart from most competitors, these are;
1. Turnkey Implementation Services - that includes project management, data conversion, network & hardware implementation and training.
2. Title Management module offering fully integrated production management and scheduling.
3. Totally integrated financial accounting and financial analysis solution.
4. Fixed price implementations.
Who do we see as their competition? From our perspective their UK competition is Media Services, the Trilogy Group and Publishing Technology - companies that are based in the UK or have UK offices and target small to medium sized publishers.
For more information about Avatar visit their web-site or contact them via:
Email: mailto:avatar@clblf.com
Phone: +44 (0)20 7516 2200
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Easy Royalties & Vendor Specific Product Codes
Do you publish eBooks? If you do it's likely that your eBook resellers use their own product codes; not your ISBN's, in the sales reports they provide to you.
The latest version of Easy Royalties supports Vendor Specific Product Codes. This functionality allows the royalty software to automatically link the unique product codes used by a vendor (such as Overdrive) to the appropriate ISBN in your system.
Now your royalty staff can import distributor sales files without having to spend hours or days replacing the vendor's unique product codes with the publishers own ISBN (product code).
You can download a 30 day trial copy of Easy Royalties from http://www.easyroyaltiesus.com/.
Easy Royalties is an affordable and easy to use royalty software solution with title based pricing that ranges from $500 to $10,000 USD.
The latest version of Easy Royalties supports Vendor Specific Product Codes. This functionality allows the royalty software to automatically link the unique product codes used by a vendor (such as Overdrive) to the appropriate ISBN in your system.
Now your royalty staff can import distributor sales files without having to spend hours or days replacing the vendor's unique product codes with the publishers own ISBN (product code).
You can download a 30 day trial copy of Easy Royalties from http://www.easyroyaltiesus.com/.
Easy Royalties is an affordable and easy to use royalty software solution with title based pricing that ranges from $500 to $10,000 USD.
Data Conversion Data Security
A book publishing software implementation project requires that you protect your data conversion data files against theft.
Our company; Kensai International, protectes a client's data by;
1. Backing up the data to hardware encrypted hard-drives. If the computer is turned off or the drive is unplugged the data cannot be accessed until the the drive is reactivated with a password. Even if the drive is stolen and taken apart the data on the drive is protected as the encryption service is built into the drive controller. Which drives do we use? Maxtor Black Armor hard drives. Rugged, reliable and highly secure.
2. PGP is used to create encrypted virtual-disk partitions that can remain locked even when the whole disk is unlocked and automatically revert to the locked state after a specified idle time. Files on the virtual disk are always encrypted (while the disk is unlocked, PGP simply encrypts and decrypts on the fly).
This means that if a hacker managed to breach our hardware firewall and our software firewall they still can't access the publisher's files stored in the locked PGP encrypted-disk partition.
3. Once the client is live and the client has signed off on the project completion all copies of client data files are destroyed using PGP Shredder.
"PGP Shredder completely destroys files and folders so that even file recovery software cannot recover them. Deleting a file using the Windows Recycle Bin does not actually delete it; it sits on the drive and eventually gets overwritten. Until then, it is trivial for an attacker to recover that file. PGP Shredder, in contrast, immediately overwrites files multiple times. This is so effective that even sophisticated disk recovery software cannot recover these files."
If a client wants us to send them a copy of the data files that we worked on; before we destroy our copy, we provide it on a hardware encrypted Black Armor Hard Drive.
FYI: Bertelsmann AG, the owners of Random House, uses the PGP® Encryption Platform to protect confidential data in emails as well as on laptops and file servers.
Our company; Kensai International, protectes a client's data by;
1. Backing up the data to hardware encrypted hard-drives. If the computer is turned off or the drive is unplugged the data cannot be accessed until the the drive is reactivated with a password. Even if the drive is stolen and taken apart the data on the drive is protected as the encryption service is built into the drive controller. Which drives do we use? Maxtor Black Armor hard drives. Rugged, reliable and highly secure.
2. PGP is used to create encrypted virtual-disk partitions that can remain locked even when the whole disk is unlocked and automatically revert to the locked state after a specified idle time. Files on the virtual disk are always encrypted (while the disk is unlocked, PGP simply encrypts and decrypts on the fly).
This means that if a hacker managed to breach our hardware firewall and our software firewall they still can't access the publisher's files stored in the locked PGP encrypted-disk partition.
3. Once the client is live and the client has signed off on the project completion all copies of client data files are destroyed using PGP Shredder.
"PGP Shredder completely destroys files and folders so that even file recovery software cannot recover them. Deleting a file using the Windows Recycle Bin does not actually delete it; it sits on the drive and eventually gets overwritten. Until then, it is trivial for an attacker to recover that file. PGP Shredder, in contrast, immediately overwrites files multiple times. This is so effective that even sophisticated disk recovery software cannot recover these files."
If a client wants us to send them a copy of the data files that we worked on; before we destroy our copy, we provide it on a hardware encrypted Black Armor Hard Drive.
FYI: Bertelsmann AG, the owners of Random House, uses the PGP® Encryption Platform to protect confidential data in emails as well as on laptops and file servers.
National Book Network Live with IBS Bookmaster
The National Book Network, one of the largest independent book distributors in the United States, went live with IBS Bookmaster ERP software in November 2008.
From our perspective the most interesting facet of this implementation was that NBN's distribution operations experienced no down time during the switch-over.
For details on this system conversion, read the following excerpt from National Book Network's October 2008 Newsletter:
SYSTEM CONVERSION FORTHCOMING, by Jed Lyons, CEO
"Almost four years ago, we made a decision to convert our distribution center in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania from what was then a manual operation into an automated facility with state of the art technology and equipment. We are now preparing for the culmination of our four year plan and conversion to an enhanced computer platform, IBS/Bookmaster, this Fall.
During the past four years, we have invested over $5 million in new computer software and hardware, conveyor systems, racking, and other equipment designed to improve our order fulfillment and distribution capabilities. Many of you have visited Blue Ridge Summit, but for those of you who have not, here is what you will see today if you come for a tour:
1. A 285,000 square foot facility supplemented by 190,000 square feet of storage for slow-moving inventory.
2. A paperless warehouse environment which relies entirely on handheld computers (“RFD’s” radio frequency devices) that direct pickers to pick locations using machine readable barcodes.
3. An automated conveyor system which propels orders throughout the picking area carrying cartons from the warehouse floor up to a three story mezzanine where orders are picked by zone and then diverted to gravity slides that consolidate orders by national account.
4. A workforce of 350 individuals working two shifts a day five days a week and on weekends when necessary.
As the publishing industry’s supply chain has become ever more sophisticated, the requirement to invest in new technology and equipment has accelerated. The 13 digit ISBN, license plating, automatic shipment notification (ASN) and other recent developments mean that we are constantly investing money in our systems in order to stay competitive.
Our operations team has spent the last two years planning for the conversion to a new computer platform, IBS/Bookmaster. We have invested thousands of hours and $2.5 million in the new system. We are pleased to report that we are on schedule to go live this Fall.
IBS Bookmaster was developed specifically for the book industry and includes many improvements I’m confident will please you.
We know from experience that computer conversions are always challenging which is why we started in 2006 to prepare for this one. In anticipation of the Fall go live date, we have been testing literally every module and every component of the new system in real time on the warehouse floor and throughout the other departments in Blue Ridge Summit.
The distribution team has been running the system for several months now with actual order picking that utilizes the IBS/Bookmaster technology. The Credit and Collections department has been using the accounts receivable collection module with great success and the customer service department has been keying test orders and processing EDI test orders for the past three months.
One of the areas that has received a great deal of attention is the reporting that you will begin receiving in the Fall. The new, enhanced reports are web-based......They also include a host of new features you will learn about in one of the publisher report training sessions we are scheduling in the coming months."
To learn more about National Book Network visit http://www.nbnbooks.com/
From our perspective the most interesting facet of this implementation was that NBN's distribution operations experienced no down time during the switch-over.
For details on this system conversion, read the following excerpt from National Book Network's October 2008 Newsletter:
SYSTEM CONVERSION FORTHCOMING, by Jed Lyons, CEO
"Almost four years ago, we made a decision to convert our distribution center in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania from what was then a manual operation into an automated facility with state of the art technology and equipment. We are now preparing for the culmination of our four year plan and conversion to an enhanced computer platform, IBS/Bookmaster, this Fall.
During the past four years, we have invested over $5 million in new computer software and hardware, conveyor systems, racking, and other equipment designed to improve our order fulfillment and distribution capabilities. Many of you have visited Blue Ridge Summit, but for those of you who have not, here is what you will see today if you come for a tour:
1. A 285,000 square foot facility supplemented by 190,000 square feet of storage for slow-moving inventory.
2. A paperless warehouse environment which relies entirely on handheld computers (“RFD’s” radio frequency devices) that direct pickers to pick locations using machine readable barcodes.
3. An automated conveyor system which propels orders throughout the picking area carrying cartons from the warehouse floor up to a three story mezzanine where orders are picked by zone and then diverted to gravity slides that consolidate orders by national account.
4. A workforce of 350 individuals working two shifts a day five days a week and on weekends when necessary.
As the publishing industry’s supply chain has become ever more sophisticated, the requirement to invest in new technology and equipment has accelerated. The 13 digit ISBN, license plating, automatic shipment notification (ASN) and other recent developments mean that we are constantly investing money in our systems in order to stay competitive.
Our operations team has spent the last two years planning for the conversion to a new computer platform, IBS/Bookmaster. We have invested thousands of hours and $2.5 million in the new system. We are pleased to report that we are on schedule to go live this Fall.
IBS Bookmaster was developed specifically for the book industry and includes many improvements I’m confident will please you.
We know from experience that computer conversions are always challenging which is why we started in 2006 to prepare for this one. In anticipation of the Fall go live date, we have been testing literally every module and every component of the new system in real time on the warehouse floor and throughout the other departments in Blue Ridge Summit.
The distribution team has been running the system for several months now with actual order picking that utilizes the IBS/Bookmaster technology. The Credit and Collections department has been using the accounts receivable collection module with great success and the customer service department has been keying test orders and processing EDI test orders for the past three months.
One of the areas that has received a great deal of attention is the reporting that you will begin receiving in the Fall. The new, enhanced reports are web-based......They also include a host of new features you will learn about in one of the publisher report training sessions we are scheduling in the coming months."
To learn more about National Book Network visit http://www.nbnbooks.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
