Table of Contents
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1. INTRODUCTION
1.2. USAGE EXPERIENCE
1.3. TECHNOLOGY FINDINGS
1.4. BUSINESS FINDINGS
1.5. FINANCIAL FINDINGS
2. ENVIRONMENT – USAGE PROFILE OF THE BROADCAST
INDUSTRY
2.1. INTRODUCTION
2.2. INTERVIEWEE CHARACTERISTICS
2.3. BROADCAST INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
2.4. DAM/WFM USAGE CHARACTERISTICS
3. USAGE EXPERIENCE – DAM / WFM GOALS AND SATISFACTION
3.1. INTRODUCTION
3.2. SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GOALS
3.2.1. Summary – System Implementation Goals
3.2.2. Reasons for Implementing DAM and WFM
3.2.3. Goals for System Implementation
3.2.4. Justification for Implementing Systems
3.3. SATISFACTION – BUSINESS FACTORS
3.3.1. Introduction
3.3.2. Digital Asset Management
3.3.3. Workflow Management
3.4. SATISFACTION - TECHNOLOGY FACTORS
3.4.1. Digital Asset Management
3.4.2. Workflow Management
4. TECHNOLOGY ANALYSIS
4.1. INTRODUCTION
4.2. DAM AND WFM – TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUNDER
4.2.1. DAM Components
4.2.2. Workflow Components
4.3. ARCHITECTURE CONSIDERATIONS
4.3.1. Top Level Architectural Considerations
4.3.2. Integration Considerations
4.4. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
4.4.1. DAM System
4.4.2. Workflow Management System
4.4.3. Installation and Rollout Timing
4.4.4. Cost Profile
4.5. SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS
4.5.1. DAM System Characteristics
4.5.2. Workflow System Characteristics
4.6. VENDOR OVERVIEW
4.6.1. Broadcast-Specific
4.6.2. Enterprise Content Management
4.6.3. Storage Centric
4.6.4. Database Centric
4.7. INDUSTRY TRENDS AND BROADCASTER DIRECTION
4.7.1. Key Themes in the Industry
4.7.2. Maturity of DAM/WFM Related Technologies
5. BUSINESS ANALYSIS – BENEFITS, CHALLENGES,
OPPORTUNITIES
5.1. BUSINESS OVERVIEW
5.2. BUSINESS PROCESSES
5.2.1. Production
5.2.2. Archive
5.3. RESULTS – BENEFITS ACHIEVED AND NOT ACHIEVED
5.3.1. Summary – Results (Goals Achieved and Not
Achieved)
5.3.2. Benefits: Expected, Achieved and Not Achieved
5.3.3. Unanticipated Benefits
5.4. LESSONS LEARNED
5.5. INDUSTRY TRENDS – BUSINESS
5.5.1. Overall DAM/WFM Marketplace Trends
5.5.2. Competitive Strategies of Vendor Segments
5.5.3. Broadcaster View on DAM Industry Trends
5.6. FUTURE BROADCASTER DIRECTION – BUSINESS
6. FINANCIAL – GETTING A HANDLE ON ROI
6.1. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
6.2. METRICS AND BROADCASTER FINANCIAL STRATEGY
6.3. MEASUREMENT OF ROI IN THE BROADCAST INDUSTRY
6.3.1. Costs
6.3.2. Benefits
6.4. FUTURE BROADCASTER DIRECTION – FINANCIAL
7. APPENDIX: INTERVIEW GUIDES – BUSINESS AND
TECHNOLOGY
TABLES
T-1: Broadcaster Interviewee Pool
T-2: Functional Block Usage by Broadcaster Type
T-3: DAM/WFM Usage Characteristics
T-4: Reasons for Implementing DAM and WFM
T-5: Goals for System Implementation
T-6: Justification for Implementing Systems
T-7: Satisfaction with DAM - Business Factors
T-8: Satisfaction with WFM - Business Factors
T-9: Satisfaction with DAM - Technology Factors
T-10: Satisfaction with WFM - Technology Factors
T-11: Key Components of Digital Asset Management (DAM)
T-12: Key Components of Workflow Management (WFM)
T-13: Description of System Implementation
T-14: Description of System Characteristics
T-15: Asset Characteristics by Type of Content
T-16: Enterprise Focus by Type of DAM Vendors
T-17: DAM/WFM and Production Business Processes
T-18: DAM/WFM and Archive Business Processes
T-19: Benefits - Expected, Achieved, Not Achieved
T-20: Unanticipated Benefits
T-21: Lessons Learned
T-22: Competitive Strategy of DAM Vendor Segments
FIGURES
F-1: Worldwide Digital TV Households (2002 to 2005)
F-2: DAM and WFM Value Chain and Architecture
F-3: Usage Experience - Broadcaster Interview Process
F-4: Technology Analysis - Broadcaster Interview Process
F-5: Generic Broadcast DAM/WFM Technical Architecture
F-6: Generalized Broadcast DAM/WFM Technical Architecture
F-7: Cost Contribution Percentage (HW, SW, Integration,
Maintenance)
F-8: Vendor Focus - IT versus Broadcast
F-9: Broadcast-Centric Example (Avid)
F-10: Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Example –
Documentum
F-11: ECM - DAM Example (Documentum)
F-12: Technology Maturity Curve and Impact on DAM
F-13: Business Analysis - Broadcaster Interview Process
F-14: Key Trends in Broadcast DAM
F-15: Market Power in the Broadcast DAM Industry
F-16: Cost Contribution Percentage (HW, SW, Integration,
Maintenance)
Executive Overview
Usage Profile of the Broadcast Industry
The purpose of this industry survey was to determine
how well the installed Digital Media Asset Management
systems are performing. The report, “Digital Media
Asset Management and Workflow Management in the Broadcast
Industry,” was conducted and analyzed by Multimedia
Research Group in early 2004.
The overall primary focus was to understand the extent
and success of use of DAM (Digital Asset Management)
systems and, where applicable, WFM (Work Flow Management)
systems. Through the use of profiles or case studies,
the survey examines how these solutions are used by
major broadcasters and media production centers, and
what changes are needed to address the evolving needs
of the end users.
Four types of broadcasters were interviewed: News/Sports;
Broadcast/Internet; Feature Film; and Episodic Television.
Each of these types illustrates a different perspective
on the broadcasters’ intentions and decision processes.
With the use of in-depth, structured interviews of over
one hour per broadcaster, extensive insight was gained
into the operations of these facilities. This industry
survey is differentiated by the breadth and depth of
input provided by each of the respondents.
Interviewee Characteristics
Industry-leading broadcasters interviewed for
this survey included most of the major networks. This
report aggregates the responses, in order to preserve
the anonymity of the answers – however specific
data provided by the respondents is presented without
attributing it to the individual respondent or organization.
Selected broadcasters were interviewed in depth, while
others have provided anecdotal and short answers to
top-level questions taken from the interviews. All interviewees
were at the corporate headquarters level.
The profiles of the broadcast operations included in
this industry survey range from news, sports, serial/episodic
television to feature film channels and broadcast plus
Internet. The content-delivery models range from terrestrial
to cable (primary models), to satellite, to the Internet.
The type of primary content was also an important driver
of the business intent for using DAM and Workflow Management.
Experience with DAM/WFM ranged from a just-installed
system to over six years – in addition, one facility
was in the process of defining its system that will
be in pilot in 2004, and one facility was interviewed
that made a decision not to use DAM/WFM at this time.
This range of experience gives an excellent sampling
of the issues that occur at various points in system
deployment, as well as a range of perspectives of the
user experience.
Detailed interviews were conducted with six primary
broadcasters:
• Broadcaster 1 - Large terrestrial broadcast
headquarters
• Broadcaster 2 - Large terrestrial broadcast headquarters
• Broadcaster 3 - Large cable broadcast news operation
• Broadcaster 4 - Medium-sized broadcast news operation
• Broadcaster 5 - Television operation of major
film studio
• Broadcaster 6 - Major studio and on-demand provider
A target list of candidate companies was contacted,
and broadcasters that were interviewed were selected
from respondents meeting the criteria given above. The
original target list (Interviewee Pool) is shown below
– all interviewees came from Table 1.
Table 1: Broadcaster Interviewee Pool
|
Network Broadcast
|
Non-News/Sports
|
Station Groups
|
|
ABC
|
HBO
|
Belo
|
|
ABC O&Os
|
National Geographic
|
Clear Channel
|
|
CBS News
|
Paramount
|
Hearst
|
|
CNN
|
Showtime
|
Lin
|
|
Fox Television
|
Tech TV
|
Sinclair
|
|
MSNBC
|
Tribune
|
|
NBC News Archive
|
DAM/WFM Usage Characteristics
This section investigates how broadcasters use
Digital Asset Management in their operations. First, an
overview of the value chain of DAM is presented in Figure
1. Figure 1 summarizes the analysis of how broadcasters
use DAM in their operations to manage their digital assets.
Figure 1: DAM and WFM Value Chain and Architecture
Summary of Justification Models
In all cases, the justification model went beyond
a simple use of “traditional” ROI, but in all
cases, the broadcasters chose to implement DAM/WFM using
budgeted VTR-replacement dollars rather than buying new
VTRs (Video Tape Recorders). Arguments used to justify
DAM/WFM installations fell into two main categories (1)
savings would be generated by reducing labor costs and
equipment/consumables replacement, (2) gains in competitive
advantage would be achieved by faster “time-to-story,”
driven by efficiency and flexibility gains. Most projects
waited until there was a specific need, one in which the
DAM would support a higher-level business need such as
a new product offering (VOD in one case), equipment replacement,
or multi-purposing of content for new business models
or new media models. Justifications mainly focused on
business reasons rather than technical need primarily
because these systems were only installed when they could
clearly either drive savings or increase revenue.
Key Observations
In no cases were the justifications a “traditional
ROI analysis,” with specific goals for payback period
and calculations like IRR. While these metrics may have
been used as additional information to secure funding,
the projects were justified based on necessity of installing
a system to serve specific business needs – falling
into several key categories:
•
Diversion of Infrastructure Replacement Funds:
In several cases, a budget was already in place for
replacing aging VTRs and infrastructure. The advantages
of using digital file-based assets versus tape were highlighted.
In these cases, money would have been spent anyway –
the justification and decision were based on why DAM/WFM
was a better expenditure than tape deck replacement.
•
Competitive Advantage: A business need to
improve timeliness of getting stories on-air (or online)
drove several justification models – in one case,
for a broadcaster who will be implementing a DAM/WFM system
in 2004, in another case, for a company that has a major
part of their business model tied to their online presence.
•
Specific Business Model (VOD, in this case):
The case for implementing DAM/WFM for the broadcaster
with long-form content was driven by the business need
to provide a VOD content delivery model.
•
Role of WFM vs. DAM Of the interviewed facilities:
DAM was the primary focus of the facility upgrades, with
little serious consideration being given for WFM. Gains
in productivity and WFM effectiveness, in other words,
were made as an outgrowth of DAM upgrades, not as the
result of rigorous early-stage WFM design
Technology Analysis
Several key themes from the technology analysis
are listed below.
Integration observations:
• Online and Archive were always separated, usually
with different DAM software
• Significant issues resulted from multi-vendor integration
Key system capability findings:
• Most broadcasters have not yet ingested most
their assets targeted for archiving
• A large degree of customization is required to
suit the needs of broadcasters
• Workflow tools capabilities frequently went unused
– this is changing slowly as users intend to use
tracking data to quantify • process improvement benefits
Vendor observations:
• Broadcast-specific vendors were always chosen
as the DAM/WFM suppliers
• Storage and networking were provided by standard
IT component suppliers
• Most broadcasters added specialized functions,
like encoding, from specialist vendors
Industry-level technology trends and future broadcaster
direction:
• Enterprise focus – both broadcasters and
vendors recognize the need to integrate DAM and workflow
management across the broadcaster enterprise (usually
by federating the multiple departmental systems by creating
middleware connectors)
• Consolidation – Vendor consolidation is natural
in the industry.
• Broadcasters also want to reduce the number of
vendors involved in implementing their systems
DAM and WFM – Technology Overview
Across the content creation, processing and distribution
value chain, digital technology is used at all stages
in the broadcast production workflow. This is driving
adoption of two key technologies in the broadcast environment
– DAM and Workflow Management. The broadcast value
chain and a representative generic architecture of DAM
and WFM are shown below. DAM systems frequently also include
the format conversion and metadata generation blocks –
the “boundaries” of what is considered “DAM”
are not firm, and are viewed differently by the vendors
and users.
Vendor Overview
Vendors of the DAM/WFM systems tend to fall into
several major categories:
•
Broadcast-Specific
• Enterprise Content Management
• Storage-Centric
• Database Centric
Vendor Focus - IT vs. Broadcast
Descriptions of the companies in these categories,
tradeoffs associated with the category, and an overview
of product offerings from a representative vendor in each
of these categories are briefly described.
Lessons Learned/Future Trends
Broadcaster experiences to date with DAM/WFM were
summarized by answers to two open-ended questions about
the lessons they learned. Several key themes recurred
while analyzing the results of the interviews.
These points, summarized below, suggested areas where
experience has taught some important lessons:
• Maximize stakeholder involvement from the beginning
• Spend more time in up-front planning – this
investment returns at least 10x in savings
• Consider implications of enterprise deployment
up-front to ensure successful integration
• Plan for, and manage organizational change –
it affects adoption rate and ROI
• Assume a healthy budget for integration –
most cost-overruns came in this area
• Metrics are needed to identify and quantify the
benefits and issues.
