Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) Systems Integration 2016 | Page 13

REVIEW , RETHINK & RESTRUCTURE
“ project ”, one often creates an island of equipment , as well as a new set of staff and departments , which often are too costly or slow to gain market share and whose operational expenses contribute to the failure to deliver additional profits to the bottom line . A technology and operations partner can bring huge value to the process when a customer is embarking on a new facility construction plan . Studio design ( and size ), production staff requirements and location , postproduction or network infrastructure to support file-based or IP workflows , and power and cooling requirements are all areas that can be optimised when planned from the outset of the project . Often , one size does not fit all . The cost to correct areas that were missed in the initial project design can be very costly and cause delays in the launch of the new facility . A BTOC can help avoid these oversights and bring significant value to the project .
At Advanced Broadcast Solutions ( ABS ), the mission to partner , educate , transform and innovate has led to many new business practices . Today , ABS and its engineering and project teams have intimate knowledge of broadcasters and their goals , as well as the bottlenecks or barriers they face in achieving the goals and strategies needed to move their organisations forward . ABS looks at the facilities , technologies , and practices to help develop a plan for transformation , and works alongside broadcasters to achieve these objectives .
Today , ABS works with many leading manufacturers and know their products deeply . We can then select and advise on the best technology choices within budgets , skills capabilities and requirements . ABS works hard to clearly outline the challenges to achieve success in each phase of the business plan , and strives to get the best possible product within the customer ’ s budget delivered quickly .
We also understand that most businesses must use phases of implementation for staff , operational and budget reasons . We help prioritise and select the core components required at each point , thus minimising redundant or incompatible systems that often leads to replacement in each successive project phase . This is a key differentiator versus the “ classic systems integrator ”, whose core business is making income on the installation and commissioning of projects .
ABS recommends businesses to appoint a team to work under ABS for each project . We take it on ourselves to help educate the appointed staff
The “ Broadcast Technology and Operations Consultant ”, which Advanced Broadcast Solutions describes itself as , is coming alongside broadcasters not only to design and build broadcast facilities , but also to develop and roll out business strategies across broadcast organisations .
on the design and implementation stages , and provide training on everything from how to pull wires properly ( and cleanly ) to termination and dressing . We help broadcasters increase their staff ’ s skills by working alongside them so that , in the future , they can roll out the installation themselves with systems designed and supplied by ABS . Our core objective is to help lead broadcasters through their business technology and workflow goals , and to help them to deliver their programing at a profit .
For broadcast staff to fully understand and feel comfortable working on installed systems , they need to know how the systems were built and how they are operated . ABS helps them through the commissioning of the systems so that each configuration choice of each product is understood by the local team . This differs dramatically from product or systems training as done by most systems integrators and manufacturers , where only the features or basic operation is understood versus the entire system architecture and how to utilise each feature .
ABS works with our customer ’ s team to achieve full efficiency of the solution through complete planning and roll out of end-toend workflows . By being involved in the implementation steps , the customer understands not only the “ whats ’” but also the “ whys ”. The training , therefore , is transformed , as the engineering teams are fully knowledgeable and able to support the systems .
Users are also trained not simply on features , but on complete workflows and how to use the tools to achieve the most successful practices . When manufacture training is the only basis for knowledge on a system , there are significant gaps in the understanding of the complete system and therefore only marginal utilisation of the total capabilities of the system can be achieved . By fully engaging users , ABS is able to increase the depth and use of the total solution which is rolled out for the broadcaster .
ABS has embarked on a transformation from a systems integrator to a solutions partner , and to transform our business into an organisation that customers can rely on to help build their businesses over time and through technology transformations .
It is this transformation into a “ Broadcast Technology and Operations Consultant ” that sets ABS apart in the industry . It is this transformation into a BTOC , versus an SI , that allows customers to have a new partner in their business ; a partner who has vast experience in the industry , and who is able to help transform many broadcast businesses and systems to meet the business needs of today and tomorrow . This new partnership forged between ABS and our customers is playing a key role in transforming broadcasters into the future .
Dennis Breckenridge is Managing Director , Advanced Broadcast Solutions , Asia . systems integration 2016
11 review , rethink & restructure