The SABC is set to improve efficiency and so also realise cost savings through the implementation of the Mobius ViewDirect electronic report distribution and document management system from Bateleur Software Solutions.
The system can be used as a repository for any type of digital content created or received by the SABC. This includes incoming documents which will be scanned and stored as images, reports generated by mainframe or open systems, Word, Excel, HTML and XML documents, pictures, video and audio.
Initially, the system will be used to handle the large volumes of reports created by the SABC`s TV licences and Millennium accounting systems. It will also provide remote distribution capabilities for its users. ViewDirect will allow the SABC to archive, index, secure, view and print reports produced on the mainframe, thereby streamlining the distribution process and providing a long-term archive repository.
According to Danie Beukes, project manager of the SABC`s TV licences project, ViewDirect was chosen due to its ability to provide easier access to archived data while simultaneously leveraging the SABC`s existing infrastructure.
"Our objective is to standardise, as the potential economies of scale are substantial," he says. "Using ViewDirect throughout the operation also means there will be only one product to learn, support and maintain. In the long-term, the goal is to use ViewDirect on the Web. Its ability to support all object types such as audio, video, pictures and XML on different platforms is therefore critical."
Andre Swanepoel, acting GM of the SABC`s Broadcast Information Technology (BIT) division, says the purchase of ViewDirect is in line with the broadcaster`s strategy of using best-of-breed software which will support use over the Internet for business applications. "As a strong, Web-based application, ViewDirect will in time enable us to create an online archive of all documents in the SABC," he says. "This will reduce printing costs, make documents available to many people concurrently and facilitate the e-business process."
With a customer base of around 5 million licensees, the Audience Services division prints around 800 000 A4 pages per month - excluding reports for internal users. On the imaging side, the broadcaster manages about 1 million documents, a figure which grows at about 500 000 every year. The Financial Department puts through about 2 million journal entries a year. These massive volumes underline the need for a system like ViewDirect.
"Currently, our financial reports are printed, couriered or sent by open line post. With ViewDirect, users will receive their reports immediately and we will save on courier, postage and printing costs. Instead of running one report 15 times to send it to 15 distribution points, it will only have to be produced once and no longer printed," Beukes explains. "In addition, should the recipient want to print the report, or a selected portion of the report, they can do so on their local printer."
The initial investment in ViewDirect was by the Audience Services division, where it will replace the repository of the existing Document Imaging Processing (DIP) system. All incoming mail, faxes and e-mails sent to Audience Services will be scanned and stored for electronic retrieval within the system. "The integration of ViewDirect with our existing DIP system has proved to be seamless," says Stan Gautier, systems manager of Audience Services. "We are looking forward to the system going live in the next month or so."
Commenting on the benefits delivered by ViewDirect, Beukes mentions improved customer relations and service, enhanced internal efficiency and productivity and possible cost savings. "Additional advantages include increased ease of use, improved accuracy and the ability to save hours of re-keying information by extracting selected report information into spreadsheets," he says. "In addition, the core system could be enhanced for other divisions to act as a repository for their documents."
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