International growth at Axel Springer Digital TV Guide GmbH, supported by Blue Ant
Mr. Ahrens, could you tell us exactly what you do at Axel Springer Digital TV Guide GmbH (ASDTVG) and what responsibilities you have there?
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At the moment I
function as both project and sales manager at ASDTVG. Among my duties
are processing our projects, as well as the distribution of solutions
we develop. Overall project activities, such as controlling, fall under
my task area.
What are the tasks of the ASDTVG? How is the company connected to the Axel Springer AG?The ASDTVG, a fully
owned subsidiary of the Axel Springer AG, offers technology solutions
in the area of electronic program management, from advanced navigation
in digital contents to future uses for personalized TV viewing. A
central element in ASDTVG’s product portfolio is the valuable editorial
contents and program data from Axel Springer AG, Europe’s largest
publishing house. ASDTVG helps device manufacturers and network
operators in customizing these contents for digital offers.
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Heiko Ahrens, Project- and Sales-Manager at Axel Springer Digital TV Guide GmbH
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How would you describe the project landscape at ASDTVG?
Headquartered in
Berlin, Germany, ASDTVG includes an experienced group of digital video
engineers and software architects, as well as leading professionals in
the sector of new media marketing and advertising. The Berlin team is
complemented by a growing range of virtual offices around the globe,
including presences in Paris, Oslo, Hamburg, Zürich and Pasadena,
California.
Beyond the ASDTVG core team, the organization calls on the significant resources of other parts of the Axel Springer organization, including importantly the Digital Media Program Data group in Hamburg; the Axel Springer Digital TV production unit in Berlin, and the advertising sales expertise of Axel Springer Media Impact. In addition to these internal resources, ASDTVG also capitalizes on an extensive network of external partners.
Beyond the ASDTVG core team, the organization calls on the significant resources of other parts of the Axel Springer organization, including importantly the Digital Media Program Data group in Hamburg; the Axel Springer Digital TV production unit in Berlin, and the advertising sales expertise of Axel Springer Media Impact. In addition to these internal resources, ASDTVG also capitalizes on an extensive network of external partners.
What does the typical project workflow within ASDTVG look like?
Once a project has
been drawn up, for the most part there is no going back. This is
because a process is set up with the initiation of the projects. This
is how the idea for implementing a project is drafted in our company,
and then appraised and evaluated by different people from technical and
product management fields. If we decide to go forward with the project
based on this process, then we file an application. In the project
request, we describe in detail which resources will be needed, what the
projected time frame for the project will be and what the budget is
expected to be. If the management accepts the project, then it is
allowed to continue. Rejecting the project is no longer an option. The
information is available and the project is processed. The project head
is solely given controlling functions in the project. The “project
delegates” decide the rest.
What requests make up the resource management in the ASDTVG?
In our house, high
expectations are placed upon the resource management. For the most
part, our employees participate in multiple projects concurrently. It
is very important to know when and in which capacity the employee can
be used again. We regularly work together with external partners and
require resource planning. The decentralized nature of the company
means that, because of the difference in time zones, we’re not always
able to stay in direct contact.
We’ve arranged for the employees to report their progress in the project once per week. If the employee has direct access to the Blue Ant system, he/she can enter this alone. For external employees, it is especially important that the project head be responsible for ascertaining the employees’ progress and entering this into the system.
We’ve arranged for the employees to report their progress in the project once per week. If the employee has direct access to the Blue Ant system, he/she can enter this alone. For external employees, it is especially important that the project head be responsible for ascertaining the employees’ progress and entering this into the system.
Can it be problematic when it comes to appointments, resources and technical challenges?
Yes, exactly. That’s
why the project head is responsible for updating this information. In
monthly meetings, the projects are presented in summary through the
“project delegates,” and subsequently evaluated. So the project’s
status is viewed in relation to time and progress.
To answer more in depth questions, the project head is invited to the meeting to describe the project. In the meeting, we discuss and clear up any possible problems that could arise that may be conditional upon cost and technology.
To answer more in depth questions, the project head is invited to the meeting to describe the project. In the meeting, we discuss and clear up any possible problems that could arise that may be conditional upon cost and technology.
What you’ve just described is the status quo today. However, that knowledge existed before introducing Blue Ant. Why was a project management solution brought in? What was the tipping point?
Well, we determined
that the employees in our company had varying ideas of what the term
“Project management” meant to them. Therefore it was important to agree
on a common foundation, a common language. Our employees, as well as
the management, wanted transparency that conveyed who was active in
which projects, what the status of those projects was and how the
information gained from them could be put to use for the future. To
achieve this transparency, we decided to initiate a project management
solution as our tool.
How did the introduction process turn out with Blue Ant?
The starting point
for selecting and implementing a project management solution was a
two-day workshop. The workshop was considered, among other things, as a
chance to define technical terms in project management. Using
practice-based examples, we answered the question of what is most
important for our company. So there was a theoretical part and a
practice-based part, in order to try out the theories in a real
situation. We brought in colleagues from Hamburg, with whom we conduct
projects. Following this, we decided, together with the management,
which data was most relevant and needed to be gathered. This process
was combined with finding a suitable tool that would be able to
complete our requests. It had to be a solution that involved less work
for our employees and avoided a double recording of data. That’s how we
came to Blue Ant.
What were the pros of working with Blue Ant, a web-based and unified PM solution?
The word “web-based”
was the important point. Because of our different locations and many
external employees, it was an advantage that we wanted to utilize.
Everyone would be able to record his or her working time and progress
directly. Excel and MS-Project can’t do that. Furthermore, it was
important that the employees were only able to see the project
information that was pertinent to them. With Blue Ant’s Rights
Management, we could offer the user a tailored interface that averted
an overlap of information.
How were your projects managed before?
Before the
introduction of Blue Ant, everyone had his or her own tool. There were
Excel or MS-Project varieties, as well as open source solutions.
Comparability was not available. It was up to the project manager to
decide which tool he/she used and whether progress was reported or not.
The use of different solutions resulted mostly in hesitations with
compliance and release dates.
How many projects run parallel to one another in your company?
At this time we have
ten projects that run concurrently. Before the mentioned workshop, we
had about double that amount. The number got smaller once we started
asking ourselves, “What is actually a project?” and “Are all of our
projects still active?” etc. Most of them were not active at all, so
the number of projects dwindled considerably.
Blue Ant is a comprehensive tool. How many employees work with you at the moment and which functions have you been using?
Right now there are
50 employees in our system. We use it for working time and progress
reporting. The external employees take care of their hourly reports in
the system and adjust their monthly invoice on this basis. They simply
attach them to E-mail. Additionally, we use the evaluations that Blue
Ant offers, such as the overview for all projects and their status. We
implement all project planning with the help of this tool. All projects
are put into Blue Ant and taken care of there.
Blue Ant offers many other functions. Will you be using these in the future?
Yes, we’ll be
introducing them in small steps. For example, this year, we plan to
integrate Knowledge Management. At the same time, we will be
introducing cost rates to be able to accomplish meaningful budget
planning.
Requesting progress and working time recording for our employees in regular gaps is a challenge, but it has the highest priority for us. When we’ve established this, we’ll record additional information.
Requesting progress and working time recording for our employees in regular gaps is a challenge, but it has the highest priority for us. When we’ve established this, we’ll record additional information.
Looking back, how was the employees’ acceptance of Blue Ant’s introduction?
When you change a
process or introduce a new tool, there is often skepticism at the
beginning. It was the same when confronting our employees with new
software. At the beginning we trained our employees in the system and
showed them what happened with the data and how Blue Ant should be
used. The transparency in the projects became clear during the training
and developed a first stage of acceptance. Additionally, we have
external employees who need to record their hours as a basis for their
invoices. The timesheet “at the touch of a button” also generated
acceptance, as it’s easier to use in Blue Ant. We’ve tried to show our
employees the benefits of the new system. Overtime is easier to see in
the system and can be adjusted. We’ve also made Blue Ant more appealing
financially by integrating its use into our bonus provisions. Next to
other factors, our bonus payments depend on how and whether the
employee uses Blue Ant. As a final instance, we invite employees to a
meeting to clear up any further resistances.
By introducing Blue Ant, where there other impulses to act on the part of the management?
Yes, if a new project
is to be realized today, the management looks at the resources
available. This way, they can quickly gauge whether a project needs to
be pushed back or if it can be initiated immediately. Technical leaders
whose employees are active in many projects can quickly get an overview
of which employees are busy and, should the situation arise, convey
action impulses to those who are not. Additionally, with the help of
the tool, the management can recognize when appointments cannot be kept
and can take measures against this. In general we could say that
experiences with completed projects flow better into the planning of
new projects since the introduction of the tool. However, the most
important condition for this is that the employees use the tool and
keep the data up-to-date. The management must also call for the data to
be recorded, should this be necessary.
From your point of view, has the sensitivity toward project management changed for the management and employees in the last year?
The topic has
certainly attained a higher significance. Earlier on, we used to speak
about our projects in the management meetings. However, it was more of
a casual subject. Since the introduction of Blue Ant, we discuss
current projects at the beginning of every meeting, using Blue Ant to
call up important information at a glance. At the same time, we talk
about and clear up issues surrounding the project.
Our employees have profited from more transparency since beginning to use Blue Ant. They get to see which projects in the company are being performed and how the project is going, even if they are not participating in the project themselves.
Our employees have profited from more transparency since beginning to use Blue Ant. They get to see which projects in the company are being performed and how the project is going, even if they are not participating in the project themselves.
If you had to do the entire introductory process over again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t do
anything differently. A certain learning process is part of it,
otherwise there is no awareness created for what’s new and important.
The workshop at the beginning and the following system training
supported the introduction process well. What was difficult at the
beginning was leadership continuation after the workshop, the training
and the start of the system. The management had to realize that their
service was still and would continue to be needed. The way had to be
cleared of resistance from employees. Recording working times and
progress also had to be demanded and retained. However, it’s an initial
investment that, in the end, decides whether the software can establish
itself in the company or not.
What does the future look like for the ASDTV? In which direction will the company develop?
We’re moving into a
growing market with our solutions and can foresee a continuous rise in
demand in Europe as well as in the USA. We also plan to implement or
blend other information and contents from Axel Springer into an
electronic medium in the future. Today these are classical program
leaders, but there is information from other fields that we want to
integrate. Classical TV is going to change in the coming years and Axel
Springer AG would like to have a role in it. Blue Ant supports our
multi-project management and creates the necessary structure to be able
to take on a rising number of employees.