Case Study in Advertising, PR & Communication Industry

Profile PMG Asia Pacific Pte Ltd is a regional agency that helps global multi-national companies manage their channel marketing communications. From concept to creation, production to delivery, with traditional print, digital media or interactive web media, in multiple languages or locations, PMG manages all the pieces of your entire communiCustomer: PMG Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Website: www.pmgasia.com Country: Singapore Industry: Advertising, PR & Communications Partner: Asterisk Computer (FE) Pte Ltd

cations content delivery supply chain. Offering a breadth of solutions and the depth of in-house expertise, we provide the integrated in integrated global communications. They have taken an advantage of the latest technology, working with proven processes and using a people-oriented, consultative approach in our work. They have brought integration into communications. PMG Asia Pacific Pte Ltd handles numerous clients with voluminous budgets on an everyday basis. It has become a daily task for the team to efficiently manage their clients budget and allocate those into several required A&P activities; from creative, interactive, translation, etc. while still effectively staying within the budget. PMG then was in need of system that could lessen the challenge in their everyday tasks of managing diverse clients and handling expansive budgets through an efficient method of retrieving, sharing and integrating information within their local and global offices.

Costumer Profile

PMG Asia Pacific Pte Ltd offers a variety of advertising, PR & communications services on a global scale, handling multinational and large enterprises across Asia.
Software and Services Microsoft Dynamics NAVI - Advertising, PR & Communications Solution

Challenges

Complex Data Retrieval Methods It was quite hard for the PMG team then to generate a specific, required data needed especially for intercompany reconciliations. Retrieving figures, data, reports, etc. takes
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time as one has to key-in information multiple times. Instead of being able to get the comprehensive and orderly data requirement as quickly as possible, information was mostly given in a cluttered fashion and was displayed and generated in sometimes, unsorted bits and pieces. The methods then were inefficient and tedious. Information was available but retrieving it was a laborious process for the PMG team.

Lack of a Unified System PMG Asia Pacific Pte Ltd has several related overseas entities worldwide, from Singapore, Australia, China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Japan & Taiwan and it became absolutely necessary to seamlessly integrate their information with one another, to track and monitor the progress of related A&P activities from different related overseas entities and company subsidiaries. The lack of an efficient, integrated system proved to be a complex matter for the PMG team. Processing data and information from one branch to another was a time-consuming process, as methods differ from one location to another. China operations were different from Singapore and so on and so forth. A unifying process then was greatly needed to smoothly manage and harmonize the efforts of both the local and global offices of PMG. Project Management Difficulties Since there is no standard process in monitoring and tracking the over-all budget, a lot of activities are usually overlooked by the management, making it harder to modify necessary changes agreed by the company and the client. Available listings of work that needs to be done was a scarcity and even that is done on paper, providing a challenge to the project manager to report to the necessary departments how much of their budget has been actually used. The budget approval process takes a tedious turn as not even a comprehensive view of completed job orders can be seen. Even the calculation of currencies used to be an unnecessary task, making it harder to meet up and explain to clients where their money is being used up for.

the practical & integrated methods of its operations but for the over-all and continued success of the company. Asterisk Computer (FE) Pte Ltds 23 years of experience in the business and a team of committed and highly-experienced consultants became the ultimate reason for the PMG Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, to appoint the said group to implement and deploy quality ERP solutions tailored for their kind of business. Quicker Retrieval Process It has now become much easier for the PMG team to easily generate their needed data for financial and intercompany reconciliations. Keying-in several data at multiple times became a thing of the past. A comprehensive budgetary report for related activities can now be done in seconds, without having to sort and arrange generated information. The PMG team can now quickly retrieve past records and current ones with ease and efficiency. Seamless, Integrated Database A unified system was created, seamlessly harmonizing data from PMGs different related overseas entities, be it from Singapore, Australia, China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Japan & Taiwan. A smoother, more dynamic and more efficient method of sharing information and coordinating activities from different subsidiaries and locations was established, greatly improving the over-all operations of PMG. A comprehensive budget overview for each office was made available, completely breaking down and listing the budget for the use of necessary individuals, from the project managers, the accounting staff and even the creative department. Each advertising, PR & communication-related activity are now listed per department, adding greater control

Solution An ERP system tailored specifically for the advertising, PR & communications industry became an absolute must, not only for

and monitoring of the running budget, quickly providing reports when needed. An itemized billing for A&P on-going activities, progress and even forthcoming mishaps are calculated, stored and analysed for future and current use.

Standardized, Regularized Process An improved set template for job orders is now induced, making it easier for groups to track down and check completed and pending work processes. Modification of work flows for budget allocations can now be quickly done, as thorough listings for each and every departments activities can be provided, monitored and can even be shifted when needed. Workflows have greatly been refined and systematized, providing the team a way to generate a more comprehensive data, giving them the confidence to give a clear and extensive report in critical discussions with clients.

confidence to the client, updating them quickly about the progress of job orders and projects, all with the help of Microsoft Dynamics Navi Advertising, PR & Communications Solution. Product Overview MS Dynamics NAVI - Advertising, PR & Communications Solution, allows you the following functions: Simplifies and Automates Automatically sends request for quotation (RFQ) to the necessary parties, the customer and to the supplier. It also allows you to quickly generate a job order as well, enabling easy printing of a job order template, listing down and speci-

Benefits PMG Asia Pacific Pte Ltd now has a single database which enables them to generate data as quickly as possible, without keying-in information several times. The tedious process of retrieving and sorting information became a thing of a past. Handling financial transactions and intercompany reconciliations became ultimately easier. Global operations became less of a challenge, as a customized system was specifically made for other related overseas entities Australia, Malaysia, etc. Integrated efforts improved project estimation activities, timeline assessments for different projects and to report with ease and such as in China, Japan,

fying effectively the requirements, providing a clean and easy to understand job order. A better way of handling received job orders and confirming them is also implemented, efficcientIy simpliying your work methods. Harmonize Department Activities Unifies efforts, production and tasks within different agency departments by connecting the major activities such as those related to finance and project management. Not only does it integrates related tasks, it also enables project tracking and monitoring of work processes, pending and current works that are tied to the total budget. It automatically improves the task of estimating the completion of a project, efficiently managing outsourcing processes as well.

Product Overview Improved Budget Planning Effectively maps out a budget plan for all relevant deparments, allowing a more precised way of itemizing A & P projects. Transferring of budget and invoices to the respective teams is also included, as well as allocating internal resourcesa advancing manpower billable to the A necessary deparment, budget

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hours.

comprehensive

overview is also provided which consists of sub-activities for the A&P projects, making it easier to manage and track projects.