The roles of IT and Supply Chain Management have become hugely important to the publishing industry and Mike is widely recognized as an expert in these fields. He has been directly involved in the development and direction of IBS Bookmaster to ensure it continues to deliver a complete IT, supply chain and business management solution that supports publishers and book distributors from concept to the consumer.
Mike is a member of the Book Industry Study Group and recently spoke at its US Annual Meeting on the importance of IT integration for publishers. He is also on the judging panel for the Bookseller’s UK Book Awards for the Excellence in Supply Chain category.
Since taking on overall responsibility for IBS’ publishing sector operations, Mike has worked with a number of leading companies, helping to optimize their global requirements for supply chain execution. He has been instrumental in the design and delivery of worldwide IT strategies for such companies as Pearson and Macmillan.
Mike’s experience, which encompasses all aspects of supply chain execution and management for the publishing industry, makes him an excellent candidate for speaking at industry events, conferences and seminars. Publishing and book distribution companies can also benefit from Mike’s knowledge and experience by inviting him to attend project planning and steering committee meetings.
Speaking Topics
Experiences of leading publishers’ IT implementations and strategies:
Mike has been instrumental in many of the world’s leading IT supply chain solutions for publishers and book distributors and can present papers detailing their experi-ences and lessons learnt.
Integration
Why a fully integrated ERP system delivers the most cost-effective and business efficient solution for publishers.
eCommerce
Traditional methods of putting books into the hands of customers are rapidly being overtaken by the consumer’s firm acceptance of the internet. It is no longer a question of if it happens - the Internet revolution has happened and it is still growing and evolving.
Digital publishing
For most publishers, digital content is an important new route to market, the key question is – is it going to reduce market value or deliver significant incremental value?
Risk management
To succeed in business, you have to choose your risks very carefully. Take chances where you have to be conservative where necessary. And always, always, look for the scenario that gives you high reward with minimum risk.
Royalties
Royalties often involve complex calculations with multiple components. How can IT help keep authors happy and businesses profitable, through effective handling of all different types of royalties calculations and payments.
Editorial and Book Production
Publishing books is a complex business involving many processes. When managed manually, it can be a challenge to effectively control production projects. Costs can easily skyrocket and publishing dates can slip. How can publishers effectively control the entire publishing process, from the initial publishing plan right through to the acceptance of books into the warehouse.
Forecasting
Working towards a more efficient business with effective Forecasting
Easing the headache of Returns
Publishers face unique challenges when handling returns. How can they gear up to meet this challenge head on?
Inventory Management
Keep it under control with advanced Inventory Management and Optimization
Understanding your business and planning for success with Business Intelligence
Filtering and analyzing data gathered in everyday business can reveal a great amount. Effective Business Intelligence can unlock this information.
IBS Bookmaster
IBS Bookmaster is the most widely used publishing-specific ERP system in the world, with customers in 18 countries on every major continent. It is a fully integrated software package that combines the power and functionality of leading WMS, e-Commerce, CRM and Business Intelligence solutions with the industry-specific features of a specialised book distribution and publishing system. Publishing-specific modules and features include Royalties, Returns Management, Subscriptions, Editorial and Book Production, Adoptions, Book Clubs, title restrictions, dealing with buying groups and much more.
Why choose IBS Bookmaster?
Book industry-specific – IBS Bookmaster has been designed over 20 years in partnership with publishers and book distributors around the world. For example, the Editorial and Book Production System was initially developed with Prentice Hall, LML and Penguin.
Speaks the publishing language – IBS Bookmaster uses terminology such as ‘title’, ‘ISBN’, ‘author’ and ‘extent’. The solution also handles vital publishing features such as the 13-digit ISBN and meets ONIX requirements.
Low risk – Choosing IBS Bookmaster is a low-risk solution. This is because it is designed specifically for the book industry and it is tried and tested by all kinds of publishers and book distributors worldwide. In an industry with many well-known examples of failed attempts to turn generic ERP software into publishing systems, it is important to manage and minimise risk. Choosing IBS Bookmaster allows you to do this.
Fully integrated solution – Every component and module are integrated parts of the same system. This means IBS Bookmaster can be implemented quickly and economically compared to non-integrated solutions.
Proven solution – IBS Bookmaster is a tried and proven solution with a worldwide customer base. It is a market leader in Australia, Africa, Asia and has a strong presence in the USA and Europe. Many multi-national customers have chosen IBS Bookmaster in several countries.
