Introduction

Daily newspapers, monthly magazines, quarterly newsletters or annual directories: whatever you publish, the process should always be enjoyable, relaxed and fulfilling.

Unfortunately, deadlines, budgets, holidays, fickle advertisers, maternity leave, sluggish contributors, travel commitments, illness, training delays, recruitment issues, IT problems and more, often conspire to raise your stress levels. The result can be embarrassing delays and damaging costs.

The Intelligent Flatplan does not claim to cure all your publishing ills but it can help you tackle these and other issues head on: at a price you can afford.

Like all sound products, the Intelligent Flatplan is built on four solid cornerstones: planning, communication, automation and control.

Planning

Too often flatplanning is seen as a chore, a boring task best left until the last possible moment. Hardly surprising given many, if not most, flatplans are still created and amended using a pencil, paper and eraser. The Intelligent Flatplan changes this.

For example, the Intelligent Flatplan lets you freely prepare multiple flatplans in seconds, a year's worth or more if you wish. Then, as information about future issues starts trickling in (forward booked advertisement, commissioned articles etc) it can be recorded on the relevant flatplan.

Thus, when your publishing team closes one issue and starts the next, much of the work is already done.

For a clear view, a 'Title Filter' lets you view pre-prepared flatplans for a specific title or all titles in your company's portfolio. Likewise, a 'Status Filter' lets you view All, Current, New or Completed flatplans.

Communication

Publishing is a team game with editors, advertising managers, page designers, production managers, reprographics, printers and more: all critical links in a long and complex chain. Even the smallest decision by one of your team, say swapping an advertisement from a right to left page, can have serious consequences for others.

Poorly communicated, such changes can (at least) stress other team members or (at worst) cause financial loss. The Intelligent Flatplan is designed to help improve communication.

For example, as an internet-based application, the Intelligent Flatplan is always on and accessible anywhere. Virtual publishing teams split by local, regional or international boundaries always see the same view. Also, a simple feature like 'E-mail PDF' ensures all those requesting a PDF flatplan immediately receive an identical copy.