Company Description

Tamedia (today TX Group) was founded on 2 March 1893 by Wilhelm Girardet and Fritz Walz in Zurich. Since then, the company has developed into Switzerland's leading media group through strategic expansions and acquisitions, and the takeovers of Espace Media Groupe and Edipresse have significantly expanded Tamedia's portfolio of print media. This includes major regional and local newspapers as well as important titles in French-speaking Switzerland. Tamedia has thus assumed a leading role in both the German- and French-language print media markets in Switzerland.

Espace Media

Espace Media Groupe, known for its strong regional and local newspapers such as the Berner Zeitung and the regional television channel TeleBärn, was fully integrated into Tamedia in the course of 2008. This strengthened Tamedia's presence in the Bernese media market and expanded its portfolio of regional print media.

Edipresse

On 3 March 2009, Tamedia and Edipresse announced their intention to merge their business activities on the Swiss market. Tamedia initially acquired 49.9 % of Presse Publications SR SA, the Swiss subsidiary of Edipresse. In 2011, the stake was increased to 51.1 % and the full takeover took place in the same year.

The integration of Edipresse, which included major titles such as Le Matin and 24 heures, expanded Tamedia's reach and market presence, particularly in French-speaking Switzerland.

Problem Statement

Following the mergers of Tamedia with Espace Media Groupe and Edipresse, the logistics processes were duplicated in each case. This duplication led to additional costs and different processes, which significantly impaired efficiency and coordination.

Different Processes for Logistics

The various processes for media logistics at Espace Media and Edipresse differed in many aspects from those at Tamedia. This related to the preparation and addressing of the print titles, the packaging and preparation of the titles for dispatch, as well as the dispatch methods and route planning.

Different IT-Systems

Both publishers used separate IT solutions for media logistics. These had to be integrated into Tamedia's existing system, an in-house development called TALAS based on Microsoft VB.

Production centres and location distribution

Tamedia's production centres were working at full capacity and titles were printed at several locations. Different processes and systems at different locations made these tasks even more difficult.

Solution

In order to eliminate this duplication and the associated problems, Tamedia launched extensive integration projects on the media logistics side in the periods 2009-2010 (for EspaceMedia Groupe) and 2010-2012 (for Edipresse).

Detailed Analysis Phase

A thorough analysis of the logistics processes and IT systems of Espace Media and Edipresse was carried out on site, including an examination of the preparation and addressing of the print titles, packaging and preparation for dispatch, as well as the existing dispatch methods and route planning. The separate IT solutions of the two publishers were also analysed.

Adaptation Phase

Based on the analysis, the processes of EspaceMedia and Edipresse were compared with the existing Tamedia processes. Where necessary, selective adjustments were made to take into account the special needs of the new publishers without changing the basic Tamedia processes. The integration of the various IT systems into TALAS was carefully planned and prepared.

Implementation Phase

The reorganised processes were implemented step by step. Workshops were held continuously during this phase to ensure that the integration went smoothly and that everyone involved familiarised themselves with the new processes. The technical integration of the IT systems of Espace Media and Edipresse into the existing TALAS system was also successfully completed.

Added Customer Value

By actively supporting the integration team in all phases of the project, Tamedia was able to ensure that the changeover went smoothly and that everyone involved, including customers, benefited from the improvements. This included the organisation and implementation of workshops, the creation of training materials and the provision of technical support.

• Abolition of Dualities: The standardisation of logistics processes has eliminated duplication. This led to more efficient processes and better coordination of media logistics.
• Flexible employee assignment: The standardised processes made it possible to deploy employees at all locations. This significantly increased the flexibility and efficiency of staff deployment.
• Increased Output: The optimised logistics processes increased the output performance of logistics, which in turn allowed production (printing) to generate more output. This led to a higher overall performance of the company.
• Cost Savings: The standardisation of logistics processes and the integration of IT systems led to significant cost savings through the reduction of systems and the more efficient use of resources.
• Increased Reach: The integration of the regionally strong Espace Media Groupe and Edipresse, which is important in French-speaking Switzerland, enabled Tamedia to expand its market presence and reach a broader readership.

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