Updated · Originally published
When Sandy DiPasquale and Providence Equity Partners came together to acquire Clear Channel Television, a 56 station television group in 24 markets across the country, they faced several challenges. The stations primarily affiliated with the top four broadcast networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX would be the 14th largest television station group in the United States with annual revenues of approximately $375 million. In order to create a seamless transition of ownership, selection and implementation of an accounting system was paramount.
Several key competitors such as PeopleSoft and SAP were being evaluated. Beyond software functionality, there were several other items that would ultimately factor in the decision. Cost and the time to implement were at the top of that list. Strong project management skills would also be critical to the success of this project.
When it came time to make the decision Newport Television chose for their business partner for several reasons. For a fraction of the cost, Newport Television could purchase and implement . But more importantly, with the services of Associates Solutions the system could be implemented in the timeframe required.
Newport Television had several special requirements though that needed to be met. Complex deployment and security needs, tight controls over cash in a multi‐facility environment all coupled with the ability to track several items at the station level presented challenges to the implementation. Along with a strong level of project management, Associates Solutions provided the networking, development, and technical resources to deliver the needed solutions. After taking the Corporate headquarters live, it was time to take all of the stations live. This was no small task to get this many stations trained, prepared, and deployed all at one time. To facilitate training, Associates Solutions hosted a week long training session for over 25 Newport Television employees in . This hands‐on sessions provided the comfort users needed to go live with a solution they had not used before.
Microsoft Dynamics GP gave Kansas City, Missouri (MO) based Newport Television the system that could fill the need not only for the corporate headquarters, but for the 24 markets as well. The system was deployed
on schedule and at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Read the full implementation.
If you are looking for , and want the same success as Newport Television, .
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