What began with the need to replace a classified advertising system rapidly evolved into a project to upgrade a collection of disparate technologies with a comprehensive advertising solution that would enable the newspaper group to better leverage resources, content and customer information for the benefit of the entire group.

“When we began looking for a Classified Sales System we were first focused on marketing and sales with seamless integration throughout all aspects of our newspaper operations. Internet had to be at the forefront and was the foundation of the design process. Although many good options exist, DTI continually demonstrated superior competence in the areas we feel are most valuable to our franchise,” says Robert Brown, Chief Operations Officer.

“Three years ago we set a goal to find a classified and advertising system with an Internet first architecture. We believe DTI best fits the bill and will provide exciting new opportunities for our customers building our business for tomorrow,” says Arne Hoel, President and CEO.

“The number one reason we selected DTI was to implement a fully integrated system that brought together the variety of disparate systems we had in the past for classified and display advertising and advertising production,” says Bill Waters, controller/director of operating finance for Swift. “Equally as important was that we wanted to work with a vendor and a software package that integrated the Internet component of advertising as well. DTI’s Liquid Media concept fit that bill better than any of the other solutions that we looked at.”

The solution will consist primarily of the following applications. ClassSpeed will be used for both liner and retail order entry. PlanSpeed will be used for ad planning and pagination. AdSpeed (which incorporates Adobe InDesign into a multi-user environment) will be used to produce and manage display ads and the associated graphics in a content management database. This will replace the use of Quark XPress and of single-user Adobe InDesign along with the manual processes of managing graphics on file servers.

Sales reps will benefit from a new, wireless retail order entry solution from DTI called AdPad. On-line advertising services will be enhanced with the ability for customers to book, build, preview and pay for their own classified ads online using ClassSpeed Web Order Entry. Retail customers will also benefit from more self-service online with the ability to view ad schedules, and to proof submitted ads electronically with AdProof.

“DTI’s approach to integration is consistent with our strategic plans,” explained Waters, speaking of the history of success in unifying systems across physical locations by which DTI has distinguished itself from other vendors.

Swift operates out of multiple locations grouped around five regional production hubs located in Nevada (Carson City and Lake Tahoe); Northern Colorado (Greeley, Windsor, Ft. Collins); Colorado mountains (Frisco, Vail, Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Grand Junction); Oregon (Roseburg); and California (Grass Valley). Each of these regional hubs hosts both a press facility and performs production services. The primary headquarters for the group are located in Reno.

This project will be implemented with the classified/accounting database hosted centrally on servers in Reno and with regional servers deployed to handle the production functions at each of the regional production centers.

With client applications and servers spread across so many physical locations, the key unifying component of the project will be DTI’s Liquid Media data-flow technology that manages the flow of ads, ad orders, graphics, and customer information to wherever they need to be, for print or the Web, regardless of where the information originated.

By undertaking this standardization initiative, Waters anticipates several key benefits.

“Right now the data we collect exists in a number of different places. We can be more intelligent about understanding our customers when we can bring this together in one system. Even within a small geographic area, our data has been separated to the point that it is difficult to be fully effective in utilizing it,” he explains.

“We also see opportunities for some revenue growth with the ability to effectively facilitate cross-selling of ads between publications,” continues Waters, “as well as the improved services that we can offer our advertisers online through an automated self-service model.”

Currently, ads that are submitted by private parties through the sites’ web pages must be manually re-keyed into the classified order entry system.

Waters acknowledges the challenges of a project of this scope, and emphasizes the careful planning that has already characterized this undertaking.

“There is a company-wide commitment to standardizing, but this decision was a collaborative one,” he explains. “We had a task force comprised of people throughout the organization representing the various disciplines that would be impacted by a project of this scope.”

“We were also particularly impressed with DTI’s approach to training and planning. That goes back to the audits and even the way that DTI put together the proposal. It was very clear to us that a lot of upfront work is done to ensure a successful project,” reports Project Manager Shana Fisher, who heads up a team of five individuals who are dedicated full-time to the implementation.

The implementation, which is underway now, will take approximately a year and a half to complete. The Colorado Mountain group go live, currently slated for fourth quarter 2006, will be the first.