Clear Channel International streamline operations with GoldMine
Clear Channel International streamline operations with GoldMine
Taxi Media, part of the Clear Channel International Group streamline both operations and sales environments with GoldMine
Originally, Taxi Media’s sales team started out on GoldMine 3.2, and next upgraded to GoldMine 4.0. Then, the company’s operations department purchased a 5-user copy of GoldMine 5.0 and, with the help of Prior Analytics, a GoldMine Solutions Partner, created a customised toolbar to manage their taxi-booking process. Both departments were successfully using GoldMine, however, they maintained two separate databases, which kept them from having a fully integrated solution. Today, Taxi Media has 27 employees on GoldMine® Corporate Edition, running on Microsoft® SQL Server.
Now, all departments involved are accessing the same GoldMine system, thus all customer information is located in one, unified database.
Taxi Media employed Richard Young of Prior Analytics to perform customisations to GoldMine. Prior Analytics created a customized Toolbar, written in Delphi, to ensure that Taxi Media’s business processes are maintained and that timelines are met.
GoldMine assists Taxi Media with executing their advertising campaigns. Taxi Media has established agreements with numerous privately-owned taxis and fleet companies, all of which are entered into GoldMine. Each cab driver and fleet company is paid for using their taxi(s) as an advertising medium.
GoldMine’s Document Management Center is used to notify a taxi driver about the start of a new advertising campaign. A letter is printed and sent to the taxi driver, inviting them to visit Taxi Media’s depot and have their taxi repainted with the latest advertisement. The taxi driver earns loyalty points for turning up on the right day and right time.
“GoldMine has proved to be pivotal in the running of the operations department”, states Nigel West, Operations Director, “It's adaptability to be tailored to meet the requirements of the business means that we are not restricted both financially and operationally in implementing improvements that would otherwise be restrictive.
Prior Analytics have responded to our business needs in a highly efficient manner. There ability to understand our requirements and deliver a tailored product to us quickly was essential in what was a major change to our business strategy. Equally support and qualified training are essential in sustaining a system of this nature, again Prior have been efficient and highly responsive in meeting our complete needs.”
The operations team uses GoldMine to track loyalty points for the taxi driver and loyalty points for the owner of fleet taxis. When a taxi comes in for a new advertisement, the Taxi Media employee finds their GoldMine contact record and selects the “Taxi In” button on the customised toolbar. This records an action in the taxi's History tab in GoldMine. Once the artwork is complete, the rep selects the “Taxi Out” button. Again, a GoldMine History record is created and the duration of the visit is recorded.
From a management perspective, it’s helpful for Taxi Media to have these statistics, so that they can see the inefficiencies in the business. As a result of selecting the “Taxi Out” button, GoldMine’s calendar is automatically launched and the Taxi Media rep schedules the next appointment for the taxi.
Taxi Media uses GoldMine’s Opportunity Manager to ensure the successful scheduling of all taxi artwork through a lengthy 13-step process.
This process involves a number of third parties that are only available on certain days, thus in order to get the artwork accomplished on time, tight scheduling must occur. This scheduling is critical to delivering the Taxi campaigns on time. One of the 13 steps includes getting the artwork approved by the PCO Approval Agency, a division of the Metropolitan Police, which meets once a week. All advertising campaigns are entered into GoldMine’s Opportunity Manager. The Opportunity Manager automatically schedules the 13 different actions, basing the dates off of the intended close date, or date when the campaign should be completed helping to ensure that all of the required steps are accounted.
Taxi Media also uses GoldMine to produce management intelligence reports, including the amount of booked revenue to stock and the number of slippage days.
Benefits
As a result of using GoldMine, Taxi Media has streamlined a rather lengthy and detailed process. Now, the process is easier to follow, details don’t fall through the cracks, and Taxi Media is able to execute its advertising campaigns in a timely fashion.
01/01/2005