Harvard University Press Selects Virtusales' Biblio3 Software to Run its Publishing Operations
(Press Release) Since its 1913 founding, Harvard University Press (HUP) has used the best technologies available to publish serious nonfiction of the highest quality. HUP's decision to move from its propriety databases to Virtusales's publishing management system again places it at the leading edge of electronically enabled publishing workflow.
HUP will be utilizing the following key functions in Biblio3:
* Pre-acquisition costing, cost management, purchase ordering
* Schedule management
* Contracts and rights management
* Editorial, bibliographic and marketing data management
* Comprehensive reporting
* ONIX 2 & 3 feeds, website feeds and integration to finance and warehouse systems
Background
When software database tools including FileMaker emerged in the 1990s, HUP's in-house information technology team developed systems and databases that were superior to any solution then offered by outside vendors; over the years, those databases have grown to accommodate a wide range of functions. However, the increasing demands of contemporary publishing led HUP's digital steering committee to investigate alternate publishing management systems.
Requirements
"We needed a robust publishing management system that could integrate with our external distribution system and with Harvard's financial platforms in a single instance across our Cambridge and London offices. At the same time, we needed a seamless workflow from book acquisition to delivery, and to retain all of the important features developed in our proprietary systems." explained Timothy Doyle, Chief Financial Officer, Harvard University Press.
Why Virtusales
"After going through a rigorous tender process which analyzed available publishing systems, we realized that Virtusales would help us retain the important custom elements of our existing systems, while delivering new advantages. We expect to benefit from Virtusales' unique development philosophy providing a six-week upgrade cycle, along with its experience in large publishing system implementations. We also anticipate efficiency gains from the integration of processes between modules and departments which were available in Biblio3. We're pleased to have found a solution that will allow us to more effectively further our mission of publishing 'scholarship plus'-vital books for both the scholar and the general reader," Doyle said.
