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Printing Incorporated Book Publishing
Book Production and Sales Tracking System
Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
Case Background …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Organization Structure …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Information Systems Facilities ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
The current system………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
The proposed system ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Introduction
The publishing industry has always been linked inexorably to the dissemination of knowledge.
Publishing and associated printing activities have relied on long-standing and proven old
technologies to provide a definitive linear progression for the creation of content in print form,
providing clear implications for business processes and relationships for the various stakeholders.
The emergence and development of digital technologies have the potential to provide significant
opportunities for publishing in both print and electronic formats, and with advances in electronic
commerce, offers the prospect of new value propositions and business models. New digital
publishing formats encapsulate a range of characteristics including multiple-option infrastructures,
various content formats and viewing modes designed to suit customer requirements, with editing
processes and information updates on the server. These innovations all contribute to reductions in
processing time with the speedy, efficient transmission of content resulting in economic benefits
to relevant stakeholders. However, it must be remembered that even the latest digital tools and
applications can only be viewed as enabling mechanisms whose acceptance and implementation
must align directly with the business strategy and objectives of organisations.
In a book (Martin and Tian 2010), the authors examined trends in digitization against the broader
background of change within the book publishing industry. In an industry confronted with an
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intimidating array of challenges, digital technology has a lot to offer. The industry response has
been uneven and at times hesitant, perhaps understandably in view of lessons learned from the
failure of earlier technology initiatives (Martin and Tian 2010).
As in the rest of the world, Australian book publishers continue to take a pragmatic approach to
technology adoption, governed by both current market conditions and the failure of earlier
technologies to deliver the anticipated results. Although content management, CRM (Customer
Relationship Management), and SCM (Supply Chain Management) technologies are by now
ubiquitous, the most influential technologies currently in use in publishing continue to be the
Cloud, big data and AI. However, there is a widespread appreciation of the wider dimension to
digitisation and of its potential impacts on organisational structures and strategies. This includes
renewed attention to issues of value, and of the potential benefits of providing enhanced customer
value through digital content and delivery channels, their consequent implications for changes to
value chains, and the emergence of new and transitional business models.
One development opportunity that is clearly having an impact upon book publishing is
developments in eBooks, audio books and their associated reading devices. eBooks are becoming
a publishing reality and are continually growing in importance through the availability of mobile
phones. Already they are operating both as an enabler and as potential disruptors and
disintermediators in publishing markets.
Case Background
Printing Incorporated Book Publishing is an independent book publisher located in Melbourne,
Australia. It has established itself in the niche market of feminist publications. Though small in
size at 50 employees, it is a leader in the growing online publishing industry in Australia. The
company sees itself as somewhat of a pacesetter in the field of Internet publishing, audio books
and e-books. Printing Incorporated Book Publishing, in 1995 become only the third Australian
publisher to have its entire catalogue placed online.
Traditionally, aspiring authors had two choices for publishing their work. The preferred option
was to convince one of the major book publishers that their work deserved publication. The author
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would receive an advance payment, let the publisher absorb the costs of printing and promoting
the book, and sit back and wait for the royalty checks. However, mainline publishers accept only
a few new manuscripts each year. Authors might face many rejections and never find a willing
publisher. The second option for an author was to self-publish through a “vanity press.” In this
option, authors would pay for the printing, take delivery of a garage full of books, and do all the
promotion themselves.
Recent years with the growth of the Internet and devices, a new option has emerged: electronic
publishing. An author’s work can be converted to an electronic file that can be read on-screen or
printed on a printer. From a website, potential buyers can purchase the file and download it. New
devices are being developed, such as book-sized LCD screens that accept downloaded books, to
make “e-books” as portable as paper books. eReaders, such as Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad and
Google Android are very popular. There are also developments in mobile reading which eBook
version for mobile, such as the iPhone version. Because e-books bypass the expense of printing,
they can be produced and sold much more cheaply than paper books. All it takes is someone with
the expertise to produce quality e-book files and a popular e-book web site. So far as eBooks are
concerned, however, Printing Incorporated publisher’s eBooks have been available in four
formats:
1. Screen-optimized DRM-free digital editions in PDF format (designed for reading on
computers)
2. Printer-optimized DRM-free digital editions in PDF format (designed for printing on
customers’ printers)
3. ePub format digital editions, also DRM-free (designed for reading on the iPhone and iPad)
4. MOBI format digital editions, also DRM-free (designed for reading on the Kindle)
Printing Incorporated works with authors to turn a manuscript into a polished e-book and maintains
an e-commerce site from which people all over the world can buy and download the books. To
increase their web presence, Printing Incorporated also maintains a relationship with major book
e-commerce sites and online bookstores, such as Amazon to get their books listed on those sites.
Printing Incorporated charges authors an upfront fee that is smaller than what a vanity press would
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charge. They charge a small commission on each book sale and pass the rest of the sale proceeds
on to the author. Printing Incorporated also offers a book promotion service to send out press
releases on books for an additional charge to authors.
Printing Incorporated does all this from their offices in Melbourne, Australia. They are looking to
build a large office building that would combine all employees sometime in 2014. Printing
Incorporated had just 10 employees at the time, and 25 employees in year 2018, and now employee
numbers have increased to 50. During COVID, the eBook and audio book sells increased
dramatically. If such growth continues, they could pass the 100-employee level within the next
year or two. Currently there are two offices located closely together in Melbourne: Office A
focuses on Production, Resources and Management (e.g., setting up strategy, developing the
website, online channel and ebook technologies, HR, promotion and Finance). Office B focuses
on Sales and Service (e.g., sales development, Print-on-Demand (POD) services and after-sales
service).
Organization Structure
Printing Incorporated Publishing
Information Systems Facilities
The information architecture for Printing Incorporated Publishing standardizes on the following:
• Employee PCs (one each) – Hewlett Packard Pentium II and Pentium III Class.
64 megabytes of RAM
4-10 GB hard drive
Joseph Green
President
Mary Samson
VP Sales
Gary Johnson
VP Operations
Brian Ramsey
VP IT & Digital Business

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17” monitors
Operating Sys – MS Windows 2000 Professional
Software Tools – MS Office 2000 suite.
• Network Server – Hewlett Packard 9000 class
256 megabytes of RAM
25GB hard disk storage in 4-disk RAID 5 array
Operating Sys – MS Windows 2000 Server
Database Management – MS SQL Server
• Internet Server – Hewlett Packard 9000 class
256 megabytes of RAM
Matching 10GB hard disks with mirroring
Operating Sys – Redhat Linux 7.0
• Printers – 5 shared Hewlett Packard LaserJets
• Specialist software Conversion, Content management, and digital rights
management (DRM) software
The current system
With its tremendous growth, the company desperately needs an integrated information system to
track its authors, books-in-progress, sales, and royalties. Currently, each salesperson keeps a
personal database of his or her leads in Microsoft Access. These individual databases were all
created by the Technical Services Department according to a template, and so are comparatively
standardised. However, the individual databases do not talk to each other. There is no way to be
sure that two salespersons are not courting the same author. In addition, it is difficult to obtain any
combined author list or to calculate the performance of the salespeople.
There is no centralized tracking system to record sales transacted. Sales made via various channels
are recorded separately, sometimes by different groups. It is therefore difficult to monitor book
sales records, calculate author royalty payments and salespersons’ performance. HR staff need to
combine data from different channels and write/check manually (currently, sales made on their
own website can be automatically generated, however, sales numbers are downloaded from the e
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commerce server at the end of each quarter and dumped into an Excel spreadsheet. Then, numbers
from outside major book e-commerce sites are added to the spreadsheet). The process is time
consuming, and difficult to maintain 100% accuracy. This needs to be attended to if and when
any complaint is received.
The publisher maintains a basic book production and publication tracking system in which an
electronic file is created for each book-in-process that contains notes from each production worker.
The file records the various stages of the production process: Manuscript Scanning, First Galley
Approval, Second Galley Approval, Electronic File Creation, Web Posting, Press Releases, etc.
All production workers can access the file and record some case details of which they handled. As
every production worker can handle the cases, when an author calls in to check on the status of his
or her book (and they often do), that also necessitates a lengthy search.
Customers can register with Printing Incorporated by giving their name, address, home, work,
mobile numbers, and email address. There are two types of customers: member and non-member.
Members are identified by unique identification numbers. They pay annual fees but are eligible to
receive benefits. Non-members do not. Benefits include discounts (5% discount for each purchase),
and late payment options (up to a month without penalty). Members have their own login details,
so they can make purchases and payments via the publisher’s website. However, if their purchases
originate from other ecommerce sites, they will not be able to receive discounts. Also, all members
purchasing history can be accessed on the publisher’s website. Unfortunately, at this stage, the
history information is not able to include purchases via the third-parties. Therefore, customers
may purchase an eBook(s) through the Printing Incorporated website or third parties’ sites, such
as Amazon.
As mentioned previously, Printing Incorporated has developed four (4) different formats which
can be download to different devices. Purchasing through the Printing Incorporated website is
slightly more expensive than purchasing through the third parties’ sites. However, there are some
benefits to purchasing through their website. Each eBook has an identification number. If a
member decides to purchase an eBook, the sale will be recorded for warranty purposes and
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possibly marketing purposes against the member’s identification number. Sometimes customers
who are not members may buy an eBook, but in that case, no customer information is recorded,
and the customer must retain their receipt in case there are any problems with the eBook.
The company accepts three (3) types of payments for a member: Cheque, credit card or through
banks. Each member has an individual payment account. If they are not able to pay immediately,
they can pay later (in a month). A reminder notification will be automatically sent to them 1 day
before the due date. However, for non-members, they must pay up front (online via credit card)
before eBooks are sent to their devices.
The member transaction histroy report which lists members, their purchases of ebooks over the
requested period (usually quarterly or annually) via the publisher’s website can be automatically
generated by the system and emailed to the customer relationship officer. However, the
information will not include the purchases via the third parties. A customer relationship officer
needs to manually check and combine all information to create a report. This report will help in
analysing the current market and develop customer mailing lists. One such mailing list, for
example, would be for members who have not purchased an eBook for a specified period so as to
make a special offer to them. The report would provide member identification number, member
name, member address, the total amount spent by the member on purchasing over the specified
period, movie identification number, eBook title, single eBook price, eBook purchasing price,
purchasing transaction number, date, etc.
The Salesperson royalty payment report has to be generated by HR and accounting departments
manually, as the current system does not provide all necessary information. They must collect
them from various resources.
eBook Selling Lists are prepared by sales persons on monthly basis. The report would provide
the member identification number, member name, telephone numbers, eBook identification
numbers, and eBook titles. However, the current system can only generate the sales via their own
website. So, currently, a sales analysis report has to be prepared by sales manager manually, as
information has to be collected from various sources .
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The system creates a monthly catalogue of ebooks. This lists all important data for each eBook,
the Catalogue of eBook (e.g., drama, science fiction, horror, animation, etc.), sale price, sale
frequency, and quantity on hand. The system sends monthly eBook catalogues to all members.
The current system provides different level logins to employees. Normal customer does not need
an account to purchase eBooks, members will have their own account.
IT department maintain the system. All contents will be backup on the daily basis.
The proposed system
1. Have a central database of author leads that could be used for checking duplicates,
monitoring salesperson performance, and providing easy direct marketing to all active
leads.
2. The proposed information system should allow for electronic tracking of books through
the production process but add a new feature that one worker handles a case through the
beginning to the end. This requires the system to update progress information related to the
book automatically, such as the current status of each book. The proposed system should
also provide a mechanism for workers to enter notes electronically as they carry the book
through the process.
3. To reduce production workers’ workload, the system should support a self-service website
where authors can check the status of their book without calling Printing Incorporated. All
members and customers should also be able to check their purchasing progress and the
history of the orders. The history of orders will not just include the purchasing records via
the publisher’s website, but also other third-party sites.
4. Once a book is available for sale, management would like the proposed system to calculate
the sales and royalty information automatically.
5. The management want to enhance their own website book sales. So, they wish to add some
benefits when customers purchase ebooks or audio books via their website. For example,
add loyalty program to give customer discount, exchange ideas with authors, receive free
copies and attend free company events (such as authors and readers meet and new eBook
launching events.).
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6. The management wants members who create credit accounts (which pay certain monies in
an account, so every time when they purchase, money can be automatically deducted from
their account). If members wish to do this, they will receive further 5% discount.
7. The management expects the system to generate ‘Salesperson royalty payment report’ on
monthly basis automatically.
8. eBook Selling List should be automatically generated and sent to registered members
automatically on a monthly basis. This will help the publishers generate more income. The
report will provide the member identification number, member name, telephone numbers,
eBook identification numbers, titles, price and brief description.
9. The sales analysis report relates to sales of eBooks including sales data. This lists all
eBooks in stock including purchase prices, and the number of times an eBook was sold
when requested by a customer. This report has been used to analyse sales revenues. So,
management wishes the system to generate and send it on a quarterly basis.
10. Management wants to provide a better service to members, such as currently, members
purchasing information is not available in their online profile if the purchases are made
via the third-party. Management expects all sells via the other third-parity sites to be
transferred to the publisher’s system.
11. Management wants to try a new revenue model beyond traditional advertising, adding
subscription-based content and native advertising features in the new system, where
customers/members can read some of the ebook chapters online for free. Both subscriptionbased content and native advertising are becoming increasingly important revenue streams
for online publishers, as they provide an alternative to traditional display advertising. By
offering exclusive content and more engaging ad experiences, publishers can build more
loyal readerships and drive revenue growth over time.
Subscription-based content is a revenue model where users pay a recurring fee to access
exclusive content, usually behind a paywall. This model is becoming increasingly popular
in online publishing as publishers look for new revenue streams beyond traditional
advertising. With subscription-based content, publishers can offer their most loyal readers
access to high-quality, ad-free content that’s not available to non-subscribers. This can be
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an effective way to build a sustainable business model, as it provides a predictable and
recurring revenue stream that’s not dependent on fluctuating ad rates.
Native advertising, on the other hand, is a form of advertising that blends in with the
surrounding content, making it less disruptive and more engaging for readers. Native ads
are designed to look and feel like the content around them, so they don’t appear as obvious
ads. This can lead to higher engagement rates and better brand recall for advertisers. Native
ads can take many forms, such as sponsored content, in-feed ads, or recommended content
widgets. Publishers can use native advertising as a way to monetize their content while
providing a better user experience for their readers.
12. The system should automatically generate a mailing list each month which includes
potential members purchasing behaviors, so customer relational officers can target their
potential members.
13. As there are increasing tension on cyberspace issues, the publisher wants to take measures
to ensure the security and privacy of their digital content and their customers’ personal
information. They consider to take a multi-faceted approach to managing security and
privacy issues, including using encryption and DRM technologies, implementing secure
payment processing, having clear privacy policies, and ensuring that customer data is
stored and managed securely.
To summarize: An eBook production and sales tracking system can help eBook publishers save
time, reduce costs, and improve quality by automating and streamlining many of the tasks involved
in eBook production. By providing a centralized platform for managing the entire eBook
production process, publishers can ensure that eBooks are delivered on time and to the highest
quality standards, while also reducing the risk of errors and delays. Also, publishers can receive
accurate sales data to help them effectively manage royalty payments to salespeople and ensure
that everyone involved in the process is satisfied with the outcome.
The key features of the proposed eBook production and sales tracking system includes the
following :
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1. Project management tools: These tools allow publishers to manage the entire eBook
production process from start to finish, including tasks, timelines, and resource
allocation.
2. Collaboration and communication tools: These tools allow teams to collaborate and
communicate with each other in real-time, ensuring that everyone is on the same page
and that issues are identified and resolved quickly.
3. Quality control tools: These tools help publishers ensure that eBooks are of the highest
quality, with features such as automated error checking and formatting.
4. Analytics and reporting tools: These tools provide publishers with detailed insights into
the production process, such as timeframes, costs, and performance metrics, allowing
them to optimize and improve their eBook production process over time.
5. Managing royalty payments to salespeople can be a complex process, but there are a
few key steps that publishers can take to ensure that payments are accurate and timely:
6. Establish clear royalty terms: It’s important to establish clear and concise royalty terms
with salespeople, including the percentage of sales that they will receive and how
frequently payments will be made. These terms should be outlined in a written
agreement that is signed by both parties.
7. Use a royalty tracking system: A royalty tracking system can help publishers manage
royalty payments to salespeople by keeping track of sales data, calculating royalties
owed, and generating payment reports. This can help ensure that payments are accurate
and that salespeople are paid on time.
8. Verify sales data: Publishers should verify sales data before making royalty payments
to salespeople. This can be done by reviewing sales reports from distributors or retailers
and reconciling them against the royalty tracking system.
9. Communicate regularly: Regular communication with salespeople can help ensure that
everyone is on the same page regarding royalty payments. Publishers should provide
salespeople with regular updates on sales data and royalty payments and be available
to answer any questions or concerns.
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10. Process payments on time: It’s important to process royalty payments to salespeople on
time, according to the agreed-upon schedule. Late payments can lead to frustration and
dissatisfaction among salespeople, which can ultimately impact sales.
11. Communication between authors, publisher and customers: online communities which
allow all different parties to interact with each other. For example, readers can post
comments and suggestions via the message board.
Above are some general expectations of the proposed system. You should be
more creative and provide your innovative suggestions.
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Appendix
Exhibit 1 Salesperson Lead Database Entry Form
Exhibit 2 Royalty Compensation Form
Book ID BV510
Title Vectors and Victories
Author Debbie Swanson
Quarter Ending 06/30/00
Source Net Sales 15% Commission Net to Author
Pinnacle $ 150.00 $ 22.50 $ 127.50
Webooks $ 60.00 $ 9.00 $ 51.00
BD Booksellers $ 45.00 $ 6.75 $ 38.25
Total $ 216.75
Royalty Compensation

Road
Port Melbourne
VIC
3207
03 9632 7399
3 – 4 pm AEST
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Exhibit 3 Production Control Form
Book ID AS912
Author Wilbur Schmidt Pen Name Brad Rockford
Address 2192 East Huntington Rd Book Title The Ends and the Means
New Middlebury, PA 14583
Sub Title My Life in the NSA
Phone 837-555-0392 Num Pages 237
Production Control Form
Task Technician Begin Finish
File Begun DS 04/12/00 —
Scanning BG 04/12/00 04/14/00
1st Galley Sent to Author TT 04/15/00 05/10/00
1st Galley Corrections JB 05/11/00 05/18/00
2nd Galley Sent to Author JB 05/19/00 06/05/00
2nd Galley Corrections JB 06/07/00 06/15/00
3rd Galley Sent to Author JB 06/15/00 07/02/00
PDF File Created KG 07/05/00 —
Post to Web KG 07/05/00 —
Standard Promotion SM 07/10/00 07/13/00
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Exhibit 4 Salesperson Call Log
Salesperson Mikala Garrison
Date Lead Notes
01/11 Catherine Davison
Does not have the money. I told her about the payment
plan and she said it still was not workable. Would call
me when she was ready
01/11 Susan Mohler Is scared to publish, I assuaged some fears and
answered questions on headers and paging.
01/11 Carla Johnson Sent packet.
01/11 Albert Yang
Had e-mailed with questions, and I was calling to
answer them. Was a bad time – had to run an errand
and wants me to call him back in a half hour.
01/11 Ramesh Fallah Left message
01/11 Wilber Felling Made sale. Should be sending in manuscript
tommorrow.
01/11 Steve Ippolito Left message
01/11 Albert Yang Called back. Wasn’t there.
01/11 Debbie Massey Left message
01/11 Ben Beruman Had questions about file formats. Writes on Mac in
MacWrite. I will check with Production and call back.
01/11 Ben Beruman Called back and told that we can read MacWrite. He
wants to think about it.
01/11 Robert Horstman III I think I have the sale. He wants to “spruce up”
manuscript before sending
01/11 Jan Krath Interested. Sent packet
01/11 Albert Yang Called back. Got him. Answered general questions.
Call Log
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Exhibit 5 Printing Incorporated Data Attribute Dictionary
Below is a Data Attribute Dictionary that contains some examples of the attributes and definitions.
Data Attribute Dictionary is one of the important documents that systems analyst should prepare
when they analyse a system. This example just gives you some ideas when you create physical
data dictionary in your assignment.

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