SCS Installs Ad-tracking in Annapolis

By: E&P Staff Landmark Communications' Capital Gazette Communications, Annapolis, Md., replaced its legacy ad- tracking system with the SCS/Track ad-production management system from Software Consulting Services LLC, Nazareth, Pa.

SCS/Track organizes ad workflow from beginning to end, standardizing the generation and naming of ad documents. When ad builders select an ad job in SCS/Track, the system automatically launches MultiAd Creator, creates a document according to the ordered size, and names the file appropriately. The logical filing system never loses ad documents. With SCS/Track's automated routing, ad tracking and audit trails, managers can find an ad at any time and determine who has worked on it.

Capital Gazette IT Director Scott Barter cited the automation, customization, and the "smoothest software/hardware installation we have experienced by a vendor."

SCS/Track interfaces with the Capital Gazette's outgoing AdMarc front-end system and new Mactive front-end, as well as with the Capital Gazette's ATS and Mactive pagination systems.

The purchase included two Dell 2900 servers and 12 Macintosh workstations, including two for remote ad building at satellite offices. For ad building, Capital Gazette staff uses MultiAd Creator 7. Capital Gazette also runs SCS/Track on Windows workstations for ad services, prepress electronic ads, and administrators.

Capital Gazette has used SCS's Layout-8000 for display-ad dummying since 1993. SCS/Track's rADar edition-management tool uses Layout-8000 data to display the production status of each edition.

Founded in 1727 as the weekly Maryland Gazette, The Capital (circulation 45,687) was the first in the American colonies to have a woman as both editor and publisher. Capital Gazette Communications also publishes the Maryland Gazette, The Bowie Blade-News, The Crofton News-Crier and The West County Gazette.