Production Management in Media and Information

Abstract

What are the factors for success in content production, as exemplified by the dominance of Hollywood? Several conventional factors are found to be secondary: market size, language and vertical integration of content with distribution. In contrast, success factors are organizational structure, with networked production and clustering; mechanisms of risk reduction of risk, and a sophisticated post-conception product development mechanism. The chapter then discusses managerial tools for production, including those of budgeting and budget control, production design, supply chains and inventory management, production scheduling, quality control and productivity measurements. This is followed by a look at the production system for the next generation of content. The case discussion looks at how the French media company Vivendi and its subsidiary, Canal Plus, aim to match the Hollywood companies.