Süddeutsche Zeitung, a leading German newspaper, has streamlined the production process of its e-edition by integrating Desk-Net metadata into the content management system, Livingdocs. This integration will allow the newsroom to cut down on design time and ensuring consistency across various platforms.  

The Importance of Planning in Newsroom Workflow 

"Planning is production," said Hannes Vollmuth, Senior Editor for Digital Strategy, at Süddeutsche Zeitung. Effective planning is crucial to the success of any newsroom, and the team at Süddeutsche Zeitung understands this well. With their Desk-Net workflow, everyone, from planners to editors to authors, understands the importance of planning, and this is emphasized and made accessible to all team members. 

Streamlining Production with Desk-Net and Livingdocs 

As Vollmuth and Stefan Simon, Senior Editor for Training at Süddeutsche Zeitung, highlight, integration is key. "There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to tools," said Vollmuth. The magic lies in the integration of various tools. Without integration, users can face constant headaches flipping between apps, copying and pasting information, and looking things up.  

With the integration of Desk-Net metadata and Livingdocs, Süddeutsche Zeitung has found a solution that works. This pre-production planning process will save a significant amount of time and resources, as it automates a large part of the e-edition's production. A first special edition has already been produced this way; the entire newsroom will start using the new workflow in the summer. 

The Benefits of Integration for Newsrooms 

"The editors who already used the new mechanism were amazed by what we achieved with Desk-Net and Livingdocs," said Vollmuth.

By incentivizing planning and creating transparency for colleagues in the newsroom, Süddeutsche Zeitung has made its production process more efficient.  

With the integration of Desk-Net metadata and Livingdocs, Süddeutsche Zeitung has found a solution that will be used by the newsroom within months on a daily basis. As Vollmuth said, "Planning is production," and it seems like they're onto something game-changing.