UMPH Unifies Production and Asset Management Workflows with BiblioFlow
CUSTOMER STORY
Learn how the United Methodist Publishing House eliminated "spreadsheet fatigue" and cut vendor file transfer time from 40 minutes to 30 seconds.
The United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH), a well-respected publisher with a 200-year history, needed to unify its production process. After decades of using a patchwork of disconnected asset management systems, the transition to a fully remote workforce made it critical to find a single source of truth. To connect their teams, streamline workflows from creation to distribution, and improve vendor collaboration, UMPH chose BiblioFlow to create an integrated publishing platform.
In this short teaser, see how UMPH moved beyond simple file storage to a true publishing asset management system.
400
Titles Managed
Unified workspace connecting editors, designers, and partners to manage your entire annual frontlist with ease.
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40
Minutes Saved Per Title​
Reclaim valuable time by eliminating administrative technical struggles, allowing your team to focus on editorial excellence.
30
Seconds to Vendor
Transform collaboration by securely sending files to vendors in seconds, eliminating the frustration of FTP sites.
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Publishing around 400 products annually, UMPH has a deep backlist and an even longer history of experimenting with asset management. For decades, their teams navigated a mix of shared network drives and various Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems, none of which fully met their needs. This resulted in a disconnected workflow with several persistent challenges.
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“We were dealing with multiple spreadsheets for tracking schedules, the lack of a single source of truth for project status, and endless email chains for communication and file sharing.” — Lisa Huntley, Director of Production Services, UMPH
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This fragmented approach led to key pain points:
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Time-Consuming Manual Work: Staff spent significant time on administrative tasks instead of focusing on content.
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Workflow Inefficiency: It was difficult to track a project's status as it moved through the production process.
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​File Integrity and Security Risks: Using insecure external tools like Dropbox and WeTransfer for large files led to issues with version control and even corrupted files.
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Difficult Vendor Collaboration: The process of delivering files to external vendors was particularly challenging.
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“It felt like a battle every single time we had to deliver files to a vendor. This wasn't just annoying, it was expensive. Time we should have been spending on strategic work was being wasted on technical struggles.” — Lisa Huntley, Director of Production Services, UMPH
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As UMPH transitioned to a fully remote company in 2020, the need for a robust, centralized system became more critical than ever.
THE CHALLENGE: SEEKING A SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH
THE SOLUTION: A UNIFIED PUBLISHING PLATFORM
UMPH chose BiblioFlow to create a central hub for their entire publishing process, from metadata creation to final distribution. The goal was to move beyond simple file storage and build an integrated system that manages assets, workflows, and schedules in one place.
“The Edition Dashboard in BiblioSuite is our central hub for a title. With direct links to assets in the DAM, schedules, and all the core metadata in one place, it’s more than just a digital asset management system—it’s a true publishing asset management system.” — Matthew Allison, Design & Production Manager, UMPH
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The solution focuses on the following key features:
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Customizable Dashboards: BiblioFlow provides tailored dashboards for different departments, such as acquisitions, curriculum, and books, ensuring each team has the specific tools and information they need.
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Automated Workflows and Notifications: The system automates routine tasks, such as notifying team members when a file is ready for their review, and automatically updates project schedules as tasks are completed.​
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Seamless Vendor File Transfer: One of the most impactful changes for the UMPH team was the ability to send files directly to vendors from within the BiblioFlow DAM, saving a significant amount of time and eliminating the need to download files in order to send them to third parties.
​The United Methodist Publishing House successfully transitioned from a collection of disconnected systems to a unified publishing platform.
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Their journey offers valuable insights for any publisher looking to modernize their production and asset management workflows and improve efficiency across teams.
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THE RESULT
The most measurable ROI came from streamlining vendor collaboration. One UMPH team member, who had previously struggled to access a vendor’s server using tools like Filezilla, decided to try sending files directly from the BiblioSuite DAM. The process, which often involved technical difficulties, was transformed into a “seamless” process that now takes just a few clicks. This single change has resulted in significant time savings. The team member estimated that the new process saves them at least 20-40 minutes per title, if not more.
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“BiblioSuite’s DAM has transformed our biggest collaboration headache into our smoothest process. We can now securely send files directly to our vendors in about 30 seconds, eliminating the time-consuming and frustrating process of managing multiple FTP sites.” ​— Lisa Huntley, Director of Production Services, UMPH
Dramatic Time Savings
Increased Efficiency and Focus
With automated notifications and centralized project tracking, the UMPH team has been able to reclaim valuable time.
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“Centralizing our systems with BiblioSuite has allowed us to evolve from task-based coordination to fully integrated publishing workflows. It is now embedded in our operational framework, streamlining asset handling and freeing our team to concentrate on editorial excellence and strategic decisions.” — Heather Wegenka, Business Manager & Content Distribution Specialist, UMPH
A Foundation for the Future
The implementation has provided a solid foundation for UMPH to continue improving its processes. The team is already planning to integrate its marketing assets and a vast archive of backlist content into the system, further solidifying BiblioSuite as its single source of truth for all publishing assets.
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“What started as a tool for creating an ONIX feed in BiblioSuite has become our workspace for the whole publishing team—from editors and designers to our distribution partners.” — Heather Wegenka, Business Manager & Content Distribution Specialist, UMPH
See UMPH’s Workflows in Action
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Watch our webinar session, “Beyond Spreadsheets and FTP: Inside UMPH’s Workflow Transformation”, on demand via the PCPA Vimeo channel.
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If you’d like to explore how BiblioSuite can support your workflows, get in touch with the Virtusales team or visit our website:
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👉 Explore BiblioSuite Production: Discover how Biblio centralizes workflows and automates repetitive tasks to bring your entire product range to market faster.
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👉 Watch BiblioFlow in Action: Elevate your digital publishing efficiency by integrating asset management directly into your daily workflows with BiblioFlow.
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👉 Discover Advanced Digital Asset Management: Optimize your digital footprint and reduce storage requirements by up to 75% with BiblioSuite’s unique deduplication and intelligent file management.