At least ten times every day, most Americans hear a production of Network Music — but never realize that they’re doing so. The lilting strains forming a backdrop for the latest documentary. The music that adds excitement to a commercial. Even the “ka-ching” on a radio show when a contestant answers correctly. All these sounds come from Network Music, one of the largest music libraries in the world.

Network Music is a library of more than 200 CDs containing 2,000 original compilations recorded in the company’s studios. It also creates custom Private Label CDs featuring corporate logos that are distributed as premiums and promotional items.

THE CHALLENGE

Network Music was putting so much effort into its recordings that it just didn’t have time to upgrade its information technology. Its System 36 mainframe with dummy terminals had been performing faithfully for 15 years.

But the trusty old mainframe couldn’t deliver the sophisticated management reports that were becoming increasingly essential to the company’s success. Reports were produced manually from a spreadsheet, as well as a secondary database. Data had to be entered twice. So it was no surprise that staff members demanded an up-to-date system of networked PCs.

THE SOLUTION

The firm switched over to Microsoft Windows NT, gave everyone new desktops, and opted for the best accounting package they could find.

Ron Helms, Network Music’s CFO, decided on MAS 500, “mostly because I’m an accountant,” he said, “and I understand what a good software package has got to do. I could tell that MAS 500 had everything we wanted.

” Because the entire system was being upgraded, Network Music’s finance group had to learn the software on new hardware at the same time. However, most of the staff had PCs at home, and were familiar with the Windows operating system. Learning the software proved to be fairly easy, with an intuitive user interface that replaced the former menu-driven navigation.

“One of the immediate benefits is the ability to create management reports in a real-time accounting environment,” commented Larry Anderson, vice president of marketing. “Before, with our manual system it took as long as 45 days to prepare a report. Now we will be able to extract any data we want, whenever we like.

” Open architecture is another MAS 500 feature that pleases Network Music. “Our in-house programmer wrote a Contact Manager program for us to maintain customer information,” says Helms. “This was easily linked to our MAS 500 financial reporting system, thanks to the system’s Visual Tools.” Now salespeople can create orders in the Contact Manager, and link the information directly to the order entry system in the software. This has completely automated the order entry process, and dramatically cut down on processing time and errors.

Helms describes how an account executive might be talking on the phone with a prospect who wants to try out a sound effects package. The executive can pull up an electronic order form, fill in the appropriate billing and shipping information, specify volume numbers, and turn the customer into a client, all without ever leaving the desk. The order then goes directly to the credit department and on to the vice president of sales for approval. Upon receipt of credit verification, the entry becomes a sales order.

“We like the fact that MAS 500 is so flexible,” adds Anderson. “The music licensing process is extremely complex, and things change all the time. With our old system it was very labor-intensive to accommodate updates. But the system has created a seamless environment, so that a change gets made only once.

” E-commerce is next on the agenda for Network Music. When customers download music from the web, data will be sent directly to the MAS 500 order entry module. The system will send an electronic invoice, post the credit card payment and track the transaction history. Internet delivery (and related electronic reimbursement) means that Network Music’s offerings will be instantly available to television, radio and other multimedia producers around the globe, without requiring physical shipment of a tape or CD.

“Based on everything we’ve seen so far, MAS 500 is definitely the best package for Network Music,” says Helms. “It has the horsepower to keep growing with us, gives us the reports we need to stay focused, allows us to make changes on the fly, and helps us stay ahead of the market.”