During its lifecycle, a program is represented by a wide range of information, in the shape of documents and application data objects. All this information is grouped and managed in one central digital program record (SAP Records Management). This gives the user a single point of entry to all contracts, usage data, budgets and payments, costs and inventory, as well as to the program descriptions and production documents. It is essential for smooth operation that this information is available to the right user at the right time. To ensure this, standardized Workflow processes and authorizations are included into the digital program record.

Two different strategies exist for program procurement planning in broadcasting. In the first case program acquisitions are being approved and contracted long before a broadcast time slot has been assigned to the program. The program is procured to stock and picked from the inventory when it is eventually scheduled. In the second case a scheduled broadcast date already exists for the broadcast item; this means that acquisition takes place for a concrete publication time slot and draws on the budget planned for this slot. The process chain starts with a program brief from the program directors, to which the editorial departments respond with one or more alternative program proposals, including the corresponding program cost accounting. The approval gateways are controlled effectively by means of workflow processes. When the proposal to be implemented is released as a program order, the acquisition processes (see content acquisition or program production) are triggered.

Cost estimates are carried out for a broadcast item, whereby the methods used can differ according to the planning phase in question, from rough manual cost estimates, through standard cost estimates based on costing models for specific genres and formats, and detailed cost estimates based on rates for internal activities, conditions from contracts with service providers, material costs, and proportional surcharges.

Program information is filtered according to content-related, legal, and technical criteria, so that the appropriate content can be selected for the planned usage. The hit list is analyzed in detail and the possible contents are stored in a shopping cart and the corresponding processing orders created. When the shopping cart is released, a retrieval request is sent to the archive and the corresponding processing orders are triggered. Workflow functions support efficient processing of these orders and control automatic progress confirmations

A rights availability query provides information on the rights situation for the selected content, in particular whether or not the rights required are available for the planned usage and whether legal costs have to be taken into account.

An availability query in the content management system provides information on the general availability and availability time of the digital material. When the shopping cart is released, the recipients of the processing orders are provided with access data for the digital content.

An availability query in the CMS provides information on the general availability and availability time of the material stored using physical media. When the shopping cart is released, the recipients of the processing orders are provided with access data for the physical media.

The content editing stations are mapped as functional locations, and the materials to be processed at the station at a particular time are assigned to these locations for the period during which they are processed. This enables the user to locate each material at any point in time and to judge the workload of the individual content editing stations. These functions are integrated with Workflow Management, which makes for efficient order processing and allows automatic progress confirmations.

Internal billing between the relevant departments – for example, program direction, editorial departments, and production units – takes place in SAP ERP on the basis of program usage confirmations. Program costs can be allocated to the editorial department or channel according to true costs or according to defined transfer prices. At the same time, the rights owned are updated and any subsequent remuneration is calculated and settled.

Based on confirmation from transmission, the program inventory is amortized in SAP ERP.