CEITON

CEITON is a proprietary web-based software system for facilitating and automating business processes such as planning, scheduling, and payroll using workflow technologies. The system is used by several media companies such as MDR,[2] Yle, A+E Networks, Red Bull Media House and also by public financial institutions such as the Development Bank of Saxony. On December 2018 the first CEITON User Group Meeting[3] took place in Leipzig, Germany.

CEITON Digital Processes, Workflows & Scheduling
Developer(s)expertplace solutions GmbH [1]
Initial release2001
Stable release
2020.1 / April 2020
Written inASP.NET, JavaScript, XML
Operating systemWindows, Mac OS X, Mobile OS
TypeBusiness, Workflow, Scheduling, Accounting, Time tracking software
LicenseProprietary
Websiteceiton.com

Architecture

The workflow management software has a three tier architecture with an Oracle or SQL-Server-database, at the bottom level[4] a 64bit-application layer in the mid-level and a web-interface with a patented[5] web-based window manager, WinLike,[6][7] in the upper level.

The software runs on a server (on premises) or in the cloud and is scalable on parallel servers. Data security is warranted by role-based access control (RBAC).[4] The software is used via web-browsers and not dependent on particular system software.

Structure and Features

CEITON combines the two classical approaches of production planning and control and workflow management.

Project Management

The scheduling system plans, manages, bills, and analyzes projects or tasks. It manages human and technical resources, material, and locations on a single GUI. The system uses a gantt chart[8] to assign tasks to be done to available and eligible resources (i.e. staff), automatically or by drag-and-drop.

The scheduling module includes material management, resource management/ human resource management, integration of freelancers, clients and suppliers, time-tracking, shift scheduling, quality management, delivery and logistics, document management, archive, analysis and controlling, business reporting, as well as all accounting and documentation processes.[2][4][8][9][10][11]

Media companies use CEITON for managing largely repetitive projects such as producing DVDs, PlayStation games and Blu-ray discs.[12]

Workflow

The workflow management system module coordinates business processes. Processes are defined once as a workflow and then repeatedly executed. Human resources are automatically assigned to steps (tasks) and integrated in workflow forms. Systems are integrated with an EAI/SOAP module, allowing data exchange with arbitrary external systems which are also involved in the business process.[13] It also features a 3-D workflow overview in which the status of each project step can be determined by its color in the overview.[14]

Process Management

For project and order processing management, business processes are designed as workflows, and coordinate communication automatically. Different user interfaces for staff, customers or suppliers can be created so each gets only relevant information.[9] Different workflow forms are associated with different log-ins.[13]

The main application for the system is knowledge-based business processes, in which many people are involved and virtual results are produced, e.g. in research, or development of media products, such as TV and movies.[2] Broadcasters and media companies such as MDR and Yle use CEITON to control their production processes for products and services and coordinate complex workflows with all kinds of resources.[12]

Integrations

An integrated EAI module allows CEITON to integrate every external system in any business process without programming,[2][12] using SOAP and similar technologies. Aspera[15] and FileCatalyst[16] were integrated for faster data transfer, yet complex ERP systems and numerous SAP modules[13] have also been integrated, for example, to extract working times to payroll.

Mobile Working

Since Version 7, released in 2015, CEITON includes a time-tracking module allowing employees to enter their times from mobile devices such as tablets running Android, iPhones etc.

History

expertplace solutions, the company that developed CEITON, was founded in Leipzig, Germany in 2000 by entrepreneur, Tobias Soppa, and the product was originally developed for German broadcasting companies in 2001. In 2000, under the name CEITON technologies, manpower requirements solutions were implemented for the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Manila, Philippines together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit of the German government.

The first version (Version 1.0) of the software was released in July 2001. In parallel the WinLIKE[6] module was developed, applied for patent on July 16, 2003 and obtained patent on February 17, 2005.[5] CEITON is named after the Japanese concept Seiton, one of the principles of Japanese workplace design methodology known as 5S.[17] Since Version 7, released in 2015, CEITON includes a time-tracking module allowing employees to enter their times from mobile devices such as tablets running Android, iPhones etc.

Since 2007 CEITON has been represented at the broadcast trade fairs NAB in Las Vegas and IBC in Amsterdam.[18] Since 2008 the company has had a US subsidiary CEITON technologies, Inc.,[9] based in Burbank, California.

In May 2005 CEITON won the IQ innovation award, donated by Siemens, in the category Excellent innovation in the IT-sector.[19]

gollark: Minoteaur is basically "notes specifically and exactly as I want them to the extent I care enough to implement it".
gollark: Like all Minoteaurs, use by the general public is not anticipated.
gollark: 4.
gollark: You also need to wrangle the dependencies and manually configure it by editing the files.
gollark: Well, Minoteaur 7.1 is Python, so strictly speaking it has no compile step.

See also

References
  1. "expertplace History". 2019-02-04. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  2. Roos, Alexander (2007). Prozess- und IT-Management in der Broadcast-Industrie (Process- and IT-Management in Broadcast Industry) (in German). Berlin: Logos Verlag 2007. p. 23. ISBN 9783832517144.
  3. "Users". 2019-08-10. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  4. Deckelmann, Christoph (2009), Architektur und Sicherheitsaspekte für die Anbindung eines Online-Dispositionsmoduls an das "CEITON Web Workflow PPS" (Architecture and Security Aspects for Connection of an Online Scheduling Module with CEITON Web Workflow PPS.), HTWK Leipzig, 2009, Master Thesis, retrieved March 7, 2014
  5. "CEITON Patent". Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  6. Yoshino, Shizuki; Tanaka, Tetsuo; Matsumoto, Kazunori (2013). "Window Manager Designed for Cloud Services". Human Interface and the Management of Information. Information and Interaction Design. Berlin/Heidelberg: Sakae Yamamoto, Springer. pp. 157–166. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-39209-2_19. ISBN 978-3-642-39209-2.
  7. "WinLike: Window Manager for the Web - Ajaxian". ajaxian.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  8. Thomas Hafen: EAI - Schneller auf kritische Ereignisse reagieren (EAI - Reacting Faster to Critical Incidents), com!professional 9/2015, retrieved September 16, 2015
  9. NAB 2008, Part 2: Faster, better, cheaper (German), retrieved November 2, 2015
  10. Igor Šuba: Project management in multi companies and products group, Master Thesis, Wien, Techn. Univ. u. Bratislava, Techn. Univ., 2014
  11. "Computer Graphics World - Ceiton Releases Web Workflow PPS". cgw.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  12. "parasam". parasam.me. 2012-04-26. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  13. Manfred Schiefers: Enterprise Application Integration und Person to System Integration, Hochschule Stuttgart, 9.6.2012, p. 7
  14. "Discover CEITON". youtube.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  15. Businesswire.com: Aspera and CEITON Technologies Strengthen Collaboration to Provide Innovatiove Workflow Management, retrieved March 2, 2015
  16. "FileCatalyst Partners with CEITON technologies for Accelerated File Delivery in Web Workflow PPS". Motion Magazine - The Home of BKSTS News. August 2013. p. 4. Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  17. "CEITON - Profile". ceiton.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  18. CEITON-Blog, retrieved October 8, 2019
  19. Sabine Schanzmann: Pfiffige Ideen – Innovationspreis Leipzig vergeben / Sieben Unternehmen ausgezeichnet (Smart ideas – innovation award awarded in Leipzig / Seven companies decorated) Leipziger Volkszeitung, at May 3, 2005
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