2013-09-16Global Repertoire Database (GRD)
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FastTrack’s Role in GRD (Global Repertoire Database)

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Since the latest update on FastTrack’s role in the GRD (FastTrack News # 17) a lot has happened.

FastTrack Management and the development teams at SACEM and SOCAN contributed to various design work streams of the GRD Requirements and Design phase:

  • Program Management
  • Business Requirements and Rules
  • Data Standards and Schemas
  • Data Assessment and Strategy
  • Technology Blueprint

The completion of the Requirements and Design (R&D) phase was a joint effort of the three service providers, Deloitte, ICE and FastTrack, with input from Publishers, Societies, DSP’s and Creators.

The outputs of the R&D phase are a comprehensive and detailed set of documents for each of the work streams that will enable the GRD to be implemented.

Once the relevant documents were reviewed by the GRD Working Group, reservations were expressed regarding the expected Capital and Operational Expenditure related to the building and operations of the GRD, which led to the following decisions by the Working Group:

Gartner was commissioned to lead a study with the three current suppliers (Deloitte, ICE and FastTrack) to provide a two-part study that:

  • Sets out a way by which the basic GRD functionality is built for a cost of € 15 million and which runs with an operational expenditure which is 30% less than that currently set out in the proposed solution;
  • Determines what is the absolute minimum capital and operational costs whereby a GRD, close to (but not necessarily including all of) the current proposed requirements could be delivered.

The Gartner study was finished by the end of August 2013 but did not bring the requested cost savings.

FastTrack, therefore, took the initiative to present an alternative proposal to build and operate the GRD within the set cost limits. The FastTrack proposal is to build the GRD on existing FastTrack/CIS-Net technology based on the ICE data model for works, agreements and mandates.

This alternative proposal was initially presented to the FastTrack Board of Directors and thereafter to the CEO members of the GRD Societies Committee (GSC)

The GRD Working Group met on September 5th and the following was decided regarding the FastTrack proposal:

  • Gartner will lead a study to assess the end-to-end FastTrack proposal to provide the GRD solution based on the ICE data model. This will enable the FastTrack proposal to be assessed against the agreed GRD requirements.
  • The FastTrack proposal  factors in Deloitte for data migration;
  • Deloitte will continue work on data assessments;
  • Work will also continue on setting up the GRD business.

The study on the FastTrack proposal will have to finish by the end of October 2013, after which date the GRD Working Group will make a final decision on the creation of the GRD.

Chris van Houten

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