Bpa Centralizing, Moving To Fully-Electronic Audits

Circulation Management, Sept, 2001

To facilitate its plans to move to a fully-electronic auditing process, BPA International is centralizing its U.S. operations and moving its headquarters from New York City to Shelton, CT as of January 1.

BPA began phasing in mandatory Internet or CD-ROM transmission of circulation files to the bureau for audits in 1998. Since then, it has conducted more than 5,200 electronic, computer-assisted audits, which have resulted in significant operational efficiencies and cost savings, according to BPA president Glenn Hansen. "The next step in this evolution is to electronically transmit the balance of audit materials and subscriber records," Hansen says. "More and more of our publisher members are using imaging technology to digitize their circulation documents and streamline their operations. Those that haven't yet digitized their circulation documents will be doing so in the years ahead."

Hansen says that fully electronic audits and operations centralization will result in further significant cost savings in travel and other areas, help keep member fees and rates in line and improve customer service. "It will also allow us to introduce market segment auditing, in which a skilled team will audit all media within a category," he says. "We'll be able to offer members better market intelligence and consultative advice."

BPA plans to convert to all-electronic transmission over a three-year period. About half of its audits are now conducted by having publishers submit paper records for audit at a BPA facility, and this practice will continue to grow, even as the bureau begins accepting digital records next year, Hansen reports. He estimates that two-thirds of all audits will be done off-site, electronically by 2004, and that nearly all will be done off-site by 2005. First-time audits and audits in which problems arise will continue to be conducted on-site.

BPA will maintain offices for marketing and sales management, member relations management, support and some field auditing in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC. A Tampa, FL-based virtual office will be maintained, and the Denver office will be converted to a virtual set-up. About two-thirds of BPA's auditors will be based out of Connecticut starting next year. Eventually, all auditors will be based at headquarters or work out of virtual offices.

The current New York facility could not accommodate the approximately 100 employees who will now be in the same facility. BPA's Toronto, Montreal, London and Hong Kong offices will not be affected by the centralization.