RTL Deutschland: Designing a data-driven planning system

RTL Deutschland, Germany’s leading entertainment company, oversees a vast portfolio of TV channels, magazines, radio stations, and digital offerings, including the country’s largest streaming platform, RTL+. In a competitive media landscape, managing the content, performance, and efficiency of this multi-channel portfolio became increasingly complex.

The challenge in program planning and advertising stemmed from disparate processes and systems with different owners, technology stacks, and integrations, if any. The increasing complexity of their operations, compounded by the size of the business and the large number of channels, highlighted the need to upgrade their existing program planning system.

To retain its position as a market leader, RTL sought to optimize its program planning processes. They needed a robust digital tool to streamline workflows, leverage automation and machine learning, and ensure data-driven decision-making. Their goal was clear: to increase operational efficiency, promote collaboration, improve program quality, and enhance employee satisfaction while maintaining their reputation for delivering outstanding content to over 60 million monthly viewers.

To tackle this challenge, we leveraged a multi-disciplinary approach that combined service design, user experience (UX), and interaction design with front-end development.

We conducted a comprehensive discovery phase to assess the current state, understand existing workflows, and identify key pain points. This phase involved workshops, stakeholder interviews, process mapping, and initial wireframes. The insights gained provided a foundation for structuring the tool’s development and implementation, prioritizing insights, a 12-month product roadmap, and aligning key features to be developed.

Building on the discovery phase, we introduced a team of UX/UI designers to translate research insights into intuitive screen designs. The designs were iteratively refined while assisting a development team of approximately 15 engineers. One of the most central ideas behind our solution was to unify previously fragmented workflows into a single, collaborative user experience. By integrating various functionalities into one system, RTL could improve efficiency while maintaining flexibility across different teams:

The solution is a modular, AI-powered planning system designed for flexibility and efficiency. Key features included:

• Calendar view: A familiar, role-agnostic interface with drag-and-drop functionality, multitasking support, and accessibility enhancements.
• Planning series: Batch scheduling and editing planned content to automate repetitive programming.
• Program plan: A competitive analysis tool allowing real-time comparisons of RTL’s content with competitors.
• AI-powered validation: Automated conflict detection and machine learning-driven content & ad recommendations.
• Detailed Day View: Frame-based precision scheduling for technical broadcast preparation, including last-minute ad changes and automated workflow improvements.
• Branching & version control: enabling failsafe collaboration and efficient hot swaps to accommodate short-term program changes.
• Integrated programming: Unified content planning for streaming and linear TV, breaking down silos and combining roles to create a more efficient workflow.

We streamlined complex workflows to improve usability while maintaining flexibility for different user roles. We also focused on refining and expanding feature sets, improving collaboration structures, and improving ways of working. As development progressed, we identified optimization opportunities and implemented structural improvements.

The solution demonstrates the transformative potential of combining user-centric design with cutting-edge technology like automation and machine learning. By transforming RTL’s workflows with a user-centric, data-driven approach, we empower the organization to achieve operational excellence in a fast-evolving market. Improved information and data management ensure that the right content reaches the right audience at the right time, maintaining RTL’s competitive edge.

As a part of the project, successful collaboration between cross-functional teams and emphasizing end-user needs proved critical to delivering a solution that aligns business, technology, and user goals. For RTL Deutschland’s 60 million monthly viewers, this enhanced efficiency translates to higher-quality programming tailored to their preferences, solidifying RTL’s position as a trailblazer in the entertainment industry.

The system impacts RTL’s external reach and directly benefits hundreds of employees. By automating repetitive tasks and improving usability, the tool enables staff to focus on strategic priorities and improve collaboration, increasing productivity and job satisfaction.