Pollux - Panel Management, Production and Quality Control
Overview
Pollux is full featured integrated software package that collects, validates, weights and calculates television audience data.
Pollux combines international standardisation with transparency by means of extensive and flexible reporting at all phases of data production.
Pollux is the heart of the Nielsen’s TAM system. Developed and maintained by Nielsen’s Corporate Support Centre, Pollux is installed in
all Nielsen TAM and Audience Measurement companies (except USA) and will become the standard in all Nielsen TAM joint venture companies,
providing an efficient management tool and guaranteeing clients transparent, quality data production.
Pollux has a Client/Server structure. The Server runs on a Linux operating system, the Client on Windows.
All the databases, configuration and viewing files reside under Linux Server; the Windows Client is the user's interface to access the data.
The underlying integration principle within Pollux is that all databases reside within one software that manages the
complete production process which provides an unsurpassed level of reporting. Any panel home may be tracked from the moment
of receipt of the Establishment Survey database, through recruitment, installation, polling and production.
Integrated reporting ensure that any exceptions can be easily investigated and their source identified quickly and efficiently.
All reports are created automatically every day and form the basis of the work carried out by the production and panel management team.
Pollux’s functionality includes Panel Recruitment and Management, peoplemeter polling, data validation,
data expansion and production, and the creation of application software databases. Extensive quality control reports exist for each stage of the process.
Pollux Competitive Advantages:
- Parametric: Pollux is a parametric system which makes it adaptable, flexible and transparent. The same core features
are distributed to all users but it is flexible enough to allow customisation to fit local realities.
- Easy start-up without changes in the software: The flexibility of Pollux ensures that the software
can be easily adapted to meet local market requirements, including algorithmic changes and local
validation procedures. Continuous development of the software also ensures that new modules and reports are developed and included in new versions.
- Automatic: All processes are run automatically to avoid human error. Crucial steps of the process are
controlled by a sophisticated alarm system which will call local team members when a process or phase
fails to run correctly or when performance levels are below expectation. The alarm system is centralised in the
Corporate Support Centre in Switzerland and constantly monitors the activities on each production server.
- Transparent: The full range of reports provides a clear picture of the data quality. Historical daily reports
are available and periodic analysis is also possible.
- Easy to audit: All necessary information can be provided within seconds. Data reprocessing is possible anytime, replicating
the same results as the original date.
- Standard: Present in 32 different countries, which guarantees Nielsen quality around the world; GGTAM rule compliant in all countries;
making Pollux easy to certify and control.
- Nielsen’s Corporate Support Centre: Apart from the development team, there is a team dedicated to providing support not only
for Pollux but also across different areas of the TAM production process.
- Disaster Recovery: Also located at the Corporate Support Centre, Nielsen is able to take over the polling and production process of
any operation in a matter of hours.
Pollux Structure
As an integrated system, Pollux has been designed to manage the main activities related to TAM production. Its modules include:
- Recruitment: a set of programs that allows users to carry out the selection, management and recruitment of new
panel addresses taken from the Establishment Survey.
- Panel management: a set of features that allows users to carry out panel management activities
such as engineering and equipment administration duties, incentives management and communication with/by the household.
It also serves as a repository for all demographics (family, individuals, TV set/media, meter configuration) needed for production purposes.
- Ad-hoc panel list: a powerful tool to gather information from the databases, not only from the household Master File or
the Recruitment database in its current configuration, but also in historical mode.
- Polling: an extensive set of reports are available to assess the performance of the overnight
polling and test the quality of line dialogues. These reports can also analyse the communication results
household-by-household, view or examine the downloaded statements, perform meter diagnostic analysis and line test procedures.
- Production: runs production and permits analysis of audience data. The areas covered include
viewing behaviour, production results and weighting process, quality control activities, guest reports and statements analysis.
- Output: generates export files from Pollux’s production environment for analysis software and planning tools.
- File Maintenance: a set of data entry menus that maintain the control and configuration file used throughout Pollux.
Pollux Evolution
Nielsen is committed to the ongoing development of Pollux. The vision is to create production software that is not only
capable of adapting to, but also of leading the evolution of TAM worldwide.
Pollux’s evolution is based on a cross fertilisation cycle where each user generates ideas for new tools to be implemented worldwide to the benefit of everyone.
The Pollux feedback site is a dedicated section of the Nielsen portal allowing users to post not only their
requirements for future development, but also to manage support activities, keep track of
developments, download new releases and related documentation.
In line with the Nielsen vision, Pollux IBIS (Integrated Business Intelligence Suite) is now available.
Pollux IBIS was created to eventually replace the current Pollux reporting system. Its development
and implementation is modular; all new modules will have specific standard ‘connectors’ which will permit
plug in to any kind of business process or application. Pollux IBIS has an interface layer with the current
Pollux allowing new and current versions to work in parallel, integrating the new modules step by step. As part of
stage one, the Interactive Quality Control Module and all Key Quality Control and Production reports are available for use.
This strategy is intended to provide:
- Flexible development using resources that do not compromise current levels of support, maintenance and stability.
- Modular upgrades that will allow the project to be carried out by multiple teams.
- Local companies with new functionalities in parallel and in a relatively short time.
- Gradual phasing out of the current software as new modules are released.
This project is divided in two areas:
- IBIS Reporting: The reporting system can be customised by the user to create reports based on an integrated
and extensive data warehouse in XML, PDF and Excel export formats.
- IBIS Analyser: Pollux data analyser provides tools for analysis on large amounts of data in an easy,
user-friendly way. The user can analyse data from the data warehouse using interactive listing or pivot tables (drag and drop and drill down approach).
PolluxIBIS is a web-based application. Users can navigate through reports easily with just a click of the mouse
for more in-depth data analysis. The layout is user friendly, flexible and able to display any kind of
information with minimum development to incorporate new reports.
Main Modules
- Cross Tabulation: Provides pivot tables allowing the user to drag and drop information.
- Listing: Provides interactive listing one dimension table where the user can drag columns. The user is able to
analyse Pollux data not only in quantity but by retrieving detailed information about the data.
- Standard Report: The reporting system delivers interactive execution of pre-defined reports and navigation
through different reports with results export to Excel and pdf.
- Custom Queries: An SQL editor allows advanced users to directly interrogate the database to retrieve unformatted data and run ad-hoc queries.
Cross Tabulation and Listing are based on a data warehouse where all the historical data is organised in order to allow
the user to perform complex queries and analysis on the information without slowing down the operational systems.
The data is retrieved using an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) approach. The database employs a multidimensional data model,
allowing complex analytical and ad-hoc queries to be executed rapidly.
Listed below are some of the most important functions of PolluxIBIS:
- Pre and post filtering
- Pagination, aggregation and totals
- Conditional formatting
- Column hiding and column/row freeze
- Template saving: able to save templates as standard reports.
- Access to saved queries: analysis items and standard report templates will be stored at three levels -
Standard, Workgroup and User level, separated according to type (cross tabulation, listing, standard report, custom/handmade query).
- Standard Report Editor: a dedicated editor able to customise the report by header (column names, grouping and format), fonts, colours and conditional formatting.
- Interactivity and Click&Go: provides a way to use the result of an analysis as base filter for another
analysis with the ability to run pre-defined analysis by clicking on a report’s cell.
It is possible to link each cell or column with one or more pre-defined analysis/report. When more than one link
appears in the same cell, the ‘Click&Go’ functionality allows the user to select a specific report to be run.
