IATSE 873 needed a new website, a new crewing system, and a new membership database. Toronto’s premier local for film and television technicians as operating on antiquated MS Access based systems that were rife with data integrity issues, performance choking bottle necks, and errors so common place that the staff simply worked around them.

Tumblewire had to start from the ground up, rebuilding the core data architecture. The challenge was amplified because IATSE 873 had critical operations driven by the same system we were trying to restructure. Kind of like rebuilding the foundations of a house while people are still living in it.

Once that was accomplished, Tumblewire carefully implemented the new system in a series of “go-lives” starting from the bottom up. Once the membership database was live, we installed a new cloud-based telephony system using the open source Twilio functionality. The crewing system went live third, followed by the launch of the main website and mobile site, which were powered by and connected to all of the other systems.

When the new site launched, social media was a key component. Membership and the office administrators love the site – a powerful combination of technologies that have lead cost savings and improved service across the board.