WildBrain ignites imagination and engages kids and families globally with captivating content and beloved brands. Its state-of-the-art animation studio in Vancouver is the creative hub for acclaimed series like The Snoopy Show, Snoopy in Space, Sonic Prime, Chip and Potato, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City, Carmen Sandiego, Go, Dog. Go!, and more. This content delights audiences in over 150 countries and is accessible on 500+ streaming platforms and networks, ensuring global reach to kids and families alike.
WildBrain Studios relies on a dynamic workforce of animators and content producers who engage in project-based work, necessitating adaptability to respond to evolving demands in family entertainment consumption.
Most commercial people platforms have system designs/architectures geared towards traditional employment models, incapable of handling the intricacy, sophistication and volume required for non-traditional HR transactions.
WildBrain opted for TalentSoft (later acquired by Cegid) due to its capacity to support the studio's specific talent management requirements. They acknowledged the substantial effort required to establish a bespoke integration between TalentSoft/Cegid and their chosen payroll provider, UKG.
At project commencement, WildBrain's leadership recognized that the solution would be highly customized and entail a complex, tailor-made data flow integration with its payroll system.
WildBrain projected that developing an in-house integration would demand two full-time employees and a development timeline of at least a year, given its unique challenges.
WildBrain was referred to The Cloud Connectors (TCC) by their HR software provider. TCC's expertise in TalentSoft/Cegid and UKG instilled confidence in all parties to structure the intricate integration. TCC's methodology and client-focused approach enabled WildBrain to define the custom integration process, yielding substantial benefits.
TCC devised a sustainable method for defining and aligning requirements between the two systems while identifying specific rules that matched WildBrain's HR business needs. TCC's Solutions Consultant led a tailored mapping process to synchronize custom fields in TalentSoft/Cegid with UKG's data dictionary. This solution effectively supported the complex data flow requirements of WildBrain's HR processes.
The project reached completion in less than three months, costing significantly less than the estimated in-house approach for a high-level integration solution.
WildBrain now possesses a comprehensive and automated data integration process, giving them the confidence to track real-time employee data essential for their agile workforce.
"With The Cloud Connectors, this was not painful at all. It was effortless.”
Daryl Chappell
Senior Vice President of Studio Operations at WildBrain Studios
Key Takeaways
The complexity of WildBrain's dynamic workforce, which involves frequent hiring, rehiring and alumni nurturing, demanded a sophisticated, automated and reliable data exchange mechanism between its two system-of-record platforms: TalentSoft/Cegid and UKG.
WildBrain now possesses a cost-effective, precise and comprehensive solution for managing a substantial volume of workforce data and records in alignment with its HR business requirements.
Engaging The Cloud Connectors enabled WildBrain to avoid the need for significant resource reallocation (including personnel, time and budget) that would have been necessary to cover the substantial costs of internal integration development.
WildBrain's HR department currently concentrates on enhancing decision-making capabilities for managers and improving overall user experience by introducing self-service reporting. The integration, meticulously designed and implemented by TCC, supports WildBrain's people analytics and reporting needs for its flexible workforce.
Summary
WildBrain's collaboration with The Cloud Connectors yielded a strong ROI on two fronts: (1) the swift and cost-efficient deployment of an integrated solution that facilitated continuous tracking and reporting on their flexible workforce and (2) the team's ability to focus on enterprise talent processes to support business operations and change management better. Leveraging TCC's domain expertise for custom data integration reduced hard and soft costs compared to a lengthy, potentially incomplete in-house development. WildBrain expressed high satisfaction with TCC's implementation approach, centered on collaborative problem-solving, a principles-led methodology and exceptional client care.
