British Film Institute

The Challenge

The BFI Film Academy faced several challenges with their existing system:

• Manual Data Management: Contact details for students and alumni, along with survey results, were stored in Microsoft Excel and managed manually. This process was time-consuming and prone to errors.
• Survey Management: Surveys were sent out via Survey Monkey, and results were manually downloaded and collated in Excel, making data analysis and reporting cumbersome.
• Data Consolidation: With an alumni group of 4,500 young people, the Academy needed a streamlined CRM system to manage data efficiently and track alumni progress as they entered the film industry.
• Resource Constraints: Limited resources necessitated a solution that was easy to use and offered flexible reporting capabilities.

The Solution

To address these challenges, the BFI partnered with Active Informatics to implement Microsoft Dynamics. This solution provided a centralised, cloud-based CRM system that met all their requirements.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Unified Database: The CRM system maintained student and alumni contact lists in a single, unified relational database, ensuring data was clean and consistent.
• Data Capture and Analysis: The system facilitated the capture, consolidation, analysis, and dissemination of data from new and existing contacts, surveys, and campaigns through manual entry, bulk import, and web-entry.
• Reporting Capabilities: The CRM enabled easy standard and ad hoc reporting, providing greater insight into student and alumni engagement and activity.
• Email Marketing Integration: The system integrated with third-party email marketing software for mailing list sign-up and campaign activity tracking, or it could send and report on correspondence within the solution.
• Social Media Integration: The CRM easily integrated with social media, recording activity against individual accounts.
• Progress Tracking: It provided a chronological record of student and alumni educational and professional progression over any time period.
• Community Forum: The solution included a flexible, web-based community forum with multi-level individual profile and account management, community activity spaces, and peer-to-peer and group communication facilities.
• Cloud Hosting: The system was hosted in the cloud, ensuring seamless, real-time updates.
• Ongoing Support and Training: Active Informatics provided ongoing support and training, enabling non-technical BFI staff to become self-sufficient in system management, design, and development.
• Data Protection Compliance: The solution was fully compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998, with clear processes for storing and processing sensitive personal information about children and young people.

The Results

The implementation of Microsoft Dynamics by Active Informatics transformed the BFI Film Academy’s operations:

• Efficiency: The centralised CRM system streamlined data management, reducing manual processes and errors.
• Enhanced Reporting: Flexible reporting capabilities allowed for better analysis and insights into student and alumni engagement.
• Improved Communication: Integration with email marketing and social media facilitated better communication with students and alumni.
• Progress Tracking: The system provided comprehensive tracking of educational and professional progression, aiding in reporting to funders and stakeholders.
• Community Engagement: The web-based community forum enhanced engagement and communication among students, alumni, and staff.

By leveraging Microsoft Dynamics and the expertise of Active Informatics, the BFI Film Academy significantly improved its data management, reporting, and engagement processes, demonstrating the transformative power of a well-implemented CRM system.