Like most unions, IATSE Local 600 maintains an enormous amount of union documents and paperwork associated with its members. But without a specific document management system, this paperwork can be difficult to keep track of.
Problem
Previously, all documents were stored electronically in a large document management system. However, since it was a standalone system, it was difficult to quickly retrieve specific documents to support everyday business functions.
Solution
Using Winmill’s open architecture, we created APIs to connect eMembership to the existing IATSE 600 document management system. Now, all of a member’s documents are seamlessly accessible from both the document management system and eMembership. Clicking on a document link in eMembership will open the union document for reading, saving or printing. The fact that the document is in another system is completely transparent.
Result
While the solution seems simple, it would not have been possible had eMembership not been built using a contemporary, open architecture. Now, documents such as membership applications, dues deduction authorizations, political action deduction authorizations, membership ID cards, and photo IDs can all be accessed directly from a member’s profile in eMembership. This helps productivity, as eMembership is now a one-stop shop for all information related to a member.
eMembership’s ease of integration preserves their existing investment in document management software. This applies across the board with the easy integration of third party systems.
Union document information is available to other eMembership tools such as Query Builder. For example, you can query a list of all members that have no political action contribution document on file.
Documents can be associated with multiple entities within eMembership, such as Employer, Contract, or Grievance.
FAQs
How does eMembership handle union document management?
eMembership integrates with existing document management systems so that all documents associated with a member are accessible directly from their profile. Documents such as membership applications, dues deduction authorizations, photo IDs, and membership cards can be opened, saved, or printed without leaving eMembership.
Can eMembership connect to a union's existing document management system?
Yes. eMembership is built on an open architecture that supports API integrations with third-party systems. Rather than replacing an existing document management investment, eMembership can connect to it so that documents are accessible from both systems simultaneously.
Can union documents be associated with entities other than member profiles?
Yes. In eMembership, documents can be associated with multiple entities including member profiles, employers, contracts, and grievances. This means relevant paperwork is always accessible in context, wherever it is needed within the system.
Can eMembership query which members are missing specific documents?
Yes. Because document data is integrated into eMembership, it is available to the Query Builder. For example, a union can run a query to identify all members who do not have a political action contribution document on file, making compliance follow-up much faster.
Does integrating a third-party document system disrupt existing workflows?
No. The integration is transparent to users. Staff access documents through eMembership as if the files were stored natively, while the underlying document management system continues to operate as before. No duplicate storage or manual file transfers are required.
What types of union documents can be managed through eMembership?
eMembership supports any document type a union uses, including membership applications, dues deduction authorizations, political action deduction authorizations, membership ID cards, and photo IDs. Custom document types can be configured to match a union's specific requirements.
