Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
A structured Systems Adoption programme for a complex Dynamics 365 and Umbraco estate, creating a stable foundation for continuous improvement and long-term digital evolution.
Summary
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) partnered with Wattle to safely adopt a complex Dynamics 365 and Umbraco digital estate following a period of fragmented delivery. Through a structured Systems Adoption programme and ongoing partnership, Wattle established a stable foundation for continuous improvement, platform modernisation and long-term digital evolution.
The organisation
The Institute is the Royal Chartered professional body for the UK's advertising, media and marketing communications industry. Representing agencies and professionals across the sector, the IPA supports membership, learning, events and professional development through a comprehensive digital ecosystem.
The situation before
The IPA had inherited a complex digital landscape comprising Microsoft Dynamics 365, Umbraco CMS, learning platforms and numerous bespoke integrations. Years of supplier changes had left the organisation with a fragmented technology estate that was difficult to support, costly to evolve and increasingly risky to change.
Rather than embarking on another large-scale replacement project, the IPA needed an experienced partner capable of understanding the existing platforms, assuming responsibility with minimal disruption and creating a clear pathway for future improvement.
What was built
Wattle delivered a structured Systems Adoption programme designed to build a complete understanding of the IPA's digital estate before assuming responsibility for its ongoing support and development. This included detailed platform discovery, technical assessment, stakeholder engagement and review of integrations, customisations and technical debt.
Following successful adoption, Wattle became the IPA's long-term digital partner, providing managed support and continuous improvement across both Dynamics 365 and Umbraco. The partnership has since delivered the migration of the IPA's website from Umbraco 7 to Umbraco 13, modern API-based integrations, new member-facing functionality, and low-code Microsoft Power Apps that improve internal operational efficiency.
Impact
Stable Digital Foundation
Successfully adopted and stabilised a complex, business-critical digital estate.
Continuous Improvement
Established a long-term roadmap for ongoing platform enhancement rather than reactive support.
Modern Member Services
Delivered new website capabilities and member-facing functionality through modular development.
Improved Efficiency
Reduced manual processes and improved internal operations through Microsoft Power Apps.
Future-Ready
Modernised legacy technology while enabling continued digital evolution with minimal operational risk.
Wattle combines deep membership-sector experience with strong technical capability. Their approach to continuous deployment and quality assurance helps us deliver new services and user experience improvements quickly and smoothly.
What happened next
See what this would look like on your own data.
An hour with your grades, your renewal cycle and your own processes on the screen, run by someone who knows the platform and the sector.