Three18, Inc.

Technology consulting.

Expertise and technical solutions designed for your industry.

WE MAKE IT OUR BUSINESS TO UNDERSTAND YOURS

Here is just a sampling of the industries that we serve:

Media, Entertainment & Sports

Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations

SMB & Enterprise Businesses

Higher Education and K through 12

Local, State, Federal Governments & Military

B2B & B2C Startups

SUCCESS STORIES

CLOTHING MANUFACTURER

Challenge:  Sales associates were unable to place orders efficiently or quickly enough from the field causing resource drain in headquarters.

Solution: Three18 developed a custom web portal to interface with Apparel Magic, a FileMaker solution that is widely used in the clothing industry. Using our experience as FileMaker Business Alliance Platinum Partners, we developed a web-based solution that enables all external sales associates to quickly and effectively place orders. Through the streamlined process we created, our clothing manufacturing client is now able to free up personnel to increase their bottom line instead of spending time fielding calls from sales associates needing to place orders.

ENGINEERING

Challenge: An engineering company needed to manage inventory levels, track live production metrics and streamline the shipping process, while maintaining a level of simplicity for non-English speaking workers.

Solution: Three18 created a complete order-to-ship solution workflow database utilizing FileMaker, FileMaker Go, and PHP scripting. Given our Engineering client’s need to track orders from concept to completion, we created a database that accepts client orders and tracks the order process through production of all injection-molded parts. After the parts are made, they are then automatically pulled into a shipping management solution, which prints the appropriate shipping labels after a lookup with a bluetooth barcode reader. Gone are the days of double data entry, pen and pencil job orders, and incorrect shipping labels.

FILM PRODUCTION

Challenge: A production company had been a long-time Three18 client, dating back to 2006. In August of 2013, our client needed to ramp up a new production facility to accommodate a new style of production in conjunction with YouTube Labs and Dreamworks. They turned to 318, Inc. to help build an office and production facility to support an as-yet unnamed daily clip show developed expressly for the YouTube platform. The timeline was short, from initial meetings in August, our client needed a functioning facility by October.

Solution: Three18 partnered with the production company operations team to design and build out the space and systems for their new office. Three18 presented them with three options for their office implementation, focusing on different video production strategies. Three18 sourced hardware and software to build the basic office environment and built critical services, including email in the cloud, file sharing, network domain administration, and business-class wireless. Three18 also consulted on office connectivity and wiring. Starting in August with nothing more than plans, we helped our client build an entire office from a blank space in less than 2 months–a nimble result for a nimble new type of internet video production.

HIGH-END RESIDENTIAL

Challenge: A high-profile celebrity family approached Three18 needing to manage shared contacts and calendars inside a secure network, both through a web browser and wireless handhelds. This network required sensitive data to be accessed easily and safely from anywhere in the world. Three18 designed and integrated a complete groupware solution allowing for wireless PDAs and web access while traveling.

Solution: Based on the clients’ high visibility and security concerns, Three18 merged multiple sources of data into Microsoft Exchange 2010. Protected by Cisco firewalls and 802.1x-based wireless security, it has served as the impetus for other IT projects. We also deployed Blackberry handhelds and iPhones to users for secure wireless access. Three18’s pre-launch discovery determined that all of the client’s needs could be met with this solution. By the completion of the installation, Three18 developed the process for managing multiple schedules and tens of thousands of contacts from anywhere in the world, and fully integrated data from some of the most absurd data formats in the industry. At the same time, Three18 found and implemented a great, outsourced ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution. Three18 continues to work closely with the family, keeping them on the cutting edge while developing solutions that are easy to use for everyone involved.

K-12 EDUCATION

Challenge: A large school district purchased iPads for every student in the district, but had no IT staff able to manage the deployment and integration.

Solution: Three18 reviewed the needs of the client and the budgetary limitations set forth in the bonds and grants used to perform the 1:1 initiative. We worked with the customer to select a number of learning applications for each grade, as well as how content would be distributed to the devices. Once done, Three18 set up an imaging process for devices that allowed student helpers to get devices ready for teachers and students. During the actual deployment, Three18 was on premises in order to make sure the project went well. While we worked with some students and teachers, we assisted primarily in an advisory and troubleshooting capacity to make sure that first week of school went perfectly. Scores are up, students are happier and more engaged and their data is secure on the devices they use every day!

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

Challenge: A high-volume in-house graphics department was taking in an average of 50+ job orders weekly from account executives daily using paper forms. The data on the job forms then had to be hand-typed into an existing project management database by the traffic department.

Solution: Three18 updated the existing solution to give direct database access to the account team, reducing repetitive effort and relieving the traffic department of more than 80% of the daily data entry tasks. The upgrade also included a number time saving features that boosted data integrity with an eye toward improving reporting and increasing efficiency.

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

Challenge: A previous developer had implemented a database system that was inconsistent and did not provide a sustainable workflow

Solution: Soon after being contacted by our Media & Entertainment client, Three18 met with the previous developers for a hand-off meeting and an initial solution assessment. After we completed our assessment, we recommended a number of improvements and changes be made. We were able to significantly increase the stability of the solution, migrate it to modern hardware, and correct the inaccuracies that were plaguing it until that point. Now we are working in partnership with our client to take the solution to the next level.

NON-PROFIT

Challenge: A non-profit organization with a mission of expanding educational opportunities for all students, including under-privileged and poorly served students was an existing client and came to us in 2012 with a new set of challenges. These challenges included  network security, data security, as well as a move to a new facility in West Los Angeles.

Solution: Three18 performed a comprehensive security assessment to ensure our client’s sensitive grant and donor information would remain secure and confidential. The result of this assessment was a revised disaster recovery plan and enhanced network security features. Subsequently, Three18 implemented a plan to modernize the technology infrastructure. Three18 helped move our client from a largely Microsoft Windows desktop environment, to a more nimble Apple laptop environment, utilizing cloud-based services where appropriate, as well as a secure, a business-class wireless solution, and a local Macintosh server for their most confidential data.

POST PRODUCTION

Challenge: A local post production facility had too many assets being shared on USB drives between editorial suites. This caused duplicated and lost materials as well as latency in getting projects to completion.

Solution: Three18 performed a review of the workflow, how assets were being shared and how employees ingested and prepared content for editors. Three18 was able to integrate a shared storage platform (a fibre channel based SAN) as well as a Digital Asset Management solution that enabled the client to reclaim about 40 Terabytes of disk space. Using a SAN, the editors can immediately access media and start editing as soon as content is ingested from P2 cards. Using shared storage in conjunction with a database, old assets are now archived to tape and easily searchable and restored without any interaction from the IT department. These shared assets are available, once archived to tape in a lower quality codec so editors can scrub through material and make sure that the content matches what they need. Assets can be found using a variety of metadata, such as quality of the content, tags/keywords, categories and duration of the clip.

TAX ATTORNEYS

Challenge: Three18 was approached by the owner of a start-up tax relief company and was asked to evaluate the entire business logic of this start-up venture – from choosing computing platforms, to authoring sales automation software, to determining the needs of accounting, human resources, and remote data access. Three18 was asked to design everything so it scaled to a multi-location topology based on the anticipated success of this business.

Solution: Based on the owner’s aesthetic desires and 318, Inc.’s quantifiable cost of ownership statistics attained from Three18 ’s own CRM, Three18 worked to retrofit the company with Apple iMacs as opposed to the conventional choice of a Windows-based architecture. Three18 ’s pre-launch discovery (consulting with tax attorneys, etc) determined all of the company’s software ran on Mac OS X and that any proprietary Tax software could be run with Microsoft Terminal Server. Three18 worked with the owner to build a scalable, cross-platform sales automation database to allow their new company to do more with a smaller staff and less overhead. By the company’s opening on January 1st, the software was tested, fully integrated and available from the office and remotely. Three18 continues to work closely with the client to satisfy all of the company’s goals, including attracting new clients by improving Google search listings, making parts of the CRM customer-facing and even developing content for the website.

WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION

icon Challenge: Our Wholesale Distribution client had two externally hosted e-commerce stores that share inventory information with their trade show division. The company needed a way to integrate the inventory from the two sites as well as make the SKU data available for tradeshow events.

Solution: Three18 built a web-friendly database that combined the information from our client’s site, event sales, and order fulfillment systems to efficiently and accurately manage inventory across all divisions.