MLBPA's journey from disparate systems to achieving unifying excellence

Founded in 1966, The Major League Baseball Players Association, MLBPA, is the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all current Major League Baseball (MLB) players, including those on the 40-man rosters and around 5,500 Minor League players employed by the 30 Major League baseball teams. The association was created to protect and advance the rights of the Players through the collective bargaining process.

There were disparate systems dependent on manual data input to facilitate multiple stakeholders with all the player related information. Also, the organization was struggling with effective ways of communicating information to their players across different platforms like tablet, smartphone, etc.

Icreon partnered with MLBPA to develop a strategic approach to attain a unified system where a multitude of user groups can access the player’s information in real-time. Also, delivering personalized digital experiences to players with a cross-native app approach.

Revolutionizing communication for MLBPA players through personalization

The Challenge:  Providing Personalized Union Resources to MLB Players

The MLBPA was created to protect and advance the rights of the players through the collective bargaining process. Every day, important union-related resources are needed by players and information needs to be pushed their way by the MLBPA.

In an increasingly mobile world, individuals use tablets and smartphones on a daily basis, constantly connecting to their latest feeds. As a result, the prime directive was to build compelling smartphone and tablet apps that communicate personalized messages. To accommodate device preferences, the client needed to support multiple operating systems from iOS to Android and Windows Phone.

The Solution: Creating a Mobile-First Experience: Revolutionizing Communication for MLBPA Players

From the start, MLBPA and Icreon worked at a breakneck pace to develop the players app. We started out by understanding the most desired features of the players - from retrieving the latest information, to looking up team schedules, to bookmarking specific players’ rights. We then worked together to launch an app that could essentially serve as a player's digital resource center.

With multiple apps to be built to support different OS platforms, we broke out into an agile development cycle. Because application performance was a concern, the team worked strictly on native code, instead of building out 5 separate applications to accommodate the many smartphones and operating systems used by players.

The Result: Improved Player Engagement and Communication through Cross-Platform Native App

Icreon's solution significantly transformed how MLBPA communicated and interacted with players. For the first time in 20 years, the Association had access to data in a consolidated view.  With a cross-native app development approach, MLBPA users can now easily broadcast messages to players across different platforms such as tablets, mobile phones, etc.  This led to improved engagement and communication, ensuring players had easy access to the latest information, team schedules, and specific rights, all through their preferred devices.

Notably, these mobile applications marked a significant step forward in MLBPA's digital evolution, enabling them to meet players' expectations in an increasingly mobile world. By leveraging technology, MLBPA could enhance their services, reinforce their commitment to players' welfare, and effectively advance the rights of the players.

Architecting a holistic player management platform

The Challenge: Building a Database-Driven Platform That Knocks It Out of The Park

The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) was tasked with the crucial responsibility of effectively communicating diverse sets of information to its players, spanning from league news and roster moves, to salary arbitrations and licensing fees. However, the business operations were hosted on separate platforms and required manual data input across systems.

The organization's operations involved numerous stakeholders, including internal staff, players, agents, and third-party vendors. The prevailing challenge was the creation of a single, accessible system that would serve as a reliable and comprehensive source of truth for all player-related information.

The Solution: A Customized Database-driven Platform for a Holistic View of a Player’s Journey 

MLBPA partnered with Icreon to create a strategy on how to approach such a large initiative that would consolidate information from multiple sources into one system. The first step was to understand and inventory all processes and data involved at every touch point of a player's career; this includes licensing fees, salary arbitration, finances, roster information, etc. From there, we mapped out all of the different systems being used for these processes. This allowed Icreon to identify significant gaps and inefficiencies within the digital ecosystem.

Using the Microsoft technology stack, Icreon developed a holistic database, capable of pulling all data into a single player view. The goal was to enable searches for any individual player and access comprehensive activity of his career, including details about agents, salary arbitration results, contract details, and licensing agreements.

The new platform was designed with user-specific views. Depending on the stakeholder's role, the system would display only the information relevant to them. For instance, agents could quickly view previous salary arbitrations and contract details for their client, while sponsors could see licensing agreements and fees.

The Result: Enhancing Player Data Accessibility and Efficiency in MLBPA Operations 

The implementation of the new platform had a transformative impact on MLBPA's operations. For the first time in 20 years, the Association had access to data in a consolidated view. The tool helped to streamline information flow, significantly reducing the time and effort required for manual data input.

In addition to improving efficiency, the new system also enhanced the accuracy and reliability of player-related information. It improved the quality of communication between the MLBPA and its stakeholders, ensuring everyone had access to the data they needed.

Overall, Icreon's solution significantly improved MLBPA's operations, enabling them to better serve their players and other stakeholders. It proved to be an instrumental tool in managing player data and communications, setting a new standard in the world of professional sports.