Migrating to TMS Collections
In the heart of northeastern Scotland, Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums (AAGM) serves as a cultural cornerstone for the city. As part of Aberdeen City Council, AAGM is entrusted with the care and presentation of collections of both national and international significance. Recognized by UNESCO and the Scottish Government for their outstanding cultural value, these collections span fine art, textiles and fashion, maritime history, and social change. Through our collections, historic buildings, exhibitions, and public programs, we strive to make a meaningful impact on the lives of everyone who lives, works, studies, or visits Aberdeen.
A key highlight of AAGM’s distinctiveness lies in the strength and evolution of its art collection. Aberdeen Art Gallery, the institution’s principal venue, was founded in 1885 with a mission to collect and exhibit contemporary art. Over the past 140 years, this founding vision has given rise to a remarkably diverse and significant collection that includes works by local, national, and internationally renowned artists. Among its most celebrated pieces is Pope I – Study after Pope Innocent X after Velázquez by Francis Bacon. The collection also offers broad representation of key artistic styles and movements from the 19th and 20th centuries, reflecting the gallery’s historical commitment to documenting artistic innovation. Today, that commitment continues through active collecting and commissioning initiatives focused on 21st-century works, ensuring the collection remains dynamic and relevant.
At the center of this operation is Thomas Megaw, Lead Curator (Collections Management), who oversees documentation workflows and collection access across the city’s public-facing and purpose-built storage facility, Aberdeen Treasure Hub. Since joining AAGM in 2017, Megaw has driven initiatives that prioritize efficiency, ethical stewardship, and strategic use of technology. Among one of Megaw’s many projects: the successful migration from TMS for Windows to TMS Collections.
Representing local lives in the “View of Aberdeen” exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
The Challenge: Outdated Tools and Data Legacy
By 2024, the existing infrastructure was no longer keeping pace with the needs of AAGM’s team. The primary goal of the project was to enhance efficiency through browser-based working. Virtual desktops and local installations of TMS for Windows had become increasingly slow, and users were voicing frustrations about how long it took to complete routine tasks. These performance issues, combined with an impending server upgrade, made it clear that a more modern solution was needed.
Meanwhile, the backend of the system had become cluttered with legacy data from an unused Bibliography module dating back to an initial 2001 migration. The database held more than 15,000 outdated bibliography records and over 12,000 linked constituent entries, many of which no longer played a role in active collections work.
The turning point came when an internal IT directive required a server upgrade. For AAGM, this became the necessary push to make a transformational leap to browser-based collections management.
The Migration Strategy: Purposeful and Precise
Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums embraced the migration to TMS Collections with clarity of purpose: improve efficiency, eliminate obsolete data, and empower users with a more modern and responsive system.
Working closely with Gallery Systems, the institution made use of a test server to simulate the upgraded environment before going live. This allowed staff to prepare in advance, build FAQs, and develop tailored training materials for their team of 10 users.
One of the most complex aspects of the transition was addressing legacy data in the Bibliography module, which had remained unused since the original migration to TMS for Windows in 2001. Rather than carry it over again, the team exported the information—covering over 15,000 records—to a spreadsheet and deleted it from the system. This also required removing over 12,000 Constituents created solely for those Bibliography entries. The SQL cleanup script inadvertently deleted some important Constituents. Fortunately, the team caught the issue quickly, restored the backup, and recovered the minimal lost work within hours.
A object record displayed in TMS Collections, illustrating the intuitive interface for managing and viewing collection data.
Implementation and Adoption: Customized and Considered
During the training sessions with Gallery Systems, users were engaged and enthusiastic about the new way of working with TMS. It reassured the project team that there would not be too much resistance to the switch, an encouraging sign that the transition would be smooth and well received.
The browser-based interface eliminated technical roadblocks, and the system’s speed improvements quickly addressed long-standing frustrations. Uploading images, once a bottleneck, became a near-instant process. This opened the door for faster publication to eMuseum and improved public access to AAGM’s collections.
A key success factor was the use of customizable fields and data views. The team chose to limit each user’s data views to only what was relevant for their role, reducing confusion and streamlining workflows. This user-centered approach fostered confidence and clarity during the transition.
Despite being under tight deadlines from their IT department, Megaw and his team successfully completed the upgrade, trained all users, and launched the new system within a few short months.
Exploring Collections Management processes in the “Museum Misfits” exhibition at Aberdeen Treasure Hub.
The Outcome: Leaner Data, Smarter Workflows
The migration delivered tangible results. Over 25,000 obsolete records were purged, giving the team a cleaner foundation for future data-cleaning and documentation efforts. With TMS Collections in place, the need for complex IT support and virtual desktops vanished. New users could be onboarded more easily, and collection staff could focus more time on core activities.
The project met and exceeded expectations—not just in terms of performance, but also in cultural change. Users embraced the new platform enthusiastically, and the institution permanently shifted to more agile and efficient working methods.
Reflections and Advice
For Megaw, the greatest point of pride was how the institution met the moment. “In the end we were given quite a short timeframe by our IT team to complete the upgrade,” he reflected, “so I was most pleased that we managed to complete the preparations for upgrade, train all users, and successfully upgrade within a couple of months.”
His advice to others: Don’t wait for the perfect time. “Just deciding—or being told—to do it as soon as possible can be the best option.”
Contemporary art in the “Imagined Landscapes” exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
A New Chapter in Collections Management
Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums now operates with a collections management system that is faster, cleaner, and more accessible. By embracing change under pressure and committing to purposeful planning, AAGM not only improved internal efficiency but also strengthened its capacity to serve the public—amplifying Aberdeen’s cultural legacy for years to come.
“Permanently improved ways of working for all TMS users achieved in a short period of time.” — Thomas Megaw, Lead Curator (Collections Management)
If you’re considering transitioning from TMS for Windows to TMS Collections and would like to speak with a Gallery Systems expert about your options, we’re here to help. Please fill out our contact us form to start the conversation.
