Alberta Gymnastics Federation uses gymnastics software to improve customer service and save time through registration automation

Background

Alberta Gymnastics Federation (AGF) is the not-for-profit governing body for gymnastics in Alberta, Canada, providing a range of information and resources to recreational gymnasts, athletes, coaches, and judges. The Federation’s primary role is to provide administrative support in the development and delivery of programs and competitions in Artistic, Trampoline & Tumbling, and Recreational Gymnastics, as well as in National Coaching Certification programs and events. AGF believes in supporting the passion of athletes to promote and strengthen gymnastics as both a recreational activity and a competitive sport. In 2008, AGF upgraded its systems to Active Network’s gymnastics software solution to help reduce the amount of staff time spent on manual processes as well as to improve the services offered to customers.

Keys to Success from Gail Kabbeke, ActiveNet coordinator, Alberta Gymnastics Federation

Why were you originally looking for a gymnastics software solution back in 2008?
We knew we need to change our processes because our clubs were using very traditional, very labor-intensive methods of registration. It resulted it long hours for staff and frustration on the part of the customer. So we decided to look for a solution that would help our member clubs automate registration. We chose Active because we researched all the other options out there and thought Active was the best fit.

What features of Active’s gymnastics software do you use on a regular basis?
By far, the registration module is the feature we use the most within Active’s system. The majority of our registrations are obviously for gymnastics programs and the registration module with the activities and sub-activities functionality is a very good fit for us. There is so much to the software though—we really are just skimming the tip of the iceberg.

What is the biggest benefit from the gymnastics software that the Federation has experienced?
The biggest gain for the Federation has been that we now have the ability to search data and memberships. Our member clubs are essentially individual business units and now, at the Federation level, we can access all their data quickly and easily. When it was a paper-based process, our member clubs would have to physically submit a member’s name, age, address, phone number, etc. (this is mainly for insurance purposes). My colleague who handles memberships no longer has to deal with all those paper forms—she can simply go into the database and get that information.

What is the biggest benefit for the member clubs?
The biggest benefit of the software for the member clubs is the automation of manual processes. The feedback I have received mainly concerns the man hours that they don’t have to spend on Registration Day and the convenience for customers. I’ve been to a club where Registration Day is a snowy, freezing day in November and parents are lined up down the side of the building waiting to get their child into a program. Quite often, they’ll wait up to two hours only to find out that the last spot has just gone. The ability now for parents to go online, instantly see if spots are available, register for a class and get an immediate email confirmation receipt is so valuable. Plus, the ease with which the clubs can transfer, refund and track athletes is extremely helpful.

Do you use any of the reporting features in the gymnastics software?
We do use the reporting features within Active, but because each club is so different, the specific report types vary from club to club. Some clubs only use reports to track payments—like the agency distribution report or the agency payment report— and some use the membership reports to identify how many individual members are enrolled. We can also use the reports to determine the popularity of our programs. If a club wants to offer a new program or time slot, we can very clearly see in the system where the demand is. We can remove or add classes as needed, very quickly.

In my coordinator role, I use reporting frequently because I update our Board of Directors on membership and registration numbers. It’s really easy—I just go into the database and click a button.

How have your members and the community responded since you’ve implemented the gymnastics software?
Mostly, our community has loved Active’s system. Parents like that they can register at home. They don’t have to stand in line; they can register quickly, easily and safely with a credit card. The other feature our customers really like is the ability to go into their account online to retrieve receipts, especially the tax receipts. They just need to log in to access their data quickly and easily.

What has your experience been like with customer support?
Our experience with customer support has been excellent. I honestly cannot say enough good things about support. The entire team is very knowledgeable and if they don’t know the answer, they are very comfortable with saying they will find out and get back to you. I know how many customers Active has and it’s amazing how the support team always takes so much time to work with me.

What would you say are the top benefits of working with Active?
Active itself is very “go ahead” and keeps on top of all the current trends. As a consumer of Active’s product, that is very important to us. Also, the developers are always listening to us and our requests, the support team is fabulous and our account manager is great. Over and above the quality of the gymnastics software, Active is very much a “people” company and customers feel that we’re important.

What does the future hold for AGF?
One new feature Active has introduced is the move to mobile applications. Our customers want to be able to register on their smartphone and it’s a popular request these days. We are very excited that Active is launching this functionality and looking forward to implementing it in our clubs.

"Over and above the quality of the gymnastics software, Active is very much a “people” company and customers feel that we’re important."

Gail Kabbeke
ActiveNet coordinator,
Alberta Gymnastics Federation