The City of Fort Worth Parks & Community Services department uses recreation management software to improve revenue collection processes

Background

The City of Fort Worth Parks & Community Services Department in Texas maintains more than 200 parks and public spaces citywide. The Department implemented recreation management software from Active Network in 2001, primarily to improve financial tracking and revenue processes. Over the past ten years, the City has leveraged the technology to achieve its goals: collecting, depositing and tracking revenue is now integrated and automated, and citizen service levels have increased.

Keys to Success from Sheri Endsley, District Superintendent, City of Fort Worth Parks & Community Services

Why were you originally looking for a recreation management software solution back in 2001?

We knew we needed to upgrade to a software solution because of the challenges we faced with recording revenue. It was really tough because we were doing it all by hand—we didn’t even have cash registers. We collected and deposited money in person and issued receipts manually. It was a long, arduous process for us.

Why did you choose Active Network over another provider?

Back in 2000 when we began looking for technology providers, we did a RFP process and we looked at several vendors. We are a large organization so the process was pretty lengthy and lasted a full year. In the end, we compared all of the providers and found that Active’s functionality was far superior and the best fit for the needs that were driving our organization.

What features of Active’s rec software do you use on a regular basis?

The modules within Active’s system that we use include facility booking, program registration, league scheduling, and memberships.

What is the biggest headache that Active has helped you solve?

By far the biggest issue that Active has helped us solve has been the revenue collection, depositing and tracking. We operate from a lot of locations and we needed them to all be integrated to streamline our banking and general ledgers. With Active’s system, we can now processes transactions automatically and track funds from each location. It’s easy to reconcile and balance our revenue each month, quarter, and year.

How has the community responded since you’ve implemented the rec software?

The community’s response to the technology has been very positive. We’ve had people say that it’s quicker and that it’s really easy to get their receipts, like tax receipts. Just about anything our citizens need, they can find faster—the technology has made everything so accessible and easy.

What benefits have your staff experienced with Active’s rec software?

One of the biggest benefits for our staff has been an increase in computer literacy. We have some folks who have been in their profession for a long time and they weren’t familiar or comfortable with using a computer. When we implemented the software, it was a good way to get our staff acclimated to computer use as they learned the system and moved around within the different modules. Everyone has become more proficient and it has given them more excitement about their jobs because they’re always learning and can do more things. We have forgotten what it was like before we had it—we don’t know how to do anything manually anymore.

How did your staff get trained initially?

When we were first implementing the recreation management software, we decided to roll it out in two phases to make sure it was successful. The first phase included our field and park reservations, which was a fairly small group of people; the second phase encompassed the rest of our facilities, which were our community centers.

For both phases we brought a consultant on-site to train a group of people we designated as our power users—we call them C3s. They were trained directly by the consultant and then trained the rest of our staff. They act as our ongoing experts and are really the ones to help our staff if we ever have questions about the system. In our organization, it’s an honor to become a C3 and our staff aspires to it.

Can you compare your membership management process before and after Active?

Before implementing the membership management module, our memberships were paper ID cards and enrollment lasted for two years. The cards were flimsy and with enrollment lasting two years, it was really a challenge to keep up with who had a membership, who was about to expire, and who we needed to suspend. Switching to Active’s system has been great. It has helped us go to a one-year membership and the physical cards themselves are so much easier to make. They’re plastic so they hold up a lot better, have each member’s picture and can be scanned upon entry. Because it was easier to track people, we were able to require a membership to participate in our programs. We saw a noticeable increase in revenue with this system and our citizens saw the value of becoming members.

Do you think that your customer service has improved since using Active?

Customer service is something we always focus on and is a big part of our business. Even though we have transitioned to automated systems, folks still have to come in to get their cards and participate in the programs. We will always have that interaction with our customers, that will never change. So, we don’t see our customers any less, we still greet them when they enter our facilities, we scan their cards and we answer any questions they might have. Our service has gotten more efficient, which makes our customers happy and we still retain the same level of interaction.

What kinds of results have you seen since implementing Active’s recreation management software?

We’ve definitely seen a steady increase in revenue each year since implementing Active’s technology. Credit card usage has gone way up and cash and checks have gone down, which makes it a lot easier for us to process refunds quickly. We’ve also seen increase in membership cards, program numbers and participation.

What has your experience been like with customer support?

Customer support has been very helpful. I use the online support portal or, when I want the personal touch, I just call in. When you call in frequently like we do, you establish a relationship with the support team and it’s really nice that you know who you’re talking to. I can get help at any time I need it and if the person on the phone can’t answer my question, I know they’ll elevate it right away.

What does the future hold for your department?

Ultimately, I would like our city to process all payments online and fully integrate with the Parks & Community Services Department so it’s a one-stop-shop for our customers. Our community centers sit in the heart of their neighborhoods and would be an ideal hub for people who want to sign up for a rec program, pay a parking ticket or settle a library fine. If we could do all of that at our centers, it would add a lot of a value to our citizens and each neighborhood. That’s something exciting that I would like to see happen down the line.

What would you say are the top three benefits of working with Active?

The top benefit of working with Active would be the quality of the product and Active’s continual process of improving the product. The upgrades are always great. Second, we appreciate that Active is a large, stable organization with quality people. They really care and they know their stuff. Lastly, we like working with Active because the company has helped us reach and track our goals. We know that our needs will be met and goals accomplished with Active.

"By far the biggest issue that Active has helped us solve has been the revenue collection, depositing and tracking."

Sheri Endsley
District Superintendent,
City of Fort Worth Parks & Community Services