Nearly a decade of success by automating operations online

Key learnings from Terry Kelly, recreation superintendent

Q: Why did you originally choose Active’s parks and recreation software 9 years ago?

A: With over 260 seasonal staff members spread out over multiple facilities, we needed a system that we could access from anywhere. Plus, we wanted to offer online registration to our members so they could access our system from anywhere too. Online registration wasn’t as common back then as it is now, but we realized how important it would become.

Additionally, we have a very strict auditing procedure. We are required to show our auditors a direct line from what our customers pay to our income. Active’s online processing and reporting allowed us to do that.

Q: What is the biggest headache that Active has helped alleviate?

A: We used to have a wall of 55 binders and now we have almost zero paperwork to deal with. Making all of our data electronic and condensing it into one simple system has been incredibly helpful—everything is in one place. We can pull rosters, look up phone numbers, and send promo emails from anywhere.

Q: What features of the parks and recreation software do the community find the most helpful?

A: If we ever tried to eliminate online registration, I think we’d be run out of town. Over 80% of our members register online and that number would probably be over 90% if we didn’t enforce a limitation policy that reserves a certain number of spaces for people who don’t have access to a computer. We are considering setting up public computer labs and going 100% online in the future because so many people expect to have full online access.

Our members also access the system to update personal information or create family schedules. Those who use this feature love it, although we need to work on spreading awareness of this capability. It’s something our department needs to market to the public more.

Q: What features do your staff find the most helpful?

A: The entire online enrollment process makes life easier for the staff. So much of the office work used to revolve around signing people up and dealing with paperwork. Now all of that is automated and taken off their plates.

Overall, the learning curve with the software is really short. We have seasonal, part-time workers that can be up to speed on the basics within a few hours. Plus, I can control who has access to what by setting up different profile rights within the system.

Q: What is your favorite Active feature?

A: Rosters. We can pull them from anywhere and we use them frequently. And I really like how the database is shared between modules and amongst all the different facilities. If we have someone who wants to sign up for a swimming pass, we can pull their information from the basketball league they played in. It’s so quick, saves us time and keeps the customer happy.

Q: How many hours does online registration save you during registration season?

A: Lots of hours, it’s hard to count. For example, registering people for our summer programs used to take three weeks—now we simply click a button. It frees up so much time for our staff to work on other projects.

Q: Have you seen any quantifiable results from using Active’s parks and recreation software?

A: Last year we generated approximately $110,000 in online registration revenue. For memberships, we have gained $35,000 in revenue just at our aquatics center alone. We used to issue wristbands that were illegally “shared” between friends and family. Now that we issue ID cards, we have been able to accurately account for each member, increasing security and our revenue.

Additionally, we’ve been able to cut one seasonal position entirely, which was a five-month paid position that was dedicated to data entry. We’ve also saved quite a bit of money in paper and printing costs, which have been drastically reduced.

Q: What has your experience been like with Active’s customer support?

A: The tech support is unbelievable. I just make one phone call and I typically have my answer within a few minutes. You can’t throw anything at them that they’re not on top of. I can also look up past inquiries I’ve made to refresh my memory on how I’ve solved problems in the past, which is helpful because some parts of the system I only use seasonally.

If you want continual education, Active provides ongoing training. It’s a simple software program that is easy to learn, but you have webinars and help docs available if you need them.

Q: Would you recommend Active to other parks and recreation agencies?

A: I regularly recommend Active to others and will continue to do so. When we first started using Active’s software, I would have up to three conversations a day with other agencies. At the time, web-based software and online registration were new concepts, so people were curious about it. It’s been successful for us and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned—I certainly appreciate hearing what’s working for my peers as well. It makes all of our jobs easier to share knowledge with each other.

"Last year we generated approximately $110,000 in online registration revenue. For memberships, we have gained $35,000 in revenue just at our aquatics center alone. We’ve also saved quite a bit of money in paper and printing costs, which have been drastically reduced."

Terry Kelly
Recreation Superintendent,
City of Watertown Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department