The tools at your disposal can make all the difference for recreation managers striving to provide top-notch services to their communities. Many professionals find themselves complicating their day-to-day by working with either a cumbersome platform, or no software at all. How do you navigate the challenges of evaluating your current management practices? Today we focus on uncovering opportunities for improvement by streamlining processes and adopting simple, yet effective strategies to discover ways to enhance your operations and better serve your community.
Step 1: Self Evaluation
Take a step back from your daily tasks and determine where the bottlenecks are and what your core focus is. Here are a few key questions to start thinking about:
- How user-friendly is my process for the community and my staff? Determine how much time it takes for the community members to participate and if there are opportunities to make life easier for the dedicated staff members at your disposal.
- What tools am I missing to increase participation and save time?
- What am I paying for that I do not need? Too many features slows down your staff’s ability to help the engaged community members and complicate online participation from the valued community.
Step 2: Research
Websites like Capterra.com compile customer reviews and overviews of recreation software companies. Which companies align best with the findings from step one?
- References. Any reputable software company should be more than willing to share local references with a prospective new client. What do your neighboring communities think about their recreation management software? What kind of support do they receive?
- Know your budget and timeline to “go live” when you find the right software. Make sure these align with the software you meet with.
- Schedule demonstrations with your top choices and bring your findings from step one and two to determine what platform best fits your needs. Make sure you ask to see the solutions to your problems in these demos.
Step 3: Big Picture
Think about what you consider a successful conclusion of this project with tangible results. Think in terms of immediate (6 months), near future (1 year), and long-term (3-5 years).
- Did my participation increase?
- Does my new software save my staff members’ time?
Regular evaluation of your recreation management software ensures it continues to meet your organization’s needs effectively, helping you stay ahead in providing exceptional service to your community.
