From Concept to Implementation
Recreation software improves
productivity, business efficiency,
and sustainability.
Todd Hammonds, University of California, Santa Cruz
Janice DeMonsi, Santa Clara University
Steve Najera, University of Colorado, Boulder
Pamela Hightower, University of Florida
Session Overview
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Learning Objectives
Campus Recreation Overviews
Software Basics
Do your homework
How long will it take?
Contract Negotiations
To view this PP online, scu.edu/recreation
Learning Objectives
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1. Discover how to research, procure,
and implement software that meets
your specific operational needs.
2. Evaluate software programs such
ActiveNet, CSI, Fusion, RecTrac, and
based on cost structure, functionality,
and ease of use from current users
and/or system administrators.
3. Learn the ins and outs of contract
negotiation that will save you time and
money.
Campus Recreation Overviews
• University of California at Santa Cruz
• Santa Clara University
• University of Colorado, Boulder
• University of Florida
University of California
Santa Cruz
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Public University-18,000 (16,400 undergraduate & 1,600 graduate)
OPERS reports to the Office of Campus Life - has 21 Full-time Professional Staff,
3 maintenance staff, 45 Part-time staff and instructors & 300 student assistants.
Swipes: 2000+ weekday, 1000 weekend users
All enrolled students pay a rec fee in their tuition and have access to all facilities and
regular programs
Paying members only = Faculty, Staff, Spouse, Alumni and Community 500 per year
PE classes free to members and students, 1500 students enroll via ASI
Intramural sports – Teams register online, usually $60.00 per league
Online registration for the Outdoor Recreation program has 180 Trips, Classes and
Workshops per quarter
Locker Rentals(1000 per year) & equipment check out.
UC Santa Cruz & ActiveNet
• Uses ActiveNet for the following procedures
• Access Control, POS, Equipment Check-Out,
ECommunication, Locker Rentals, Membership
Pass Management, Reporting, and Online
registration: Outdoor Recreation, IM’s and
Special Events.
Top 5 ?’s
• Why you chose the product you currently use?
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We were going from using nothing to software and looked at Ezfacility, CSI, Vermont
Systems/Rectrac, B2H, TIBOR, ActiveNet and our IT department wanted to build us something. We
went with Active Net based on cost, It’s hosted and web-based.
• What does it cost?
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We pay about $720 a month or about $8600.00 per year, hope to reduce that figure to $5,000 per
year by moving more procedures online.
• If all options were available would you switch to another product?
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I don’t see it based on the time that it would take to train everyone on a new product, we are pretty
happy
• Do you find the software easy to use for staff and customers?
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Its very easy for the students to learn and use , for the professional staff change to takes time,
energy, and optimism.
• Are there any parts of the software that are not meeting your needs?
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We currently don’t use ActiveNet for IM Scheduling, Facility Reservations or Donation Management.
Santa Clara University
• Private university 8500 students (undergraduate & graduate)
• Campus Recreation reports to athletics - has 2 full-time staff, 12
undergraduate student coordinators & 175 other student workers
• 1200 daily users at the recreation center
• All current students, faculty and staff have access for FREE plus their
spouses - approximately 14,000
• Paying members only = Alumni approximately 200
• Fitness classes currently sell a spot in the class - 1800 annual participants
• Intramural sports - pay a deposit to play, 591 teams annually
• Also do lockers, & a towel service, guest passes & equipment check out
Santa Clara University & CSI
• Uses CSI for the
following procedures
• Access Control,
Membership & Guest
Management, POS,
Locker Rentals, Class,
Program, Event, and IM
Registration, and
Reporting
Top 5 ?’s
• Why you chose the product you currently use?
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In 2007 we looked at Vermont Systems, CSI and a Web-Based program from San Diego that would be
customized to our needs. We selected CSI, for the price and the evaluations/feedback from other
universities using it.
• What does it cost?
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We pay about $1820 a month or $21,840 a year. We are vendor hosted (CSI)
• If all options were available would you switch to another product?
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Not at this time, with only two prof. staff – it would be hard to see us switching, its working, and why
add all of the stress with change – change….no one likes change
• Do you find the software easy to use for staff and customers?
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Yes, that was one of the criteria-ease for students to use both as the limited front desk and
coordinators with admin rights-we had to know it was easy to use –intuitive since FTE time is
valuable.
• Are there any parts of the software that are not meeting your needs?
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We currently use Intramural League Manager, but are hoping it improves with the next release.
University of Colorado, Boulder
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Public University-29,884 on-campus degree-seeking students, 24,757 undergraduate students 5,127
graduate students
Recreation Services reports to Student Government and Student Affairs - has 36 full-time staff, 300
student staff
4,000 – 4,500 daily users at the recreation center during the school semesters. 1,500 – 2,000 daily
users during the summer months.
All full-time students pay a mandatory student rec fee within their tuition and have access to all
recreation facilities. Memberships are available for Faculty, Staff, Alumni and University Affiliates.
88% of annual users are students, 6% Others, 4% Faculty/Staff, 1% Tours, 1% Special Events. Fitness
classes currently sell a spot in the class - 1800 annual participants
Fitness Classes – Offer 100+ classes per week, annually sell 1500 Be Fit Passes, 75 ten punch pass, 1400
drop in passes
Intramural sports – 30 sports provided, 15 special events annually
Club Sports – 34 Collegiate Club Sport Programs, 14,000 participants
Locker Rental - 4,434 rented lockers annually
Equipment Checkout – 200,000 items checkout annually. Locks, towels, basketball, etc.
University of Colorado & RecTrac
• Uses RecTrac for the following procedures:
• Access Control, Membership Management,
POS, Locker Rental, Class Registration, Equipment
Checkout and Reporting
Top 5 ?’s
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Why you chose the product you currently use?
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What does it cost?
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We are moving forward with a switch to a new product line, if cost isn’t prohibitive. Innosoft, Fusion is the software
we are currently looking at switching to.
Do you find the software easy to use for staff and customers?
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$5,442 for annual licensing, $4,980 for OIT to host server, estimated $3,000 to replace the server
every 4-5 years. Total per year equals $11,172.00
If all options were available would you switch to another product?
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At the time (1991), we were looking for a POS / Rec Software System. We did a review of 2
software’s on the market in the 90’s and choose Rec Trac as the better product. This did improve our
operations leaps and bounds from our old school paper system.
Our customers have no direct use of RecTrac because we do not use Web Trac Software. Training time for
professional staff and student staff is extensive. The professional staff struggle a bit with the older operation system
as well as the program not fully being developed for strictly university/collegiate Rec Sports.
Are there any parts of the software that are not meeting your needs?
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The locker module is very difficult to use and the phone technicians don’t know how to use it to help
with questions. The software in general works well. It is a complicated software with too many
toggles that if not checked will mess up what you are trying to do. If we had someone full-time
working with the ins and outs of its quirks we would probably use more of the functionality.
University of Florida
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Public Land Grant University- 49,000 students (undergraduate & graduate)
Campus Recreation reports to the Division of Student Affairs - has 17 RecSports Professionals,
6 Administrative Support Staff, 13 maintenance staff, 15 graduate assistants & 800 other
student workers
4,255 weekday, 1,995 weekend daily users at the recreation center
All current students who are paying the Activity and Service fee (a portion is allocated to
RecSports) have access to all facilities and programs
Paying members only = Faculty, Staff, Spouse, Alumni approximately 550
Fitness classes free to members and students, spots are first come first serve with online
registration - 12,640 participants annually
Intramural sports - free, charged a fee if they forfeit a game, 2725 teams, 12,239 participants
annually
Also do online group fitness and special event registration, facility requests and calendaring,
guest passes & equipment check out
University of Florida / Fusion
• Uses Fusion for the following
procedures
• Access Control/ Biometrics,
Membership Management,
Equipment Check-out, Facility
Reservations, ECommunication,
Group Fitness and Special Event
Registration, Interface to IMleagues
for intramural management, Guest
Pass Management, and Reporting
Top 5 ?’s
• Why you chose the product you currently use?
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Customer Service, Ease of use on the managerial side, Intuitive student staff interfaces, Opportunity
to manage online registrations and payments, centralized information system accommodates
extensive reporting
• What does it cost?
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$25,000 per year licensing, $10,000 initial server purchase. Self-Hosted
• If all options were available would you switch to another product?
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No
• Do you find the software easy to use for staff and customers?
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Overall yes. The customers don’t notice it and training time for staff is minimal.
• Are there any parts of the software that are not meeting your needs?
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Our web portal is not mobile ready and our university ldap authentication interface
causes a bottleneck for registrations occasionally. The interface with IMleagues is
DEFINITELY not ideal, and there are some image continuity issues between our website,
rsconnect, and IMleagues that we don’t like.
From Concept to Implementation
SOFTWARE BASICS
Software differences
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Web based ------------- Server Based
Monthly Fee, Transaction Fee, or Purchase
Vendor Hosted --------------Self Hosted
IT Professional Staff -------- IT Support
Free upgrades -------------- Paid upgrades
Onsite training ------------- Web based training
Tech Support --------------- Limited Tech Support
What will software do for my
program?
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Improve business efficiency
Improve productivity
Improve sustainability
Improve customer experience
Require training and learning new skills sets
Cost you $$$$$
What else can it do
• Create computer dependence for
staff
• Tie your hands, when it goes down
(Yikes)
• Move dedicated time to other
projects
• Reduce busy work
• Reduce workload
• Improve tracking, inventory control,
and reporting
From Concept to Implementation
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Research
• Develop a budget for the
project including: Software
fees, PC’s, possible server,
receipt paper, cards, printers,
POS monitors, card swipes,
etc...
• Visit nearby schools that use
the different programs that
you are looking at
• Set up meetings with everyone
involved, staff, IT if needed,
purchasing, cashiering …
Research
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Reach out through NIRSA Habitat
Talk to your friends
Ask questions
If your talking with a vendor ask for references
Don’t rush, be flexible
From Concept to Implementation
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE
Implementation Timeline
Varies (6months – 2 years)
Decide its time to use purchase software
Research products that meet your operational needs
Bring all stake holders to the table: IT, Purchasing, Staff etc..
Figure out your budget
For State schools inform Purchasing of your plan
Contact Vendors
Select Vendor
Negotiation of contract
(Usually done by purchasing )
Organize Webinars and presentations
Business Process Review
Sign contract
Training 1-3 weeks
In-house testing
Go Live date
Start simple and build on
Timeline Cont.
• Don’t rush, you will using this product for the
next 3-5 years or more
• Do as much research as you can
• Go into it, knowing that not everyone is going
to happy
• Give yourself and your staff time to train
before going live
• Involve your top student employees in the
whole process
Who will be in charge of it?
• You will be
• System Administrator will need to be
determined/Designated in most cases
• Back-up System Admin’s
• IT Staff
• In-house IT support
From Concept to Implementation
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
Contract Negotiations
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Best Solution/Lowest Possible Price
Case Studies – What are they worth
They want your business ($$$)
Keep an ace in the whole & be willing to use it
Questions & Answers
Contact Info
• Todd Hammonds, tmhammon@ucsc.edu
• Janice DeMonsi, jdemonsi@scu.edu
• Steve Najera, steve.najera@colorado.edu
• Pamela Hightower, pamela14@ufl.edu
Dtt
To view this PP online scu.edu/recreation , under the news feed