Park and Recreation Department Taps Into Software to Revamp Business Processes
Home to more than 570,000 people, Seattle, WA, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department, known as “Parks,” likewise has a broad mission. Responsibilities include managing 430 parks and open areas, more than 200 athletic fields, 26 community centers, 10 swimming pools, and other recreational areas in and around the city. The department employs up to 1,200 full- and part-time staff members at any given time. In 2002, Parks launched the Pyramid Project, a business process redesign that would take more than five years to plan, budget, organize, and deploy. Goals of the project were to improve customer service, fiscal accountability, and overall organizational efficiencies at 56 recreational sites around town. To steer the project, Parks formed a 12-member Pyramid Implement Group (PIG), which looked for ways to alleviate manual, independent, discretionary, and repetitive business processes. In turn, a prime tool to revamp business processes included the selection and implementation of software. After a year of exploring various acquisition options and negotiating a contract, Seattle’s Purchasing Department approved the procurement of Class software, developed by The Active Network (San Diego, CA). Because the software was already operating at the Seattle Aquarium, the Parks Department received a first-hand opportunity to review the software’s capabilities. “The top reasons that we liked Class software were its accuracy, reliability, and exceptional customer support,” says John Tomlinson, information technology manager for Parks. After launching pilot tests, the software was implemented at targeted recreational sites throughout the city. In addition, Parks launched a new online registration service in 2005. As of this year, 43 percent of registrations were completed online during the first two days of spring registrations, saving more than 100 hours of staff time, system-wide. The software has contributed significantly to the success of the Pyramid Project. For instance, Class software has helped the Parks Department reduce nightly closings at recreational facilities from as long as 1.5 hours to a mere 10 minutes. Tomlinson estimates that the time reduction equates to a conservative $150,000 worth of savings. In addition, financial transactions are now more accurate and auditable for improved accountability. Through efficient management of accounts receivable, the software has helped Parks increase revenue by an estimated $1 million. Class software offers the ability to evolve with future organizational needs. By using the software, Seattle Parks plans to redesign additional business processes for increased operational efficiencies throughout its entire department. The Active Network, San Diego, CA