2014 SSA Workshops Summary

Two workshops were held this year at Hollowell and Brightlingsea Sailing Club.

Record of Main Points Raised
Workshop I - Videos
Integration of systems is important, suppliers need to work together.

Need for on-line booking of courses, boat hire, etc, as well as events and races.

Measuring recreational and training (ie non-racing) sailing is needed too, most current data is about racing.

Sailors are reluctant to be measured, or to self-report, many enjoy the freedom and adventure.

Completion of '10 sessions', as an indication that a person has taken up the sport, is very difficult to define and measure.

RYA Club Insights Survey, club reports of member activity could be automated.

Extrapolation could be used, based automated returns from clubs who have SSA systems, to generate estimates of full UK activity.

Better naming standards are required:  sailors, boats, races, series, events, fleets, flights, classes, groups, etc.

There is enthusiasm for 'SSA Dashboard' - to aggregate the data currently available, and allow individual clubs to drill back down to their own data.

There is a potential downside to removing human involvement from collection of data.  We need to understand what's happening and become collectively more intelligent about participation in our sport.

Data requirements for next years RYA reporting are not yet set, so any collection plans should be flexible.

Business planning support is needed also.  Club management systems could record a few key pieces of business information, eg period of property lease, asset register.

A smartphone App to record attendance at clubs could work, and if it included tracking and recording of sailing sessions it could be attractive to members  (eg: running/cycling Apps).

Single login providing easy entry to the group of SSA systems is highly desirable,  multiple passwords get forgotten and cause irritation.

Many clubs don't have strong IT skills, so systems should be very simple to use, with a consistent appearance of screens between systems and functions.

The whole process of managing a club should be supported by systems.  Guidance is needed on what ideal processes would look like, so that they can be understood and standardised.

If they are to drive participation, systems need to improve the sailor experience, eg  'How did I do?' from results systems.

Open interfaces into membership system databases for club developers could address club's specific and unique needs.

Interfaces should be available for popular access control and till systems, and accounts packages.

Collected data about members, prospects, students, etc, should flow through so that contact can be easily maintained between clubs and individuals.

Handicapping systems need improvement.  Possibility of working group led by the software providers?

Current systems do not go far enough on all these needs.  Nothing is impossible to develop, and to make it happen needs agreed direction, leading to increasing volume of users demanding consistent solutions.

Source

This record was compiled from notes taken by the presenters. See also the slide-packs and the full 2 hour video of the Hollowell workshop for more detail.

Brightlingsea slide-pack here: http://goo.gl/spLbS3

You can read about the Hollowell SC Workshop here.

There are also plans for other workshops to be held in home counties and on the south coast. If you would like you club to host a workshop please contact Brenda Hoult.

22/12/2014 14:49