In 2018 big things were happening in the Tauranga swimming world: Otumoetai, Greerton and Tauranga Swimming Clubs were merging to form Evolution Aquatics Tauranga. A move to form a super club, combine resources and become a force to be reckoned with on a national scale. Once the decision was made to merge, the management team needed to make sure they had the right tools to ensure the success of this new club.
Nicki Walker, Administrator and LTS Coordinator, at Evolution Aquatics said, “Our system at the time was not so user friendly and we were struggling with a way to enter our squad information and timetable, to keep our members updated." “We were looking for something that was easy to use, [with] a database that was easy to maintain and keep our members and families updated. After a few weeks of exploring we found ‘Friendly Manager’. The fact that this company is local and had good foundations was key for our club. They are also very proactive when it comes to [the club] needing assistance."
“We love that the [Friendly Manager] system links in with the website and Xero. This saves time. The fact that our families can also log in and book their sessions online has also contributed to saving a lot of time towards the end of term [and the] beginning of a new term." Friendly Manager’s ‘Members Profile’ allows individuals to have access to their personal details and information wherever they go. Information on training times, events, membership details, fees, invoices and emails make the member experience so much better. Nicki says, "Having this information on hand encourages members and guardians to ‘self-help’, before contacting their coach or club committee for answers."
Nicki likes it how their coaches and instructors have tablets with the ability to take their squads attendance and assessments of children. This updates instantly online for parents to see too. The parents enjoy being able to watch their children develop in the water and see it updated in their profile.
Friendly Manager provides a variety of ‘controlled access’ levels. From the overarching access level of ‘Club admin’ for the club’s administrator or president of the committee to ‘Roll taker”, for that budding volunteer who takes the group's attendance at each training. This allows everyone involved with club administration to fulfil the requirements of their role on a single platform.
