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Getting smarter all the time
Royal Wootton Bassett RFC shows how using smarter integrated solutions is not only making it easier to manage the club and generate more income and profit for its bottom line , but delivering all sorts of benefits for its members as well . Charles de Haan reports . A growing number of community rugby clubs are adopting a much more professional attitude to the complex challenges of managing their clubs , using innovative software systems to help them deliver new solutions to often old problems . From more efficient membership administration to improved bar sales and margins , from easier ticket handling to new promotions and membership privileges , some clubs are forging ahead . One in particular , Royal Wootton Bassett RFC , is a great example of how to achieve all sorts of new benefits for its 850 + members and administrative efficiencies for the club .
Step One : Get a new loyalty card driven Open Solutions EPoS system
In 2013 the club moved into a new £ 1.3m clubhouse . Under the direction of Alec Adams , an honorary life member whose passion and enthusiasm for his club and the game soon becomes obvious , the club also took on a new loyalty card based electronic point of sale or EPoS system from Open Solutions back in 2013 .
This also came with a comprehensive membership and subscriptions software package , enabling the club to gain from benefits like e-mailing the entire membership their annual subscription invoices . This alone saved £ 00s each year in postal charges and envelopes alone , plus all the time to print , fold and insert some 850 + invoices the traditional way .
The new EPoS system immediately overcame the problems of running old fashioned stand-alone tills . Besides inadequate reporting of bar sales , members had to remember to bring enough cash with them to any event . The new EPoS system changed all that with comprehensive sales reporting , accurate stock control and members ’ loyalty cards . The cards made a huge difference ; simply by putting money on to their new club cards to pay for drinks , the club immediately gained from carrying all those moneys placed on its members ’ accounts with a positive cash flow value of around £ 6,000 +.
Best of all , the club finally got the clarity it had always wanted when it came to its membership administration , as the club ’ s officers could see precisely who had paid their subscription and who hadn ’ t , allowing enquiries to be made accordingly . As Adams puts it : “ We went from no-one knowing a thing about the £ 50k subscriptions situation , to knowing exactly who and how many had paid , and of those who hadn ’ t , the various reasons why , such as injuries , delayed payments or simply moving away . We now have complete control .”
Step Two : get the new fully integrated GMS and EPoS package
Then late in 2016 it was announced that First Sports International , the developers of the Game Management System commissioned by the RFU , was teaming up with Open Solutions so that their GMS could be fully integrated with the EPoS system . Realising that this could potentially deliver all sorts of new efficiencies and benefits to the club , Alec arranged for
Royal Wootton Bassett RFC to become one of the clubs to pilot the newly integrated system .
“ We ’ ve been working closely with Open Solutions and FSI to iron out any snags , and at the same time , see ways to improve things from the user ’ s perspective ,” says Adams . “ A good example of the unexpected ways in which life is made easier for everyone involved was an event we held last night , when Gloucester ’ s A team played Exeter Braves at our club .”
14 Issue 76