Use Technology to Do More With Less

Since the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns beginning in March 2020, facilities in the United States have faced unprecedented changes, with widespread facility closures followed by tentative reopenings with social distancing and other safety measures in place. As things begin to return to normal, many facilities are facing trouble with tighter budgets and smaller staffs to do the work. At the same time, expectations from the public have grown, in many cases, as people flocked to the outdoor sites that were their only outlet for fitness and social interaction, and increasingly turned to virtual programming to meet their needs. If you're still struggling to adapt to the new normal, technology is your friend.

Q: Our budgets are tight, and we're short-staffed, but people are expecting the same level of service from our department. What should we consider?

A: Turn to technology to help you do more with less. While you may have a technological solution in place to help you manage registrations and payments, there is so much more you can do with technology to improve the experience of your members and visitors.

With the right digital solution in place, you'll not only be able to handle the program registrations and facility management issues that come up in normal times, you'll also be able to scale your capabilities, providing convenient online access to programs.

Visitors will be able to learn what programs are available in person and virtually, and your communications will be more effective as you can rely on your digital solution to help get the word out in the event of cancellations or changes to your programming in the event of a local outbreak that requires you to take a step back from getting back to business as usual.

Digital solutions can help you manage your staff more effectively, deliver programs both in-person and online while managing limits on in-person events, and even ensure your facilities are being used as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Talk to your technology provider about your unique challenges. With experience across the country with departments of varying sizes and capabilities, they'll be able to offer you solutions that will enable you to meet the public's demands with your straitened resources.