How OSPR Reduced Scheduling by 90% to Focus on Community
In the quaint town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, the Parks and Recreation Department is a hub of community activity.
Over the years, the department has grown to encompass various recreational leagues, including tennis, pickleball, softball, and racquet sports, catering to around 250+ athletes and two racquet sports leagues.
At the helm of this dynamic operation stands Jonathan Paradis, the Assistant Director of the department, who ensures that the residents have access to diverse, affordable, and engaging recreational opportunities.
This article delves into the challenges faced by Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation and how Diamond Scheduler emerged as a time-saving solution that transformed the way they operate.
Via Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation Facebook
The challenge: Transitioning from manual scheduling in order to serve a growing community
Jonathan, a dedicated professional with 11 years of experience, oversees an array of responsibilities ranging from program planning to facility maintenance. His job involves balancing the needs and desires of the community with available resources.
One of the significant challenges faced by the department is the shortage of qualified staff to meet the growing demand for specialized programs. With currently six staff members on his team, finding specialized instructors to fill the demand for classes such as yoga, pickleball, and other activities has become increasingly difficult.
Via Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation Facebook
The Old Saybrook community is very engaged with their Parks and Recreation facility. This was clearly shown when a decade-long goal of creating a festival organized by staff attracted a staggering 20,000 attendees, far exceeding their initial target of 5,000.
These accomplishments highlight the dedication of the Old Saybrook Parks and Recreational team in serving their community. Amid these milestones, Jonathan faced another challenge, manually creating a tournament schedule for programs and tournaments that were growing in demand.
The department decided they needed to switch from manually scheduling to a software solution that could handle an array of match-ups for their programs and leagues.
The solution: An easy-to-use scheduling software that can also save time
As the number of programs expanded, Jonathan quickly came to the conclusion that manually creating schedules would become unmanageable. With multiple leagues and facilities to coordinate, they needed a scheduling solution that was efficient and user-friendly.
With a Google search, Jonathan found Diamond Scheduler, a scheduling software that quickly became the go-to solution for Jonathan and his team.
“Our department,” says Jonathan, “has a scheduling platform built-in for leagues but, it's extremely basic in that it can only comprehend one facility, it’s not as robust as Diamond Scheduler.”
With robust features, which include double-elimination and single-elimination tournament scheduling, Diamond Scheduler’s software provided a significant advantage over other scheduling tools they had explored. The ease of use and flexibility of Diamond Scheduler made it the perfect fit for their complex scheduling needs.
The result: Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation cutting 90% of its scheduling workload
The implementation of Diamond Scheduler had a transformative effect on the Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation department.
Previously, it took Jonathan up to a month to manually create a softball schedule. Now, Diamond Scheduler accomplishes the task in just 4 hours, an incredible time-saving accomplishment.
“Back then it would take me a month to create a softball schedule, yet with Diamond Scheduler it—in one click—completes a schedule in five minutes or so. It does the job. It saves me time and energy. I've told a few other colleagues about it and I know they've looked into it as well,” says Jonathan Paradis.
Via Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation Facebook
In the past, it required around 40 hours per season to build a complete schedule that was both fair and balanced. With the introduction of Diamond Scheduler on the team, that time commitment has dramatically decreased to just 4 hours per season.
This represents a staggering 90% reduction in time spent on scheduling, allowing Jonathan and his team to reallocate their efforts to other critical aspects of their community programs.
The journey of the Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation Department encapsulates the power of technology transforming an organization. The community hub faced significant scheduling challenges due to its diverse range of programs and limited staff resources.
Jonathan opted to streamline their scheduling process with the help of Diamond Scheduler, a decision that not only saved hours of valuable time but also improved the efficiency and quality of their scheduling process.
By reclaiming 40 hours of the department's time, Jonathan and his team can focus on more pressing issues such as serving the community with enriching activities, and planning for the next big community festival.
This success story showcases the impact of innovative technology in helping community-focused organizations achieve their goals and better serve their residents.
Deidra Hunter is a former athlete that now thrives as a content marketer and brand strategist. Her passion for sports has enabled her to contribute to diverse branding, content creation, and writing projects. In her downtime, she engages in lively discussions about sports and business with her friends and family.
About Diamond Scheduler
Diamond Scheduler makes planning your league’s complex season easier than ever. Create your first schedule in minutes for free. It's fast, fun, and simple.
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