Business Challenge
Increased activities required club to have better system for communicating with members and process their data. Previous system held information across 3 systems.

Solution
Verde membership system

Business Benefits

• Increased efficiency through automation of subs collection (regular standing invoice)
• Integration with existing Greentree system provides further automation & visibility of members accounts
• More effective & targeted communication with members via accurate and readily accessible member details
• Ease of handling member data gives club scope to grow & expand revenue generating activities

The Full Story

When the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) came to Verde looking for a membership system; they wanted a package that would fully integrate members’ details into their existing debtor system within Greentree. Verde’s response was to tailor a system that fulfilled all the Squadron’s requirements in a complete solution, allowing the club to grow and develop in response to members requirements.

The RNZYS is one New Zealand's oldest yachting institutions, offering its members and their guests, year-round racing, cruising, social activities and the use of club facilities that include bars and restaurants. With around 3000 members, the Squadron’s existing systems held data over three different disparate systems with no ability to share information between them. Membership details were in one place, while information about yachts and racing details were held in 2 separate applications.

With increased activities on offer by the Squadron and accompanying opportunities to raise revenue, coupled with the desire to provide members with information targeted to their interests and activities, the RNZYS decided it was time to act.

Carrying out an extensive review of requirements, it was obvious that the Squadron needed one centralised system that could; manage member details, automate membership subscriptions, and target members with improved communications about upcoming events and club activities.

Verde has provided a complete solution that fulfils all these requirements and allows for the future growth and development of the Squadron. Craig Peploe, RNZYS General Manager says, “Verde listened to our needs and came back to us with a design for a complete and integrated package that incorporated those needs, in a very short space of time.” The new system holds all member details in one area. Subscription templates are set up as a standing invoice generating a regular invoice for subscription fees on a pre-determined basis and a transaction history is held for each member to easily trace payments.

Memberships are now much easier to keep track of and better quality information is now held on each member, such as linking members through relationship type. This is an important piece of information since an Associate of the club is allowed to become a member only if they are already connected to an existing RNZYS member.

Corinne Healey, Accounting and Administration Manager at RNZYS, is delighted with the new system and says “having an automated, centralised system is speeding up a lot of our processes. We have 10 membership categories and several different levies associated with membership, so keeping track of all that was a big challenge. What’s more, this gives us the scope down the line to give members the option to make payments over the internet; something we couldn’t have contemplated with the old system.”

Boat details are now together with the member’s details, and hold all relevant information such as sail number, class and year launched. This and other high level information allows the RNZYS to be very smart about how they communicate with members and other contacts (non-members). Through the Verde membership system, they are able to target certain boat owners or contacts with particular interests (such as sponsors or corporates) about races or events.

Communications are streamlined and targeted and emails can be sent directly from the database containing newsletters or invitations to events. Craig Peploe, has been particularly impressed by the level of integration offered by the system, “our systems need to be professional if we are to compete for function and sponsorship revenue, and run an efficient service for our members; the solution that Verde has provided will allow us to do just that.”

About the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron

For more inforrmation about the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron visit: www.rnzys.co.nz