— City of High Point

About the City of High Point

Nicknamed North Carolina's International City™, High Point is unique for the exceptionally diverse range of communities with different needs and interests that it serves. In response to this, the Parks and Recreation Department boasts an extensive array of programming. As many of the involved facilities have been continuously upgraded and improved over the years, High Point’s Technology and Training Coordinator Julie Luecht notes that “revitalization is one of the City’s main priorities – we don’t want to be happy with the status quo and we’re always trying to make things better for the community.” 

Julie also understood that going paperless would make things simpler and more efficient for the community and the Parks and Recreation staff. Although the department had hoped to achieve this paperless experience with its previous software platform in the interest of offering an easy-to-use and affordable experience for residents, they soon encountered issues that made it difficult to meet High Point’s evolving needs.

The Challenges

Assistant Director Tracy Pegram quickly realized that while the previous platform offered affordability, it compromised on reliability—a crucial aspect for a busy department. Frequent outages, an inability to track attendance, and gaps in the software’s reporting were all causes of strain for the organization. The lack of data and analytics tools left the team without the insights they needed to understand participation trends or generate reports for the city council. As Tracy put it, “When you have so many things going on, you have to have reliable software.”

It took six months just to get basic programming data, which underscored the importance of responsive customer service. This experience revealed a need for a system that could deliver accurate, real-time data, while supporting ongoing community improvements.

A Solution with Amilia SmartRec

Julie and Tracy sought a software provider that could act as a true partner delivering a flexible, robust solution. When they discovered Amilia’s SmartRec, they were impressed not only by its powerful reporting capabilities but also by the dedication and expertise of the Amilia team. “Amilians are built differently,” said Julie, reflecting on the genuine support and tailored solutions offered by Amilia.

Benefits of SmartRec

Following an exhaustive search, SmartRec emerged as the best option, with features that aligned with every operational need that the department had identified. The team now had access to real-time, cloud-based data insights thanks to the built-in reporting and segmentation tools, which allowed them to make programming and budgeting decisions confidently. The IT department especially appreciated SmartRec’s seamless integration capabilities and configurable templates, which made it easy to generate the financial reports required for city council presentations.

As Tracy noted, “They were completely sold on the software and confident in its ability to evolve with the city’s needs.”

Effortless Onboarding and Everyday Usability

With a simple and supportive onboarding process, the transition to SmartRec was smooth for staff members of all tech skill levels. Julie emphasized that the Amilia team made onboarding and training feel like a true partnership. Staff who had previously avoided using software altogether found this new platform to be efficient and easy-to-use.

To reassure staff, Julie likened the ease of using SmartRec to online shopping: “If they can shop on Amazon, they can use SmartRec.” Even those new to digital tools were soon navigating the platform comfortably. As Tracy highlighted, SmartRec made operations significantly easier and boosted overall efficiency.

Actionable Insights with SmartRec Analytics

The department’s shift to SmartRec enabled data-driven decision-making, offering clear, accessible insights through SmartRec Analytics. “We rely on the metrics provided by SmartRec to make business decisions,” said Julie. With real-time access to data, they could see patterns in facility usage, registration trends, and demographics, helping them to shape programs that correspond with the community’s needs.

Amilia’s reliability, supported by a 99.99% uptime guarantee, gave the department the ability to operate smoothly during peak periods, boosting satisfaction among staff and community members alike. Additionally, Amilia’s customer service became a standout feature: “You just can’t find that kind of customer service anywhere else with any other platform, and it was a huge selling point for us.”

Through a combination of dedicated support and advanced technology, Amilia exceeded the department’s expectations, creating a partnership that will serve High Point for years to come.

If you are interested to learn how SmartRec could help you and your organization succeed like it helped City of High Point, just reach out to our team. We would be happy to discuss it with you!