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JCC of Greater Pittsburgh goes digital to transform how members connect with services and programs
Impact
50%
members (and counting) actively using the app
23,000
fitness classes reserved
33%
of senior lunch meal orders placed
Organization:
JCC
Community:
2 centers, overnight camp, family park
Individuals Served:
20,000
OVERVIEW
Technology for community service that is future-ready
If we didn’t know that Diane Newland, CFO at JCC of Greater Pittsburgh (JCCPGH) and Rachel Kortesky, Founder and CEO of Upace, met as part of a technology project, we would have thought they were longtime childhood friends. There’s an ease and mutual admiration between the two who came together for JCCPGH’s system upgrade in 2019. Traction Rec’s no third wheel, but we’re happy to have rounded out this project in contributing our expertise because this is a success story with positive vibes all around.
A hub of service and community for over 129 years
The JCC of Greater Pittsburgh is a welcoming hub for social services, recreation, and education in the region, with a proud history spanning over 129 years. As a lively community center, it offers a diverse array of programs and services, including fitness, wellness, cultural events, support for seniors, and educational opportunities.
Talking to Diane, it’s clear that providing excellent customer service is priority number one. Full stop. She delves into JCCPGH’s approach to membership and programming in an insightful piece she penned following Traction Rec’s JCC User Conference. But Diane is not satisfied with just providing great customer service today—she’s constantly thinking of ways that will make the JCC even better tomorrow, a year from now, or even five years from now. And what’s good for her members, is also good for her staff.
What the JCC needed was a mobile app platform to meet both current and future needs —a space where staff and members could seamlessly connect. This tool needed to be more than just the typical app for managing fitness classes; it should also support programming, facility management, and a variety of other applications, ultimately shaping and enhancing how the community interacts with and thrives through technology today.
Our JCC has the largest personal training revenue stream in the country. And while that information could seem overwhelming, having a holistic view of every member and prospect is invaluable.
Diane Newland
CFO, PGH JCC
challenge
A legacy app that couldn't support their future growth
The JCC started with a third-party app that was a one-size-fits-all solution, just like everyone else's. But as JCCPGH grew, the app struggled to keep up. Originally meant for scheduling fitness classes, it needed to broaden its capabilities to fit the JCC's wide-ranging needs, covering a variety of programs and scenarios. While some members embraced using the app, many didn't, especially those looking for more than just attending classes. This inspired the team to believe they could enhance the experience on a larger scale.
They needed a solution that would fit right in with their organization, giving members a complete experience that felt like their own. This solution needed to offer better control over management and upkeep. Plus, it was important for the app to be easy to use and helpful for everyone in the JCC community.
Already utilizing Salesforce and the Traction Rec platform for operational needs, it was logical to revisit our collaboration and explore how we could facilitate the transition from their current app to a new one.
Solution
Coming together to create an intuitive experience
Diane, having heard great things about Upace from many other JCCs, brought them onboard to power the new app. “We have a tremendous relationship across the country with JCCs and we heard about Upace a lot. And I’m like, all right, it’s time, like, let’s get on there.” As a collaborative leader, Diane sought input from her team members who had some experience with Upace at other centers; they wholeheartedly gave their stamp of approval.
More than just fitness management
Upace is a flexible solution that helps JCCs, and community rec centers alike, effectively engage with their communities through their custom-designed mobile app and administrative platform. Designed to feel like an extension of the organization, it offers extensive customization to create tailored experiences that resonate with members. Key features include a user-friendly admin portal and holistic schedule management, which streamline operations and enhance member interactions.
The platform also supports reservations for group spaces and appointments, ensuring a seamless experience for users. With benefits like improved communication through alerts and push notifications, Upace serves as a comprehensive solution that meets diverse organizational needs.
Optimizing the app for fitness programs was a priority, but Diane highlights its true beauty in its ability to customize for diverse use cases across the organization, including facility management. She explains, “We’re not just looking at it for our spin classes. My biggest excitement is how we could use this as a facility management tool.”
A full circle connection to operations
The Upace app integrates effortlessly with the JCC's CRM, Traction Rec, through an API to facilitate smooth communication between the two systems. This integration allows for efficient tracking and management of membership statuses and changes—such as purchases, upgrades, holds, and cancellations—all within a single platform.
For members, this means a tailored, seamless and intuitive mobile experience that personalizes the management of class bookings, schedules, and services through Upace. For staff, it offers an efficient platform where all transactions, usage, attendance, and reservation history can be reviewed, tracked, and managed with ease with Traction Rec and Salesforce.
“The thing that’s fantastic is the access control,” explains Diane. “Bar codes come up on the app and that’s how people not only get into our buildings, but around our building, because we've got a lot of things locked down.” There’s no longer the need to lend out keys or have access cards, since almost everyone carries their phone around anyway.
Building even better through community support and user groups
With new technologies comes a period of change management, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the in-house support system that Diane has put in place. With community user groups increasingly complementing traditional tech support, Diane insisted that a user group be formed within the JCC so the onus would be on all of them to help one another out.
With Rachel’s input, they've started meeting once a quarter. “We talk about new features and new functionality,” says Diane. Rachel adds, “It's time where everyone is able to gather, ask questions, and share our roadmap.”
Empowering their staff in this way has generated excitement and facilitated an environment in which innovation can grow—and it has, in the management of programs such as JWork co-working spaces and J Cafe older adult lunch program.
Beyond the numbers, it's about building a sense of community within the JCC, bringing together both members and staff. This is the core purpose behind the member engagement initiative. "So it's perfect, absolutely perfect".
Diane Newland
CFO, PGH JCC
REsults
A user-friendly app that both members and staff truly enjoy using
Delivering top-notch customer service is all about tuning in to what your customers really want and need. This entire project came to life because JCCPGH understood their members were looking for a digital solution that’s easy to use in various situations. Since partnering with Upace and Traction Rec, Diane says, “We've been running ever since and never looked back.”
How members are enjoying the app today
The JCC has streamlined a lot of day-to-day logistics behind the scenes, providing members with a seamless gateway to access many of the things they need. This includes things like:
- Reserving swim lanes
- Booking group exercise classes and training sessions
- Meal orders for the J Cafe lunch program
- Receiving alerts, including quick notifications of facility closures
- Access control to facilities such as locker rooms, workout areas, and stairways
One great thing about Upace is how it connects with members on a personal level. With features like tracking your personal training sessions, getting quick notifications about facility closures, checking out upcoming reservations, and receiving customized alerts, it feels like an app designed to make life easier for its users.
And as a center committed to excellence, JCCPGH does a “ton” of member engagement, which includes sending out surveys to keep a finger on the pulse of its membership. Diane appreciates this valuable feedback saying that many of the comments she receives are constructive and trying to move things forward.
How the staff is enjoying the app's benefits today
Adopting new technology can be challenging, but Diane had set up a system that made the transition to Upace smooth and easy for her team. Today they are:
- Checking in attendees and participants
- Scheduling private sessions
- Reviewing their schedules
- Managing personnel substitutes
- Sharing data metrics about program activities in their CRM
The app's usage by personal trainers is directly linked to their compensation. "They need to schedule their clients through the app," Diane explains. If a session isn't logged in the system, it won't be recognized for payment. While it most definitely serves as an incentive for staff members to use it, it has undeniably enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of back-end operations for everyone.
What the JCC has discovered about themselves is truly impressive!
For Diane, efficiency is more than just an abstract idea. She leverages dashboards and detailed reports to examine the data, extracting valuable insights. What she has discovered about her personal training program is truly impressive.
“This is one that I’m extremely proud of. Our JCC has the largest personal training revenue stream in the country,” she says, explaining that other JCCs may make more money overall but they outsource their personal trainers, whereas at JCCPGH, all the personal trainers are on staff. And while that information could seem overwhelming, having a holistic view of every member and prospect is invaluable.
What having a 360-view of members can mean
Diane’s excitement for having this comprehensive 360-view of members is so palpable. She goes on to explain how a single interaction can spark a significant boost in even more engagement.
"Imagine a member coming in for a fitness assessment. Boom! It's instantly logged as an interaction in our system. Then the trainer says, Hey, I'll refer you to this fitness group that I think could really help you. Boom again! Now, this member is all set for a spin class, and it just keeps flowing from there. With this info at our fingertips, we can offer personalized recommendations and even more options to our members."
Today, the team is also leveraging Upace to refine targeted marketing and messaging through the app. It's a personalized strategy not only helping members in reaching their fitness goals but also fosters active participation within the JCC community - and a compelling reason to return, whether for improving physical health or exploring the broader offerings of the JCC.
A match made in fitness heaven
Partnering with the right tools and technology can truly elevate a fitness facility's offerings (and even more). Diane and her team at JCCPGH have seen firsthand how utilizing Upace alongside Traction Rec has helped them create a comprehensive and personalized experience for their members. This partnership has allowed them to not only improve member retention, but also increase overall engagement and revenue.
Beyond the numbers, it's about building a sense of community within the JCC, bringing together both members and staff. This is the core purpose behind their member engagement initiative in Pittsburgh. "So it's perfect, absolutely perfect".
Sounds like a great match—thanks for taking us along for the ride!
Hands up, if you’re interested in learning more about how we can support your community recreation center operations. Give us a shout to connect with us.
Photo sources: jccpgh.org
