A Fresh Start

When the Merrimack Valley YMCA decided to take a long, hard look at its processes, only good things started to happen. In addition to restructuring and forming a new strategy, the Y ramped up its focus on growth, quality, and accountability.“We identified our challenges and problems, but also looked at new opportunities for us,” says CEO Stephen Ives of the Y, a 12-million-dollar operation with around 4,300 membership units.

“We couldn’t just look at software,” he says. “Taking into account important business drivers, we put it all together and sought a solution we thought would most affect the changes being made at our organization.”

Strategic Alignment

To start anew, Stephen and the Y selected Daxko as a technology partner, implementing the Daxko Operations and Daxko Accounting solutions.“Daxko aligned with our key business drivers, supported our growth initiative, and was a nice part of our total overhaul,” says Stephen of the selection process. “We really liked the culture of the company, and we felt Daxko could help us execute the changes we planned to make.”

The integration between Daxko Operations and Daxko Accounting proved to be a main factor in the Y’s decision to select Daxko.

“Integration was important. A lot of opportunities were being left on the table. We had too many databases and needed one system,” Stephen says.

Complete Visibility

“With integrated data, reports mean something. They provide for more productive discussion,” he says.The Y is now able to make more data-driven decisions surrounding membership and programs with Daxko Operations, and Daxko Accounting allows for better staff involvement in the budgeting
process.“We’re engaging our members more deeply, and we have more transparency into our programs and membership. Data is much easier to access, and we’ve changed the way we report financially, too.”

As part of Merrimack Valley’s new strategy, accountability is key—and “Daxko provides tools for deeper accountability,” says Stephen. “Staff are reporting they like the system, and they find it logic-oriented and easy to use.”

Improving the Member Experience

To further meet Merrimack Valley’s member services needs, Stephen and the Y turned to Daxko Impact Services, a customized member engagement program that connects and engages members through targeted phone calls and e-mails on an association’s behalf. The service works to win back terminated members, increase program registrations, and measure member loyalty levels.