You’re a businessperson, and you need to make shrewd decisions that increase profits. You’re a summer camp manager, and you need to create fun events. Have a foot in both camps?
You don’t have to compromise on either, as you can find tools that promote both of your efforts. One tool that is growing in popularity is attendance tracking software.
Learn about its features, and you can maximize your camp experience. Here are seven benefits of attendance software.
1. Attendance Tracking Simplifies Attendance Taking
Pen and paper is the most popular way of summer camp attendance tracking. It’s also the worst way.
Administrators have to handle many different sheets of paper. They have to type data in manually, diverting time from other activities. Calling in attendance doesn’t solve the problem since someone still has to track the data.
Attendance software is easy. Counselors can pull out their smartphone or tablet computer. They open a website, then tap on the names that are present.
Their information is automatically uploaded. If you want to see the attendance of any bunk, you can click on the website and find it. No time is wasted on typing or calculating information.
2. Software Reduces Errors
Pen and paper tracking leave plenty of room for error. Counselors accidentally mark a camper off as being absent. Administrators misread a counselor’s handwriting and record the wrong data for a camper.
Attendance software can correct itself. If a camper is marked as absent then present, the system can correct the previous mistake. If you need to correct a mistake, you can open the website and correct it then and there.
3. Software Helps Marketing
Your software lets you track more than attendance. Your software can create custom reports. You can track the demographics of your campers, including age and grade designations.
You can monitor how long they have gone to your summer camp. You can check to see if they have any family members who could go.
You can then adjust your marketing. You can write emails targeting those family members and listing your services. You can feature age-appropriate graphics and texts in your advertisements.
You can reach out to customers who aren’t satisfied with your camp. You can ask them for solutions, adjusting your programs accordingly.
4. You Have Centralized Data to Alert Parents
If you need to alert parents about attendance, it’s hard to do so through pen and paper. You have to examine multiple documents, then determine if an alert should be made.
With attendance tracking software, you can access data and track patterns. You can notice if a camper is consistently late or skipping camp. The data is centralized, so you can go right onto the camp website and then send out an alert.
You can screenshot the data and then send it in an email. Parents can see clearly how their child is attending camp.
5. Software Increases Safety
Only around one-third of campers report receiving support at camp, according to an ACA Youth Development Benchmark Survey. Campers need to feel safe in order to have a good time. A big component of safety is knowing that their counselors are watching out for them.
Attendance software is easy to use and view. You can show the software to your campers, asking if the information in it is accurate. This assures them that you know where they are.
You can incorporate signatures and photographs into your software. If an adult shows up to pick up a child, you can view the photographs to see if they are authorized.
6. Software Helps You Track Expenses
Some camps operate on a week-by-week basis. Parents register their child for two weeks when the camp operates for eight.
With software, you can track those two weeks. This keeps you from charging parents for the full eight.
You can feature a tab to monitor when payments come in. If a parent doesn’t pay for camp, you can reach out to them. If they need to pay for a special night or outing, you can monitor that and send an alert.
You can connect your software to your website. Parents can pay their fees, and then your software receives their information. This lets your system run automatically, without you needing to track data.
7. Software Helps Year-Round
Paper and pen attendance helps you track students during the summer. But it doesn’t have much use once the camp closes. You lose contact with your counselors, so you lose contact with their information.
Attendance tracking software stores information so you can access it whenever you want. You can send reports to parents and staffers. You can download expense reports and send them to the bank.
You can use centralized information for counselor evaluations. If a counselor has regular absences in their bunk, you can decide to let that counselor go. If a counselor has perfect attendance records, you can ask them about what they do.
You can monitor the popularity of activities and outings. You can investigate pick-up and drop-off trends, deciding how to schedule your day. With this information, you can adjust your marketing for next season.
Sum up Your Summer Camp Attendance
Tracking your attendance is essential for managing your summer camp. You need to know where students are and who is picking them up. You can track your attendance with easy attendance tracking software.
Attendance tracking simplifies attendance taking, without the errors of pen and paper. You can market based on reliable data and send alerts to parents. You can increase safety and track payments—information that helps year-round.
Get on the right track. UltraCamp offers premium attendance tracking software with stellar customer support. Contact us today, or call us at 888-791-2080.
