Today, most people use technology and applications to make their lives easier. Some people use it to turn off their lights in their house after they leave for the day or to find the fastest route to work. Once we arrive at our facilities, all the help from technology just seems to disappear, entering offices or pump rooms that seem to be stuck in the Dark Ages. Luckily, the aquatics industry can now enter the Digital Age with several inexpensive digital tools that can easily document checklists, pool test and dosing, injury reports, and almost anything else a manager might need to document.
What Makes a Great Aquatics App?
The purpose of an application should serve two main functions: They should save you and your staff time, and keep your facility compliant with laws and regulations. The best applications aren’t just functional; they should give you clarity on things happening in your facility and show any reoccurring risks so they may be mitigated.
In looking for the best aquatics application, consider applications that have these three characteristics.
- Ease of use. These applications should be easy to use, not only in the day-to-day operations, but also in the setup of the program. They should be intuitive to learn, to use and not require a lot of tending. Your facility isn’t like anything else in the world, and the laws and regulations you follow differ from state to state and sometimes county to county. The program should easily allow you to have all those different items so you can keep your facility safe and open.
- Packed with features and customizable. During the normal operation of an aquatics facility, you might keep records of checklists, pool chemical reports, pool closure forms, injury reports and a list of staff certifications with any audits done for your staff. All these forms are typically facility-specific, so the program should be customizable enough for you to include any of this specific information. The application should also be able to store these documents for future reference and give you in-depth analytics. This capability will allow aquatics managers the ability to see any reoccurring trends with risks or with anything that affects operation.
- Available across multiple devices. When considering applications, you should be able to see any of the information your staff has in terms of input into the program no matter where you are or what device you are using. There’s no reason to limit your facility’s effectiveness based on others’ devices or preferences. The forms you are filling out should work on a computer, tablet or phone. They should also work, look and feel the same on all types of devices.
Johnathan Nies is the product manager for HydroApps at Counsilman-Hunsaker. He can be reached at johnathannies@chh2o.com or visit counsilmanhunsaker.com/hydroapps.
