The Brief
To lead the procurement of a new ticketing partner, within considerable budget and time constraints.
Provide the best return on investment and place Lakeland Arts in the strongest position to support future growth, with the right ticketing partnership.
Background
Lakeland Arts is responsible for several award-winning arts and heritage galleries and museums, in Windermere and Kendal in Cumbria. Each of these cultural venues is unique in its experience and customer base.
During the past four years, Lakeland Arts have used one partner for ticketing, retail and CRM, with several other systems for fundraising, catering and marketing.
The disjointed systems were no longer fit for purpose, adding considerable resource time and budget to the charity.
With one gallery re-opening in May 2023, after a refurbishment, Lakeland Arts had an opportunity to take a fresh look at the market and consider a better fit, for both operational and commercial requirements, as well as system cost. This procurement project had to be completed within an extremely short timescale.
The ReWork Approach
The requirements of this project were complex. Lakeland Arts needed a solution for a multi-site operation, across ticketing, membership, groups, events, retail and CRM.
Sarah saw her role here not only as a software consultant but also as a business advisor/mentor. She sought to create a clear plan to support the future growth of Lakeland Arts. This would provide a solution that required less ongoing support and increased sales.
Support would be given through each stage of this otherwise complex procurement process. Sarah would provide clarity and reassurance to a stretched team who were busy running their day-to-day operation.
ReWork divided the process into four stages:
- Discovery – Review, understand and make business, process and system recommendations.
- Shortlist to Selection – Lead and support an effective procurement process, with expertise and insight.
- Support – Provide guidance and support to the project team during implementation.
- Longer term check-ins – To provide business support to maximise the ticketing partnership.
Challenges and solutions
Multi-sites & multi offerings
Lakeland Arts operates a multi-site organisation with each site varying in its product offering, creating many requirement challenges.
Sarah initially treated each site as an individual venue, with differing offers and customers when assessing their requirements. She focused on the customer journey, system resources and venue objectives, before addressing core department and overall organisational requirements.
Sarah was able to advise on the best way forward to boost online conversions, engage with audiences/customers, increase return visits and develop longer-term relationships.
She provided commercial and operational advice to help boost the organisation’s income.
Location and infrastructure
Lakeland Arts venues are dotted around the rural, picturesque Lake District and whilst this is a major pull, it brings with it challenges in terms of connectivity and infrastructure.
Connectivity varies between venues and therefore, investment in infrastructure needed to support the project. Discussion during the discovery phase meant any concerns were dealt with, early on. Practical advice and support was facilitated by Sarah and shortlisted providers.
Sarah’s early intervention meant that costs were managed effectively, and major investment continued in customer experience and conversion, rather than connectivity.
Time constraints
Time constraints were a major challenge in this project. Ideally, Sarah would have had three months, but the reality was eight weeks. Sarah streamlined the route to procurement, ensuring the project was delivered on time, and within budget. Shortlisting of potential suppliers was brought forward; an additional supplier Q&A was held and RFI documentation was issued at an earlier stage.
There were also significant time pressures for implementation, which meant providing extra support and guidance alongside the chosen partner, to help meet the required deadlines. Decisions on what elements of the project were out of scope, were also critical to keep this project running on time.
Full organisational buy-in
Early engagement with staff at all levels was key to the success of this project. They were encouraged to participate in the requirements scoping exercise, as well as the ongoing project process.
An evaluation process for the procurement and demonstration stages was agreed upon, and all stakeholders actively engaged with the process. All supporting documentation was provided.
A longer-term relationship
Beyond Go-Live ReWork continues to provide consultancy, to enable Lakeland Arts to maximise the new partnership. This will future-proof their investment by improving knowledge and industry insight. Therefore, creating the most effective long-term relationship with their new partner.