Why is class management and analysis important?

Our goal is to teach skills to last a lifetime to as many students as possible. While doing so, we also want to provide the most incredible experience for the families and for our team.

Continuous management and analysis of our class schedules and offerings (inventory) allows us to provide opportunities that meet the demand and strategically anticipate needs.

As a perpetual program that is influenced by seasonal changes (staffing, school schedules, etc.) there is fluidity and changes that naturally occur because the demand changes. Our management of classes must occur frequently and thoroughly enough to ensure we are strategically maximizing the potential enrollments as well as operating with high occupancy and efficiency.

Levels of Class Management

“Notice classes with openings/blocks” - Site Supervisor

On a daily basis, SS should be looking for empty classes, classes with low occupancy and blocked spots. The stacked and staggered calendar views are helpful to do so.

• Analysis:
  • How long have they been open? What does the Waitlist look like? Are we efficient in our class offerings? Are the notes up to date? 
• Action:
  • Combine? Eliminate? Move kids around? Communicate with DS about opportunity? Communicate with GM? Edit/Eliminate/Update class notes?

“Review Waitlist” - Site Supervisor

On a daily basis, SS should review which classes on your shift have Waitlist requests. 

• Analysis:
  • In Classes screen, set filters as appropriate.
  • Set “Selected Availability” to “Has Waitlist”
  • Compare this to your class schedule and enrollment.
• Action:
  • Can make adjustments to accommodate any swimmers on the WL?

“Aware of Class Notes” - Deck Supervisor

On a daily basis, the Deck Supervisor should be reading the notes on classes.

• Analysis:
  • Use these notes to help manage the class and provide information for the teacher? Is the note still current? Is the swimmer still in the class? Is the note specific enough for all to understand? Is it dated appropriately? Is it written professionally?
• Action:
  • Discuss with the Site Supervisor. Update note? Edit? Delete? Change date to make current?

“Analyze Shift Numbers” - Site Supervisor

The Shift Numbers can be viewed in Retool

Analysis:

• Where is the overall occupancy for the shift? Is the occupancy balanced throughout the shift?
• Action:
  • Communicate with GM if ranges for your shift are approaching >85% or <65% in overall enrollment or within a particular level. Make adjustments.

“Review Class Notes” - Site Supervisor
The Class Notes must be reviewed to make sure they are current and applicable.

• Analysis:
  • A report will be supplied monthly.
• Action: 
  • Update Class Notes. Are the notes still applicable? Is it an old note?

“Analyze Shift Numbers using Retool” - General Manager 

• Analysis:
  • How are percentages full looking? How many blocked spots? How does it compare to the previous month and 12 months prior?
  • How many spots are we offering per shift? Per half hour? 
  • What does the overall percentage look like? Compare individual levels and the overall percent full.
  • Are the percent full per levels proportionate or is there a level that has too high or too low percentage full?
• Action:
  • Increase/Decrease the number of teachers? Increase/Decrease the number of dry staff members? Expand/Reduce the hours of the shift? Have a deep dive into the number of blocked spots?
  • Communicate the analysis with the SS team. What strategy can be put in place?
  • Deep dive into particular levels and work to create a balance
  • Share with Systems to see if there is a marketing shift needed.

“Total Analysis” - Method 1

1. Empty Classes
   • In Calendar view (weekly, stacked). Look 2 weeks ahead. Select “Regular Openings”. 
     • Select the times to analyze.
     • Select specific levels with the same max # students. Enter the max in the Minimum Vacancy box. Ex. GF, JF, Oct, Lob are all max #4.
     • Repeat to look at all levels.
     • The classes left on the calendar are empty. Confirm no future bookings.
2. Occupancy and Efficiency
   • In Calendar view (staff, staggered). Look 2 weeks ahead.
   • Use the date selector on white part of the page, not the black filter section.
   • View the entire shift as a whole to see if there is a good balance of levels.
   • View each half hour. Scan for two of the same level (same color) in the same time slot. If duplicates, check ages and decide if combining is appropriate.
   • Are breaks spread out?
3. Analyze Waitlist by class.
   • In Calendar view (staff, stacked). Look 2 weeks ahead.
   • Select “Students” and “Waitlisted Students” in the Details Selected box.
   • Select time slots as preferred.
   • Use the date selector on white part of the page, not the black filter section.
   • Scroll through each half hour and class looking for students listed as Waitlisted Students.
     • If students listed, investigate to create options.
     • Look at current swimmers skills, congruent half hours, ages, siblings involved, etc. 

“Total Analysis” - Method 2 (Kathy Hubbard style!)

1. Start with the first half hour of the week and “start in a corner and work your way out ” to analyze every shift, half hour by half hour. Be sure to see a week or two out to see what changes are in future. Take notes along the way.
   • Things to look for/recognize/edit/change/question:
     • Occupancy - any classes with low or high occupancy - can you move things around to balance it? Combine?
     • Max enrollment that half hour - this involves blkd spots, breaks and levels offered.
       • Ex. LS1, CF and Private decrease options for a LS1 with a sibling. Might not be anything to do other than notice it.
       • Ex. If 3 teachers out of 7 on break decreases options. Balance out breaks.
     • Ages - can we move swimmers to give them a better age appropriate class? 
       • Ex. If 2 GF classes - one has three 4 y/o swimmers and an 8 y/o. The other class has one 7 y/o. Move the 8 y/o with the 7 y/o.
     • Recognize WL. Work extra hard to get kids off WL. Be sure to read notes on WL enrollment. 

Best Practices and General Class Management Philosophy

Baby Classes

• Having two baby teachers on one shift, doubles the odds of needing to cover an absent teacher.
• Keep the core of a baby teacher’s classes on our busiest half hours.
  • For example:
    • If a shift is from 3:00pm to 7:30pm and if the 3:00pm classes typically have a lower percent full than 5:00pm-7:30pm, we should not put a break at 5:00pm while having a 3:00pm or 3:30pm class that runs at <65% full. 
    • Our best practice in that case could be to start the baby teacher at 4:00pm and have them teach straight through 7:30pm with no break.
  • For pm shifts, our primary baby teacher should be scheduled from 4:00pm-7:30pm with no break.
    • If 3:00pm or 3:30pm are needed, add a second baby teacher to teach those classes.
    • If baby classes are > 85% full and there is room in the pool, a 2nd baby teacher could be considered. 
• Baby Splash
  • Great to scatter when opening a new school or a new shift.
  • Best practice is to avoid evening 3pm or later or a Saturday/Sunday IF the existing LS classes are full.

Create Balance

• Offer a variety of levels each half hour without an abundance or a vacancy in particular levels. This should be evaluated on a half hour basis and looked across the entire shift and the entire week.
  Example:
  • When looking at a particular half hour or consecutive half hours, we should have balance.
    • Pretend we offer 5 classes in one half hour...
      • if 3 of those are the same level and same ages, it should have our attention because we might want multiple levels offered
      • If multiple, consecutive half hours contain a level that only has 1 kid in each half hour, it should have our attention because that one kid could maybe be moved and that level could be changed to provide variety and get higher occupancy. 
      • if we have 3 GF, 1 CF and 1 JF class that are high occupancy (>65% full), it is okay the balance is off a little bit because we have high occupancy.
  • When looking at an entire shift, there should be a balance as well. 
    • Pretend we have 7 baby classes throughout the night…
      • The 7 classes should have a mix of LS1 and LS2 with an occasional BS or LSA.
      • LS1 and LS2 should be offered throughout the night rather than off balance with all LS1 at the beginning of shift and all LS2 at end of the night.
      • Again we must take into account class occupancy in our decision making process.
  • When looking at the week, we should have variety.
    • Pretend we did not offer any Goldfish on Monday-Friday between 9:00am and 10:00am, we should be encouraged to find a way to create a Goldfish class.
    • Pretend the only Lobster classes we offered between 3:00pm and 5:00pm was on Tuesday and were 95% full and the other days had Octopus during that same time and they were only 60% full, we should be encouraged to change a Lobster into an Octopus. 
       
• Understand the full potential of half hours and shift
  • Recognize the full potential for each half hour and the shift. The total number of available spots is important for balance of the shift.
  • Anytime we have too few potential spots, it decreases the opportunity for swimmers to get into class, especially a family with multiples.
    • Ex. We have 4 teachers on a shift and at 6pm we have 1 on break, one is teaching a LS class, another is HHJr and the other is teaching a full Private. That means a family with two kids cannot swim together that half hour. Instead, spread out the breaks to create opportunity.
  • The max potential for each hour should be consistent across the shift.
    • Ex. If we have 20 spots available at 5:00pm and then 3 teachers go on break at 5:30, the max potential drops significantly.
    • Best practice is to keep the max potential about the same throughout the shift. Spreading out breaks and privates allow for keeping the max potential higher.
• Water Watcher
  • You should understand the role of a Water Watcher. If not, see the Talent course. For class management (and staff management) you need to know… 
    • If we have 5 or less teachers in the water, then the DS is the Water Watcher.
    • If we have 6 or more teachers in the water, then a designated Water Watcher is assigned to the shift.
    • There is a little grey area depending on what levels are being taught. The mindset has to be MIT and if the DS can handle water watching while safely being DS, then the GM, SS and DS can discuss if we dedicate a WW.
• Breaks
  • 30 minute breaks are given every 3.5 hours.
  • Building breaks needs to be strategic because it impacts class availability, length of shift and pool space.
  • HFSS is generous in that we pay people for their breaks.
  • General rules
    • The least amount of breaks per half hour is best, especially on high demand times/shifts. Ex. If we have 8 instructors and 3 are on break, then only 5 are available. If those 3 breaks are spread over 3 half hours, it allows 7 instructors to be available each half hour.
• A ‘break teacher”
  • If we have a shift with high occupancy and at least a break in consistent half hours, we can build in a “break teacher”.
  • Ex. If a Saturday morning has 6 teachers who have breaks spread over 6 half hours, that means a spot in the pool is vacant while teachers are on break. We can book an “break teacher” in each of those spots for 3 hours.

Utilizing the Calendar View

Calendar view allows you to see the shift from a Class Schedule perspective. Below is an excellent way to view class schedules:

• Confirm teachers aren’t missing class assignments
• Confirm teachers are not double booked
• Confirm the correct teachers are assigned and identify any rogue teacher assignments
• Overall view of classes offered
• Quick view of enrollments, max students and vacancies
• Quick analysis of Breaks, Water Watcher, and Lane assignments

This is really something that could (and should) be analyzed every shift.

How to view:

• Calendar View
  • Choose Staff View and Staggered View 
• Select the times (unless only one shift that day).
• You might prefer to deselect “Squad”
• This view is one day at a time. Be sure to select the DATE and not the day.

The Calendar View…

Each cell displays:

• Time (7:00-7:30 PM)
• Level (Goldfish)
• 2 | 3/3 | 1
  • 2 - represents how many students are expected to be in attendance that day, taking into consideration all enrollments and any expected absences.
  • 3/3 - the numerator represents the number of perpetual active enrollments, and the denominator represents the total number of allowed enrollments in the class. So there are 3 active enrollments out of 3 allowed enrollments.
  • 1 - represents the total number of openings available on that day.

OBSERVATION and ANALYSIS

EXAMPLE #1

• Teacher assignments are off. Why does Abbey have one class and Ambar seem to be missing one?

EXAMPLE #2

• 4:30pm - 3 breaks. Could we space them throughout the shift?
• 6:30pm - 2 Private classes. What does that do to total possible bookings that half hour?
• 7:00pm - SN occupancy is 1/0 which means blkd at 0. Research needed.

EXAMPLE #3

• 7:00pm - occupancy is 0/3 which means it's empty. Is there a better use for that class?

EXAMPLE #4
(screenshot is only 6 of 8 teachers that shift)

• 6:00 - Izzy is double booked 
• 6:30 - Octopus are 2/3  and 1/3 occupancy.  Could they be combined?
• 7:00 - LSA has only 1 swimmer.  Get some kids in there or change to Little Snapper 2?