The Brief

Cadw had previously been using an offline database application to manage its memberships. However, the application was outdated and was no longer fit for purpose. That’s when Cadw decided to look into new memberships management systems and applications they could potentially adopt. Cadw wanted to switch to an online membership system that integrated with payment gateways, but most importantly, gives the option to self-service online so that the public could sign up, manage their subscription and renew their membership through the application. The system also had to be able to take various payment methods for membership, including card, direct debit and Tesco Club Card Vouchers, as well as accommodating their traditional offline sign up process managed by their custodians at their staffed sites.

The Solution

Before we created a bespoke system for Cadw, we considered and evaluated the off-the-shelf options that could serve Cadw’s needs. But when we whittled down their capabilities, it was clear that the Cadw team would benefit more from having their membership management system tailored to their needs and requirements. The project kicked off with a modelling phase, which involved our team identifying and establishing the different sign-up journeys and the many exceptions and rules that members would encounter and that the system needed to recognise. Our development team also needed to design a suitable database for the system.

The system would be used by the public, which meant it needed to capture the right data. It also needed to live up to Cadw members’ expectations and support the membership team. The previous system didn’t have any system-based rules. The database had free text and it was heavily reliant on their membership team to manage the operations and understand how to use it, which would no longer work if we were to allow end-users to sign up themselves online. We mapped out and implemented business rules for the membership sign-up process. We were mindful that the membership team needed to have a similar degree of flexibility that the previous system had too. It was also the first time that the Welsh Government had handled online direct debits for its offerings, so we needed to be 100% confident that the system was safe, secure, and efficient. During the build, we had to ensure that we completed the migration of existing members and transfer their payment data across to the new system without complications.

The Result

After initially launching the new system to the Cadw membership team, the application was successfully rolled out to existing members to use. The membership system has played an important part in helping to support Cadw continue to grow its loyal member base through the difficult months of the pandemic — with…

45,596
Live members to date

87%
Year-to-year retention rate