Please find attached an update on the processing of Individual Membership applications and news of further developments to the system. We recognise that there have been a number of difficulties for Leagues, Clubs and individuals with the registration process for which we sincerely apologise. Every effort has been made to solve the problems encountered and we welcome your continued patience and support in the coming months as the system is developed further.
Since the launch of IM Connect (the brand name for the new IM Customer Relationship Management system) in July 2010, we have processed 17500 Individual Membership applications. In addition, we have received electronic returns (Spreadsheets) from over 100 leagues, which will be processed later in January 2011. Including “Honorary Members” (free Associate membership for officials of Local leagues and Clubs, there are now just over 19,000 registered members of the ETTA being held on the new IM system.
Security technology has been added (19th November 2010) to the ETTA Connect website to give additional protection to the personal details held on the Connect system.
Membership cards will be produced for every member of the ETTA, except “Honorary” Associate Members. Membership cards last for a single season.
- Membership Cards have been produced and despatched to over 2500 licensed players.
- We have sent out nearly 400 cards to all Associate members who have applied so far.
- We have produced and despatched cards direct to just under 12000 league players, who had applied direct to the ETTA, by the 17th December 2010. Leagues which have returned electronic spreadsheets to the ETTA will be sent a ‘bulk’ consignment of membership cards for all other players for whom they have submitted affiliation fees to the ETTA. These cards will be sent out later this month. League Secretaries will receive cards for those players who have nominated that league as their Primary (or sole league) and have not registered direct with ETTA.
- You (as a League Secretary) will not receive any membership cards from the ETTA if you have asked all the players in your league to register direct with the ETTA and they have done so, successfully.
What will happen next?
All the League data received electronically will be uploaded, league by league, on to the IM Connect database. Once this work is complete, we (at the ETTA) will be able to audit the full list of ETTA members for the first time.
This audit will involve us checking league individual membership (IM) on a league by league basis, against AFF 2 returns and previous IR returns, to verify we have no “lost” IM records. This could lead to the following scenarios
- A league has no Individual Member records on the IM Connect database – action on the ETTA to contact the League Secretary immediately to ascertain how IM records were being submitted i.e. a bulk return from the league or members asked to register direct to the ETTA.
- A league has substantially fewer Individual Member records on the IM Connect database than the AFF 2 return would indicate or IR records submitted in previous years – action on the ETTA to contact the League Secretary immediately to ascertain how IM records were being submitted immediately i.e. a bulk return from the league or members asked to register direct to the ETTA.
- A league has a membership quota which tallies (approx) with the AFF 2 return or previous IR returns – action on the ETTA to set up full access by the League Secretary to the data held for that league, by issuing a unique username and password for the Internet based Membership Manager (see details below) to the League Secretary, or by sending the League Secretary a spreadsheet of the details or a paper list of the Individual Membership for that League.
In each case above, the ETTA will work with and support the League Secretary to complete a precise IM audit of the League data, including additions, deletions and amendments to the data, by providing electronic and/or paper copies of each league’s membership.
Future Developments
From early February 2011, League secretaries and other league officials (designated by the League Secretary) sharing the league username and password access information will be able to view and amend their own league player and associate membership data using an Internet based membership access route, which we are calling the “Membership Manager”. This Membership Manager will show, for any league, all the players registered for that league irrespective of the method of affiliation. League Secretaries and their designates will have a unique username and password to access the Membership Manager. League Secretaries and their designates will only be able to view/amend IM records for members of their league.
An update audit now exists within the IM Connect system so that we can track and record changes to IM records – important when there is a variety of different sources of member record updates, e.g. the Individual Member, the League Secretary and the ETTA (when changes are taken by telephone and post).
Finally, the agreed league data held within the IM system will form the basis of the league data for the new season 2011/12. Further details of this will be sent later this season.
Any player missing from the list will not be affiliated for the current season (2010/11) and should not play in the league, until they pay their IM fees. However, existing and new players can still affiliate for the current season via the league or direct with the ETTA (online or by telephone) until 15th May 2011.
Further updates will follow over the remainder of the season and in preparation for the renewal of memberships for season 2011/12.
New League Manager System
The ETTA is delighted to announce that it is endorsing a new Internet based League Manager System provided by Table Tennis 365. Our relationship with Table Tennis 365 will potentially allow you to have this new package at no cost. It will provide you with your own website, access to the sophisticated league results engine (which powers our new Senior British League service), provide an opportunity to generate income by placing small adverts using the commercial module and has many more great features, all accessed via the same portal you will use to manage your membership information.
The introduction of the League Manager package is a major step forward for our sport. It will provide for a standardisation of how result information is stored and presented, it will lead to big time savings for administrators and in some cases radically improve the service offered to players.
The system has been trialled in several leagues over the last 2 seasons and will be available to your league for the new season (2011/12). If you would like to have a preview or just find our more information, you can contact Table Tennis 365 directly on 0845 519 4996 or visit www.tabletennis365.com A second update communication will be issued to all League Secretaries later this month, to issue the unique username and password for the internet based access route to the IM Connect membership system.
If you have any questions or general enquiries, please contact the Membership Team on 0845 0500 388
Rob Sinclair
General Secretary