Northgate Resorts implemented Onspring software to address these challenges to connect and automate risk management, license management, compliance, and assurance. And the benefits of efficiency, consistency, visibility, risk mitigation, and compliance monitoring began almost immediately.

1. Collaborative API project management integration with Asana

The biggest and most impactful automation with Onspring was to meticulously design and streamline the process of setting deadlines with Asana. This solution pre-formatted deadlines to automatically create, send, and assign tasks to the responsible individuals and any other staff members involved in tracking the process.The system also had the capability to auto-assign tasks to specific roles within Northgate’s Operations and Legal departments and included a review process for monitoring task progress and completion. This was particularly beneficial for the company’s seasonality when there are time constraints and a need to prepare for thousands of guests within a short window.

Onspring’s API is designed with adaptability in mind, catering to any type of task that may emerge in the future. This feature ensures flexibility to meet evolving business needs.

2. Streamlined licensing tracking

The licenses app was the first Onspring app the team built on the platform. “We see the benefit every single day,” says Northgate Resorts ESG Program Manager Dominque Maingot.

In people-powered fashion, Maingot created a template for how the licenses should be completed, which tracks permits to operate, health department licenses, expiration dates, local regulations, and other necessary details.

After establishing the template, the next step involved assigning ownership to ensure the required information was completed. Northgate Resorts identified three pivotal staff roles—both inside and outside of their headquarters—integral to the licensing process:

• Regional Operation Managers: Overseeing the operations of multiple resorts, these managers act as liaisons between the home office and park management.
• General Managers: Positioned at the ground level, these individuals lead each park and maintain a nuanced understanding of their respective licenses.
• Legal Department: Tasked with reviewing and tracking licenses from the home office nationwide.

The Onspring configuration strategically aligned data points so that Onspring and Asana know each park, each individual licensing task, and each task owner. The API initiates the creation of the main task and automatically includes those three collaborators at the outset. Once they get an alert, they still have the flexibility to add a pool manager to the pool license. While retaining the flexibility to add contributors—say, a pool manager for the pool license—the internal workflow efficiently navigates the application process in Onspring, culminating in task closure.

The API sweeps nightly to check for any license expiration dates. Currently, the proactive, custom trigger is set to alert at 90 days, allowing the team enough time to get the license renewed ahead of schedule. This has been a game-changer. “For example,” says Maingot, “One of our California parks has over 80 individual licenses. So, when they all hit, it used to be overwhelming.” Now, nothing falls through the cracks.

3. Consistent environmental compliance

As an integral part of its environmental compliance efforts, Northgate Resorts is required to conduct routine water testing and submit reports to the state based on specific parameters and operating dates. The team utilizes the Onspring controls app to manage critical environmental compliance reports, activity records, documentation, and much more. Quick dashboard filtering functionality makes reporting on environmental controls specific to an area, like California and its associated fuel sales reporting easy.

Expanding their use of Onspring, the legal team now uses the platform for managing contracts and vendor relationships across over 200 different jurisdictions, ranging from local municipalities to federal agencies. This comprehensive approach aligns with Onspring’s governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) management capabilities, offering the team a centralized platform to streamline their legal and compliance operations while promoting transparency and efficiency within the organization.

Northgate Resorts plans to expand its use of Onspring, particularly in an aquatics management build-out and acquisitions modules as the company continues to grow. This expansion underscores Northgate Resorts’ commitment to staying at the forefront of innovative solutions, ensuring the seamless integration of these modules as key pillars in their evolving operational framework.

Having successfully navigated compliance and operational challenges with Onspring’s automation capabilities, Northgate Resorts is poised to further optimize its operations, providing a solid foundation for continued success and an elevated guest experience in the hospitality and resort industry.