ISHA Horse Registry Project

Case Study

Background

The International Speed Horse Association (ISHA) commissioned a system to manage horse registrations, pedigrees, and member information. The project aimed to track horses’ pedigrees, allow members to transfer horse ownership, and make searching for registered horses possible for paid members. The project faced challenges due to a previous programmer’s incomplete work, including a lack of access to the database and unfinished functionalities. The new development team had to pick up from where the previous effort was left off, ensuring to set up a shared database access for transparency and continuity.

Project Goals

Member Profiles: Create and manage profiles for ISHA members.

Horse Profiles: Register, update, and track horse information, pedigrees, and DNA data.

Ownership Transfer: Facilitate the transfer of horse ownership between members.

Subscription Management: Ensure only paid members can access the system.

Search Functionality: Allow members to search for horses by name or registration number.

Integration: Integrate with the existing WildApricot website used by ISHA.

Email Notifications: Automate and detail email notifications for user actions such as registrations and password resets.

Advanced Features: Develop customizable dashboards, and activity logging, and accolades tracking.

Initial Steps

Database Access Setup:

– Ensured shared access to the database to prevent any future bottlenecks.

Functionality Foundation:

– Implemented the ability to create and manage member profiles.

– Established the functionality for adding horse profiles under member accounts.

– Developed pedigree tracking for horses, from immediate parents up to great-grandparents.

– Enabled DNA information entry for each horse.

Key Features Developed

Membership Management – Profile Creation and Editing: – Admins can create member profiles with essential details. – Membership activation is tied to WildApricot subscription status. – Access Control: – Only paid, active members can log into the system. – Ability for admins to turn access on or off for individual members.

Horse Registration and Management

– Horse Profiles:

– Admins can add detailed horse profiles including registration numbers, pedigrees, and DNA details.

– Ownership Transfer:

– Facilities to transfer horse ownership to other members, updating relevant profiles.

Search Functionality

– Members can search for horses using the horse’s name or registration number.

– Detailed views of search results excluding sensitive data like registration documents and DNA information for non-owners.

Email Notifications

– Automated Emails:

– Confirmation emails for registration and ownership transfer.

– OTP and Password Management:

– Multi-factor authentication using OTP sent via email.

– Securely handle forgotten passwords with reset functionality.

Additional Enhancements

– Dashboard Customization:

– Created an editable dashboard for admins to provide dynamic content and updates to members upon login.

– Accolades Tracking:

– Added capability to mark horses with special statuses such as “International Champion”.

– Activity Logging:

– Implemented logging to track and display user login activities to administrators.

Testing Phase

– Users from ISHA performed extensive testing, including:

– Profile creation and access controls.

– Horse registration and searching features.

– Ownership transfers and the proper update of records.

– Evaluation of email automation for various user actions.

Feedback and Iterations

– Based on user feedback, refined the registration form and pedigree entries to simplify data entry.

– Enhanced the detail and instructions in automated emails, especially around OTP and login processes.

– Added a manual email notification button for edge cases where emails might not be sent automatically.

Final Integration and Deployment

– Integrated the system seamlessly with the WildApricot member database, ensuring data consistency and smooth user experience.

– Completed thorough testing and debugging based on member feedback and usage scenarios.

Project Outcomes

Efficiency: Simplified workflow for ISHA admins to manage memberships and horse registrations.
User Experience: Members have a clear, intuitive interface for managing their horses and reviewing pedigrees.
Scalability: Established a framework that allows for scalable future enhancements including accolades, activity logs, and customizable dashboards.

This project sets a strong foundation for the ISHA to manage their horse registry efficiently and provides a scalable solution for future functionalities.