← Planning

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the USA Bassin Digital Transformation. It outlines the transition from the legacy "SWAT" management system to a modern web application built on Ruby on Rails 8.1.

1. Executive Summary

USA Bassin is the premier grassroots bass fishing tournament organization in the United States, supporting over 7,000 active members and 34,000 historical records. The organization coordinates hundreds of tournaments annually across multiple "trails" and divisions .

The Core Mission

The system serves two primary groups:

  1. Tournament Directors: Facilitators who run events at boat ramps, often using only their mobile phones. They check in anglers, collect fees, and record catch weights.
  2. Anglers: Competitors who need to find tournaments, renew memberships ($30/year), and track their points for regional/national qualification.

2. The Legacy System vs. The Proposed Future

Current Challenges (Legacy "SWAT" System)

  • The "Triple Entry" Headache: Directors must perform three separate tasks (renew member, create team, enter results) across different screens to record a single tournament.
  • Convoluted Invoicing: Membership sign-ups currently flow through Google Sheets and manual PayPal invoicing, requiring significant manual labor from administrative staff.
  • Data Fragmentation: Contact information entered for a director often fails to sync with their division landing page, causing "double-entry" errors.
  • Technical Lag: Critical reports can take up to three minutes to load, which is unacceptable for a modern business.

The Proposed Improvement

  • The "One-Page" Ramp Tool: We are replacing the multi-step process with a single, streamlined dashboard. A Director can search for a member, pair them with a partner, and enter weights on one screen without page refreshes.
  • Automated "Settle Up" Payments: Instead of manual invoicing, the system maintains a "running tally." Directors can see exactly what they owe in fees and pay their balance with one click via Stripe.
  • Instant Updates: By using Hotwire technology, the website will feel like a mobile app. When a result is entered, it appears on the public leaderboards in milliseconds, not minutes.

3. Technical Strategy (Rails 8.1 & SQLite)

While we prioritize usability, the "engine" under the hood is built for speed and reliability.

  • Rails 8.1 & SQLite: We are using the latest industry standards to keep the system lean. Unlike the current slow hosting, our "SQLite" database approach keeps data physically close to the application, resulting in near-instantaneous load times.
  • Native Authentication: We are using Rails 8.1's built-in security to protect member data. This ensures a secure login for Directors and Admins.
  • ActionText News: Directors will have a modern rich text editor to post news and photos, eliminating the need for a complex "File Manager".

4. Proposed Site Map

I. The Public Portal (Angler View)

  • Dynamic Homepage: Live tournament results and upcoming event countdowns.
  • Searchable Divisions: Map-based search to find local trails.
  • Digital Membership: Anglers can renew via phone and receive a Digital Card (QR Code) for instant ramp check-in.

II. The Director's Ramp Tool (Mobile-First)

  • Event Dashboard: Shows the "Running Tally" of funds owed and event status.
  • Unified Entry Screen:
    • Search/Check-in: Find members by email or name.
    • Weight Entry: A simple interface that auto-calculates the 0.5lb "dead fish" penalty.

III. Administrative Command Center (SuperAdmin)

  • Financial Health: A global view of accounts receivable and director balances.
  • Automated Onboarding: "Invite" new directors via email to let them set up their own profiles.