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TECH SERIES


“Mobile phone apps have already well outstripped website equivalents offering the same functionality”


Fisikal CEO Rob Lander adds:


“We’re seeing a real paradigm shift in fi tness programming and management. While we’ve enjoyed good success with online booking and programme and service consumption through websites, mobile phone apps offering the same functionality have already well outstripped website equivalents.”


Third party involvement But app development doesn’t always have to be off-the-shelf from a specifi c software provider. Some software providers allow an encrypted API (application processing interface) library to exist, whereby third party software systems are also able to push and pull certain sets of data through the API library and into the app. This makes for a lot more fl exibility


and a broader functionality in the app, as different software systems within the club are able to work together – for example, club management software and fi tness management software – sharing information between them in order to deliver a more extensive, customised app that’s bespoke a particular fi tness club or group. That all sounds very technical, but


in a nutshell, the API library acts like a portal or bridge between separate software systems in the club. It pushes and pulls data between the app and the various software systems to provide much broader app functionality than would otherwise be possible. European club management


software house Exerp has a software platform that includes a comprehensive API with which third party systems can easily integrate. Jacob Nathan, head of sales at Exerp, says: “With the Exerp API, our clients are in full control of their member experience. The API gives them the opportunity to build a tailored app which, in turn, delivers a competitive edge over off-the-shelf apps.” An example of this comes from


Scandinavian operator SATS – Europe’s third largest health club group with


SATS’ app has more than 200,000 users over three platforms


116 clubs, over 260,000 members in Norway, Sweden and Finland and more than 4,000 employees. Working with the Exerp API,


SATS has created its own dedicated smartphone app. This has a wide range of bespoke features that draw on data not only from Exerp’s club management software, but also from the operator’s fi tness management software system. As a result, in addition to more


common features such as class bookings, the app also offers members things like ‘own training’ – which enables a member to plan and log all of their training, in or outside their SATS club – and ‘my training’, which allows members to use training log graphs and statistics to follow their progress. There’s also a recipe bank and dietary advice, as well as a training programme, whereby members can view their recommended training programmes and exercises directly on their phones. Much of this functionality is based on data not from Exerp, but from the clubs’ fi tness management software system. Adam Perman, SATS’ Nordic


webmaster, says: “Initially the SATS app was made for members who attended our group training classes. We could see they were using the booking system to keep track of their bookings and plan their training. The app made it possible to book new classes and stay in control of their training, at any time and wherever they were. “We’ve made major improvements


over the years since the fi rst app, and working with Exerp we’ve released new features both to improve the experience of the app and also to attract a broader user group among our membership base.


72 Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital “A year and a half ago, the app


surpassed our website in terms of visits, and that number is increasing continuously. We currently have over 200,000 users across three platforms


– iPhone, Android and Windows – and in three languages: Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish.”


Way of the future Apps are fast and easy for customers to use, and their popularity continues to grow, with many consumers preferring native phone apps over a traditional browsing experience. There’s certainly a functionality case for health club operators to offer their members an app that’s relevant to key information and services. Many software suppliers now have


available ‘branded’ fi xed app offerings, and these are clearly very effective. But another option, as highlighted by Exerp and SATS, could be to integrate multiple technologies and sources of data within a custom-built app, creating a solution that’s specifi c to your business and that offers additional functionality to improve the user experience. Either way, apps are here to stay,


and software providers are riding the technology wave and providing health and fi tness clubs and centres with a great range of options. ●


Sean James is the owner of market research and staff communications company Interactive Industry. He has worked in the leisure industry for over 22 years, the last 10 years of which as a CRM specialist.


Email: sj@interactiveindustry.co.uk Web: www.interactiveindustry.co.uk


June 2014 © Cybertrek 2014


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