Technology has become a catalyst for change in the fitness world, with examples of The Bay Club, EoS Fitness & Jazzercise

Introduction

In an era of heightened health awareness and a focus on self-care, sectors like healthcare, hospitals, and physiotherapy are rapidly evolving. Technological innovations in these fields are becoming the norm, setting new standards and enhancing service quality. One of the branches of self-care is the fitness industry, which does not want to be left behind.
Remember the same treadmills and exercise bikes that have been prevalent in gyms for at least two decades? And what about the sales and data management systems that often need to be updated and more efficient, raising concerns about information security? In a time when self-care has become not just a trend, such oversights are becoming less acceptable.Members of significant gym chains are starting to demand modernity. They expect the latest equipment and advanced technological solutions that make their experience more personalized, efficient, and safe.
In this article, through our collaborations, we'll demonstrate how technology catalyzes change in the fitness world.

The Bay Club

Top-tier customer management and communication.
In 2018, The Bay Club relied on a 25-year-old rigid and outdated system that couldn't keep up with the growing business needs. Existing apps lacked support for new requirements, and many basic features were missing, such as card payments, childcare reservations, class management, and back-office support. The Bay Club often had to depend on external partners, which was costly and not a stable long-term solution.
Our primary challenge was to create a solution that would enhance The Bay Club's operations, ensuring safety, speed, and easy access to the club's full offerings. We prioritized developing a comprehensive app ecosystem that is fully integrated, cloud-based, mobile-friendly, scalable, and capable of managing memberships. After the member-focused app, we tackled the facility and staff management system. The over 20-year-old back-office system needed a complete overhaul in terms of data security, financial management, and staff and trainer management.

Over our 8-year collaboration, we developed:

• Connect - a web and mobile app for The Bay Club members, offering a comprehensive system for registration, profile management, membership payments, reservations, remote learning, and visit history. During the design of the native iOS app, we emphasized flexibility and user-friendliness. Most of The Bay Club members use iOS, so we opted for a responsive web version for Android.
• Apps and systems for trainers and instructors, facilitating class registration, profile management, availability calendar viewing, arranging substitutes among trainers, and break scheduling.
• A back-office app for office and financial management, integrating the old system. Features included staff management, working hours, breaks, classes, secure data management, and camp and childcare logging. We also integrated the back-office system with financial systems and simplified sales and business report creation.

More about Connect app

The Connect app serves as a comprehensive platform designed to enhance the full range of services offered by The Bay Club. It's not just an app but an integrated solution for membership streamlining the fitness journey. With its advanced reservation system, Connect seamlessly integrates with our back-office systems and personal trainer apps. This ensures that when members book a personal training session, their trainer confirms their slot, and the facility staff are also notified, making their fitness experience smooth and hassle-free.

But that's not all. The reservation system extends to tennis Court Bookings, tailored to membership level. Connect also empowers you to purchase Personal Trainer Packages effortlessly and enroll children in The Bay Club Camps. With secure payment integration, you can conveniently link your card and make transactions right within the app.

Security is paramount, and we've incorporated cutting-edge Touch-ID and Face-ID login systems, which are fully compatible with iOS authentication methods.

In summary, Connect is not just an app; it's the gateway to a streamlined, secure, and personalized fitness experience at The Bay Club.

"Qodeca's proactive resources continue to drive cost-efficient results to the client's business, providing them with well-built and maintained products to enable their operations. The team's dedication to helping their client succeed is apparent in their exemplary work ethic and quality deliverables." - Fernando Chilvarguer - EVP of Engineering, The Bay Club Company.

EoS Fitness

A modern approach to managing a fitness club network.
EoS Fitness, one of the largest fitness club chains in the US, offers more than just traditional exercise rooms. Over the past year, EoS doubled its facilities, now it's 85, necessitating an infrastructure and system update. The primary need was sales and back-office process automation.

Since early 2021, EoS has collaborated with Qodeca. Initial efforts focused on implementing systems to oversee operational and employee processes. Using PowerBi technology, Qodeca introduced reporting systems for trainers and employees, supporting EoS's finances. However, the challenges didn't end there. EoS required a transparent reservation and club sign-up system. In response, Qodeca developed the JoinNow app, allowing EoS members to manage their classes and user profiles. This app also enhanced the marketing department's communication with clients.

Qodeca focused on more than just EoS's basic needs. They introduced several innovative solutions:

• A damage reporting system: Users can use the app to report faulty or damaged equipment by scanning a QR code on the device, allowing EoS to identify and address issues quickly.
• EnergyMeter: A system informing users about the occupancy of a club or class, helping them plan their workouts better.
• A cleaning service management system: Facilitating the control and management of club cleaning processes.

Furthermore, Qodeca emphasized data processing and transmission optimization. Their efforts reduced website data transfer and update times from 30 seconds to just 3 seconds.
We are in the process of launching mobile applications for employees, team leaders and users, available for iOS and Android devices. In summary, the partnership between EoS and Qodeca has brought numerous benefits and innovations, helping the fitness club chain meet the challenges of dynamic growth.

Jazzercise

Project for Jazzercise.com: A modern approach to optimization and usability.
Jazzercise is a fitness franchise company founded in 1968 and headquartered in California, United States. The company currently has over 8,300 franchisees worldwide in 32 countries. Jazzercise, a leader in the fitness industry, approached us, Qodeca, in mid-2023 for support in business consulting, infrastructure and UX/UI Audit. Our primary goal was to provide Jazzercise with a solid foundation for creating and implementing new systems to meet the market's ever-changing needs.

Audit for Jazzercise.com

Our collaboration began with a comprehensive infrastructure and UX Audit for Jazzercise.com, consisting of two key stages:

Performance Optimization Analysis: This assessment focused on identifying website or app performance issues. Our team concentrated on evaluating and improving core web vitals, a set of Google metrics measuring proper user experience. This allowed us to identify and eliminate performance bottlenecks, enhancing overall website performance.

Errors & issues
affecting usability: Through heuristic evaluation, we focused on the most likely user scenarios. Errors and issues were prioritized, and specific solutions were proposed for each. Our team pinpointed key areas offering the most business value for Jazzercise.

Our collaboration with Jazzercise resulted in several meetings discussing the above aspects. We produced reports and analyses based on these, providing specific solutions and improvement ideas. Our recommendations centered on error elimination, Jazzercise.com performance enhancement, user comfort, and usability optimization.

Our recommendations and solutions focus on the company's business goal - i.e. increasing website conversions. By improving the technical side of the website and ensuring a better user experience, we will increase customer loyalty and increase revenues.

Conclusion

We have a proven track record in the fitness industry, partnering with leaders like The Bay Club, EoS Fitness, and Jazzercise to deliver customized, cutting-edge technology solutions. Our holistic approach covers everything from audits to app development, always with a focus on the client and end-user. We continue to work with these companies, and the experience gained allows us to assist new clients in the fitness sector more efficiently.