Gladstone’s new signature application, Gladstone360, is billed as a game-changer for leisure management software. Managing director Tom Withers explains why

What is Gladstone360 and why did you develop it?
Gladstone360 is our new signature software application, which is not only mobile-responsive but also fully customisable. The technology we’ve used is genuinely game-changing: it’s an off-the-shelf application that allows operators to design their perfect leisure management solution and then deliver it on any device.

Software needs to evolve to meet the changing needs of both leisure operators and consumers. Modern operators want a software package that is tailored to the specific needs of their business and their customers – Gladstone360 is our response to that demand.

The solution is browser-based and touch-friendly, and works on tablets as well as PCs and Macs, meaning that for the first time your staff can be released from behind the front desk to engage more directly with customers.

The new interface is extremely user-friendly, greatly reducing training overheads for frontline staff, while screen design is tailored to meet specific business needs, putting critical information at the forefront and giving staff easy access to all the tools they need to interact with customers quickly and effectively.

Gladstone360 also continues our focus on customer self-service, integrating online portals, mobile apps and self-service kiosks to offer operators a comprehensive, multi-channel sales solution.

Will your existing customers, who currently use your Plus2 leisure management software, be able to upgrade to the new system?
Yes. Our Plus2 customers will be able to get Gladstone360 software for no extra charge as part of our ‘Software for Life’ promise. Crucially, they can add Gladstone360 to their current installation without needing to switch out Plus2.

The new software has been designed to work alongside the existing software, allowing customers to migrate users at their own pace.

What kind of functionality does the software include?
Gladstone360 is a suite of seamlessly linked modules, each of which focuses on a different business or consumer-facing function. It is focused on the needs of the receptionist, and combines a number of new modules with some of the great functionality already available to Gladstone customers. As the product grows, the existing software will be either fully incorporated into Gladstone360 or redeveloped as a new module.

At present, the solution incorporates eight core modules, covering everything from check in and point of sale processes to business intelligence, plus a number of optional advanced and consumer modules that operators can add on according to their needs [see box on p77].

How is the software customised on-screen?
Operators can personalise their screens with their own logos and colours via a simple landing page, before then customising screen layouts for each of the different modules.
Gladstone360 screens are built from a library of ‘widgets’ – basically blocks of functionality contained within an area of the screen, which can be moved around the screen and adjusted in size and shape.

Using these widgets, operators can create their own user experience by building screens that directly reflect their business model.

For example, a CheckIn screen might be built using any or all of the following widgets: Attendance, Correspondence, Sales, Event Log, Picture, Bookings, Make Bookings, Recent Usage and Basket.

Can you tell us about any of the new modules you’ve developed?
One new module we’re very excited about is an outcome management product called Health. A number of our customers are engaged by local authorities to deliver health intervention schemes, and therefore need to be able to measure and demonstrate the impact of these programmes on community health in order to secure funding.

This software enables them to do that, as well as helping programme managers to identify areas for improvement and allowing participants to review their own progress. This new adjacent market is a big growth area for operators, and Health has been developed in response to that.

Gladstone360 has already been trialled by some of your customers. How have they found it?
Eight of our customers have worked with us to trial the product through its development with very positive results. Their feedback has highlighted two key benefits of the product: firstly, the software’s ease of use, and secondly, the way it provides a clear call to action for staff to engage with customers.

What will Gladstone be focusing on in the next 12 months?
We’re committed to delivering more great functionality to all areas of our software, with the ultimate aim of making it easier for leisure operators to run their businesses. We’re continuing to develop products that provide true self-service for those operators who wish to make software a key part of their engagement strategy, and we’re also focused on developing staff software that is both flexible and easy to use.