CASE STUDY

Oldham Community Leisure moved to Gladstone from its previous software supplier ahead of launching two new leisure centres at the end of 2015

Our trust operates 11 leisure centres, swimming pools and synthetic pitches in Oldham, and we chose to partner Gladstone because we knew their software and services could make a real difference to the efficiency of our sites. In particular, we were impressed by the tailor-made access control solution they designed for our two new centres: Royton Leisure Centre, opened in September, and Oldham Leisure Centre, opened in November.

Oldham Council invested £23m in these two sites, and being able to show exactly how they were being used was a major condition of our new operating contract. Our contract aside, it’s a basic requirement for OCL that we constantly look for new ways to understand our members. So it was vital for both us and the council that we should be able to gather data on specific facility usage, yet we also wanted customers to be able to move around our centres unhindered by questions. Of all the suppliers we spoke to, only Gladstone took our ideas on board.

While we were in favour of installing turnstiles activated by RFID at reception and the gym, we didn’t want turnstiles at the pool, as we felt the wet environment would inevitably cause problems with the electronic equipment. We knew data relating to class and activity bookings would be captured when members scanned in at the reception turnstiles, while turnstiles at the gym would track gym usage, so swimming was the missing piece of the jigsaw.

To overcome this, Gladstone developed a system which allows data on pool usage to be collected using a mounted touch-screen at the main reception turnstiles. Before being allowed access, customers simply touch “Yes” or “No” in response to the question, “Are you going to swim today?”

The major benefit of this system is that we now understand the real demand for activities, especially swimming. As a direct result of this, we are currently revising our swimming timetable so that it better meets the needs of users. We are also reviewing staffing within the gym, to ensure we have enough staff on the floor to deal with queries at our busiest times. And as well as assisting with programming and staffing decisions, the data provides a much clearer picture of where investment is needed.

In addition to its data collection benefits, the solution is helping us to protect our revenue by making sure that everyone who passes through the turnstiles is either a member or has paid. It has also enabled us to introduce new products without additional staffing costs – such as an early-morning members-only swim session – and to offer pay-as-you-go customers the chance to purchase RFID bands that will allow them to access sessions paid for online without having to queue.

In short, Gladstone has delivered, on time, an access control solution that allows us to monitor usage across all areas of our buildings. What’s more, the simple yet effective visual interfaces they have created ensure that our customers can operate the system successfully every time.

Peter Howson, head of customer relations, OCL

Jim McMahon MP, former leader of Oldham Council with Stuart Lockwood, CEO of Oldham Community Leisure at the opening of the new Oldham Leisure Centre.

Access barriers and activity capture screen at Oldham Leisure Centre.

TEL: +44 (0) 1491 201010
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEB: www.gladstonesoftware.co.uk