Valley Leisure case study

How do you merge two Gladstone Plus2 databases into a single
powerful solution?

Andover Leisure Centre

It's a challenge that faced Valley Leisure Ltd when the organisation wanted to introduce thin client technology, web bookings, and kiosk ticketing. Thanks to Gladstone's help, the company now has a central database, can easily add new leisure centres to the system, and has significantly improved the customer experience for its members.

A not-for-profit organisation founded in 1989, Valley Leisure Ltd works in partnership with Test Valley Borough Council. The organisation currently operates Andover Leisure Centre, The Rapids at Romsey, Charlton Lakeside, and the Knightwood Leisure Centre at Chandlers Ford. These well-equipped facilities help improve the health, fitness, and general well-being of local residents through high-quality sport and recreation
programmes.

Valley Leisure has enjoyed a long-term relationship with Gladstone since installing Microcache, Plus2's predecessor, at Romsey in 1990. This was later followed by Plus2 at Andover in 2002. Both locations now run Plus2, a choice made because of Gladstone's market-leading position and innovative approach.

For Group Technical Manager Pete Collins, having two separate systems (and therefore two databases) had worked well. But the possibility of adding more locations raised a problem.

"Ultimately, we want to expand outside our present area," says Mr. Collins. "So, we wanted a more costeffective way of expanding our services without heavy infrastructure costs."

This was not the most immediate issue in late 2007 however. Customers constantly making bookings for classes and courts put heavy pressure on reception desk staff.

"We just didn't have enough people to answer telephones. Knowing that Gladstone offered web bookings and kiosk technology, we decided that the only way we could embrace this was a single database for the two sites," says Mr. Collins.

Alongside possible business expansion, the idea made perfect sense. Plus2 is ideally suited to multisite environments with single systems already serving up to 40 sites and the software load-tested to 500 concurrent users.

Mr Collins also realised that thin client technology - where user sessions are delivered remotely - had an important role. Through Citrix XenApp (formerly called Presentation Server), Plus2 can be deployed as a thin client central database solution.

Planned Stages

Taking expert advice from Gladstone's consultants, the work was scheduled in stages: Andover (December 2007) and Romsey (January 2008) followed by web bookings and kiosks (March 2008). New server hardware and Citrix XenApp software were provided by Dynax Systems Ltd with the remaining work split between Gladstone and Valley Leisure.

The first major step was to design a new single database with the old databases retained for read-only access.

"I had a day with a Gladstone trainer to decide the specifications for the single database such as naming conventions," says Mr. Collins. "We worked out a best practice database profile together."

This training encouraged Mr Collins to think ahead by offering advice on expandable numbering ranges and product codes. A new single database and system configuration was designed for multi-site use.

After new servers were installed at Andover, Gladstone engineers installed Plus2. Remote access was extended to Romsey and, finally, Gladstone installed Connect2 and Kiosk2. Connect2 provides a secure customer self-service interface via web browsers for making bookings while Kiosk2 self-service units allow the collection of booked tickets. Fast track turnstiles are also controlled by Plus2, so members use their barcoded cards for entry.

During this transition period, Gladstone consultants were available to assist Mr Collins. "Gladstone's backup service is very good. If you call the support line, there is somebody who is knowledgeable, helpful, and who ultimately can get things resolved. My remit was to have everything implemented by 31 March 2008 - and I did."

Saving Time

The best illustration of how well Plus2 works are the 2,000 monthly online bookings made by members. In effect, they have been given ownership of their bookings.

"If you equate this to the 2,000 phone calls or face-to-face enquiries that the reception staff don't have to deal with, then it enables them to handle other queries in a timely fashion," says Mr. Collins.

The smooth customer journey doesn't stop there as, when arriving for their sessions, members collect booked tickets from the Kiosk2 self-service units. This also reduces front-of-house pressure as the system replaces wrist bands. Future consideration is being given to web payments and self-service ticketing for casual users.

Operating as a multi-site fully-integrated central database solution, Plus2 makes configuration changes and backups easier too. Citrix XenApp also supports user session shadowing for remote training and assistance. This is useful as there are 46 PCs across two sites. Comprehensive reporting and analysis is also available with the old databases readily accessible for historical comparisons.

"Normally, two hours worth of in-house training will get a receptionist operating on Gladstone Plus2. It's very easy to navigate your way around Plus2," says Mr. Collins. And with Valley Leisure looking to expand, more leisure centres may soon benefit from the company's central Plus2 system.

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28 November 2008