Interview to Enrique of Hoyos, general director of TD Systems
The past 21 February celebrated the VIII National Days Sport and Gestión, under the lemma ‘profitable Models of sportive gestión'. How it is a profitable model of sportive gestión?
The profitable models of sportive centres have been the central subject of the days because we consider that the new economic situation that have requires of a deep review of the model for his own sustainability and subsistencia. A deep analysis that no only cover the tendency of the centre low cost, but it go to the keys of the models that to day of today are profitable.
Which are these keys?
The profitability of a sportive centre is conditioned, in a big percentage, by his location and his design. Having this in account, can deepen in some appearances that can mark the difference and turn into positive the account of results. The optimisation of operative costs, the automation, the improve the sales and the loyalty based in the experiences of the customer, as well as the generation of atypical income can be some of the keys.
It says that the new economic situation requires a deep review of the model. In which measure has affected him the crisis to the sector?
As it has affected him and is him affected a lot, as to all. The sport and, inside him, the fitness, is a very sensitive service to the available income, that obviously has reduced . Nevertheless, the perception of the sport like health does it less descartable in the list of cuts of the consumer and, besides, inside the options of leisure, is really economic: can be enjoying of a gymnasium all a month by an equivalent price to the of a dinner. I think that this is what is doing that the demand keep . But what more has changed the crisis are the models of profitability.
In which measure?
There are a lot of centres that have opted for going down the price, but no all are prepared for this, and his economic feasibility has seen committed. Incidentally, the rise of 13 points in the VAT has come to complicate even more the situation. Personally, I think that the work and the so important commitment that see in managers and owners of sportive centres will give back to the sector to his place.
And given the situation that draws, which are the challenges and threats to which confronts the sector?
As it likes me be optimistic beginning by the threats to finish with the challenges in positive. Regarding the threats the easy would be to say that the economic crisis is one of them. But for me no longer it treats of the crisis but of some new economic surroundings that we have to know manage. Inside this entono, a threat can be the loss of value of the service or the decrease of the perception of value by part of the customer, derived of the decrease of the quality.
And the challenges, in positive?
Look for elements diferenciadores that contribute value so that the customer was had to pay more by some sportive services of quality and with good professional.
Restarting his words, says that the form to manage the world of the sport has changed. In what?
Well, as they have changed a lot of things. The first, this need of optimisation of all the resources of the organisations, that has affected to the sport and to all his organisms, already are private centres and publics, clubs and federations, etc. In this sense create will finish winning in efficiency and competitiveness, although the price to pay was high.
On the other hand, think that has lost the easy way to do the things. An example is the sponsorship. Now the returns have to be very guaranteeed and the sportive promoters have to think and understand much more the needs of his customers and his companies benefactoras.
Think that they have sufficiently in account the tastes and current needs of the customers? It has known adapt to them the sector?
In the world of the services of sportive practice and in the fitness create really that yes, no so much in the sportive sponsorship, as it commented previously.
Think that there are companies that are doing it really well, are applying the last tendencies that are numerous and are in constant change. Besides, from the punto of the catchment and retention of customers, are using technical CRM to know them every time better and can do them a personalised follow-up.
What would say of our centres and sportive companies?
There is of everything. My general impressesion is that in installations and equipment has improved a lot in the last years and the quality is, in general, good. Also I stand out that every time we have better professionals of the sport that know to do his work. The challenge is, with all this, design a really attractor trucks service that “stick” to the sporty or, as it would say Manuel Sevillano, consultor and professor of Esic, “that generate good experiences and conversations on our centre”.
Which are the most conflictive appearances and important in the gestión of a sportive installation? Why?
Think that the most conflictive appearance and, at the same time, more important are the people, in shape of employees or customers. As it said another of our speakers in the days, Francisco Fragoso, general director of Health City Fitness, “this is a business of people”.
Of which way can today the centres of fitness and sportive installations in general reduce his costs without that thus it see reduced the quality of the services that offer?
Think that one of the most interesting options is the automation of administrative processes. To the equal that have done the aerial companies with the autochecking, the facilitate the tasks of registration, payments, reservations of track, etc., from internet or terminal autonomous, does not subtract quality to the service but it can increase it because it allows us concentrate the human resources in what really it generates value, the sportive service.
On the other hand, also have to think in the control and the elimination of the fraud. But for me the key factor to the hour to reduce costs is to reduce the cost of the uncertainty, the one of the errors or detect the problems with the sufficient antelación as to correct them. For this needs a system of information with a picture of controls that contain at least the sufficient key indicators for the gestión of the organisation.
How has to tackle a strategy 2.0 for the promotion in the social networks of a sportive centre?
As from the perspective of the marketing and the communication, and always of a professional way. The gestión of the social networks does not have to be something isolated but form part of the strategy of the company and transmit the values of the organisation by all the network. Only of this way will explode all the potential that have these tools.
Which are the last tendencies regarding technology for sportive installations?
By need of the sector the tendency is to implement systems that allow to save costs. Automation of administrative processes, automation of lighting joined to the reservation of the tracks, etc. And by social tendency, all what has to see with the social character of the technology and of the mobility.
What offers TD Systems in this sense?
TD Systems is a technological company done by and for sportive agents. Our commitment is to contribute to the sportive centres technological tools that do him improve of continuous form. What ours technology can contribute is an integrated cheese cheese system, that aúne platform and web services, with the internal gestión, even with an application for smartphones. When combining all this achieve saving and ease of use. But, especially, can explode all the social potential and of marketing that have these systems.
