Drummond Health & Fitness Education Academy has been providing quality health and fitness training and education for more than 35 years. Seven years ago, Gill Cummings-Bell, co-founder of the academy, migrated all paper based learner and course management online, using a bespoke solution created by Fisikal.

Here, she explains how Fisikal has enhanced business efficiencies and enabled the academy to deliver an outstanding student experience which has seen the business flourish in a highly competitive market.

“Prior to 2012, we were relying on paper-based processes and basic spreadsheets to manage logistics and learner liaison. Every week, we were delivering multiple courses at venues across the UK, supporting dozens of learners, all with individual needs and at various stages on their education journey. As the business grew, we realised a need to find a more efficient solution.

“Then I met Rob Lander. Rob talked me through the digital business management solution he had developed for personal trainers. I immediately recognised the benefits a similar platform could deliver for our business. I created a ‘wish list’ of functionality and Rob set his team of developers to work!

“The solution had to improve our business efficiencies and operational visibility. We needed instant access to the scheduling and booking status of all our courses to enable better management of the logistics involved in course delivery.

“We also needed to incorporate a basic CRM system to house our past, present and potential learner data. Here we could create a personal profile, record any information specific to their needs and maintain a record of their journey with us. We also wanted to be able to communicate with our learners both directly through email and via collective groups.

“Next, we wanted a secure, online information hub for learners. This would provide learning support materials such as instructions, and workbooks. As learners progress through their education, courses completed would be logged, creating a chronological record of professional development.

“Over the course of a month, Fisikal built a bespoke solution that addressed all our needs and, once we had uploaded all our course and learner data, we completely migrated across to this online solution. The whole process took just two weeks.

“Today, Fisikal plays a critical role in the running of our business and our learner experience. Regular software updates reflect the evolving needs of the market mean the solution continues to satisfy, and in some cases exceed, the needs of our business.

“We would not be able to run our business as effectively without Fisikal. The time we used to spend on administration and compiling analytics can now be spent on business development and learner liaison, driving acquisition and retention. 70 per cent of our business is generated from returning learners, suggesting their experience, both on the training floor and via our peripheral services, is one they choose to repeat.