Another App? Zen Planner’s Product Vision

It’s barely been a year since Zen Planner’s mobile apps first made an appearance in the app stores. We remember being inundated with requests from customers and gym members saying, “Why doesn’t Zen Planner have an app? What are you guys thinking over there – mobile is the future!” We heard you and we couldn’t agree more. Since then, our team and products have grown and matured into something completely new and different.

2016 was a lot of work, and we’re proud to have laid down the foundation for the future of our technology platform and user experience. We were able to launch two brand new apps, one for staff and one for members.

Zen Planner’s App evolution over the past year

In the next phase, and much of our focus for 2017,  we will continue to simplify and consolidate our solution into our mobile apps. We will strive to move fast in an effort to guarantee the highest product quality and stability, and be even more responsive to customer requests.

Our vision is to combine and absorb each existing Zen Planner product until there is a single web interface and a single app for staff (available on both mobile and tablet devices), along with a single mobile app for members, with new embeddable widgets to replace our existing Member Connect iFrames. The details of how we execute to this vision will evolve over time, but we are ready to share the clear next steps you can expect:

Staff App is Now Available on Tablets

You can now access the App on both Android and iOS (Yay! Seriously, it’s in the app stores now, so go download it.) This app is worth checking out today, as we’ve added member self-service capabilities to it in the new Kiosk Mode section.

Expanded Feature Set in the Staff and Member Apps

We started with the things that happen most, including:

• Reserving and checking in
• Resolving unpaid bills and unsigned documents
• Managing profile information
• Tracking workout results

Next in line, we’ll be adding the following capabilities:

• Adding payment information
• Signing up new people
• Purchasing memberships, retail items and event access

New Embeddable Widgets for Websites, Facebook and More

The mobile version of Member Connect will soon be obsolete as it is replaced by the Member App. With that, replacing the embeddable iFrames that show Member Connect is the next logical step to eliminate our remaining outdated member-facing interfaces. We’ll likely start with the prospect form or the sign-up page in 2017.

All of this is to pre-empt a logical question you might ask in response to the announcement of “Staff App now available on tablet!” – why another app?

So, there you have it. This isn’t just “another app.” It is another platform for our existing app. It is the next step in expanding the foundation of our new technology and design. It is the cornerstone that will ultimately consolidate our existing products, providing customers with less to manage, consistent design, world-class stability and a fast and innovative product development team!

Interested in learning more about how Zen Planner’s comprehensive member management software can take your fitness business to the next level? Schedule your demo with one of our Software Specialists today!