Problem areas within the organisation

Budget gyms over the last couple of years have been on the up rise; Gyms such as lifestyle fitness have created fitness facilities with little expense and have been located in many city centres for great accessibility to all.

“Lifestyle Fitness clubs have been designed with you in mind. We have created facilities where you can exercise in comfort, using the very best in cardiovascular and resistance equipment - whatever your age, fitness, size or ability.” Lifestyle fitness.co.uk [accessed 23/01/12]

DCL offer a full gym membership of £36 per month with a minimum three month contract. Lifestyle gym undercut this cost of half the price offering a full membership of £15.99 per month with no contract agreement. With the current economic status/recession majority of future customers are seeking low cast gyms with no long term commitments.

DCL as an employee advise all customer that “exercise should not be seen as a quick fix', to lead a healthy active lifestyle it must be maintainable. To achieve this, mix up your training, learn from others, make it fun and enjoy it!”

There are many advantages and disadvantages to private and public sector gyms; both lifestyle and DCL are recognised as private gyms. The main difference between the two is that DCL are accredited by QUEST and hold a higher recognition within the fitness industry. All instructors from DCL are REPS registered where as fitness staff in lifestyle are budget gyms with the main aim of purely sales and not the service they provide.

Organisational Theories

The key to success and profit in the fitness industry links to the organisational structure of the company. Taking into account the environment of the organisation i.e. culture, social structure, physical structure and technology.

 I feel the organisation uses interpersonal interaction model within the organisation as Achievement culture: Rewards results, not unproductive efforts. Work teams are self-directed; Rules and structure sustaining energy and enthusiasm over time, linking with a work hard play hard sales incentive.

I believe DCL also how process culture with little to no feedback concentration on how work is done. As leisure centres consist of a large team different department have different achievement cultures, for example a customer advisor would be sales driven whereas a fitness instructor would be process culture.

As DCL is in the private and a public sector it is highly regulated, government to interlink with process culture but aslo in an achievement culture for sales.

In DCL your role is to do as others do, there are set expectations within the company with codes of practice to meet. the standards throughout the company have to link with the misson statment and the goals and objectives of DCL.

The companies mangement team pay  great contirbution to acknowleding their staff for their effort and achievement. i.e employee of the month awards and accreditated awards to aim for as a company each year such as customer service award 2010,2011.2013, (these awards are a goal for each DCL site to compete for their highest score to show higher recongnition within the sports industry as a whole.)

Superior performance is encouraged throughout the leisure centre each employee has a six week appraisal with the fitness manager to discuss their job role, what their enjoying, their relationships with other team members, progress for the future and additional courses to enhance learning and teaching styles.

Training and development within the centre is an ongoing opportunity for all employees to up there REPS status and gain greater accreditation.

PEST Analysis

Political

Governing bodies/policies

·         FIA – Fitness Industry Association, ASA

·         CRB

·         REPS, NVQ Level 2 fintess instuctor

·         England Badminton

·         Football Association

·         England Squash

·         UK Sport

·         British Gymnastics

·         England’s indoor bowls association

·         COSHH

Economical

·         Market trends

·         Lottery funding

·         Government initiatives, i.e. swim for free

·         Budgets

·         Attrition targets/ seasonal

·         Schools initiative targeting lower income assessed families

·         Membership discounts and offers

Social

·         Local facility hire

·         Group exercise classes

·         Children’s activities

·         Religion

·         Olympic game initiatives

·         Government funding- free swims and over 60’s

·         Police activities

·         Indians weddings

·         Antiques/ wedding fares

Technological

·          Electronic score board                            

·          Swiping system

·          Automatic operated doors

·          CCTV

·          Safe guarding

·          Internet access WIFI 

·          Recorded fire alarm system

·          Audio translator

·          Brail

SWOT Analysis

          

Strengths

· Competition size pool

· Refurbished gym facilities every three year

· Function/ bowls hall hire

· IFA Accreditation

· Pool viewing

· Electronic scoring system

· MEND

· Range of aquatic exercise

· Inclusive to general public

· Kinetika journey

· Personal training

           Weaknesses

· Expense- · Privacy to main pool/ Viewing area

"The fitness market divides between expensive, private sports and health clubs, and local leisure centres subsidised by the Government to provide opportunities for exercise."Key Note's 2010 Market Report, Health Clubs & Leisure Centres(2010) 

 Over the last year budget gyms have been greatly invested in due to the economic climate, this effects the attrition of main stream fitness centres i.e. fitness first, Banantynes and DC leisure.

· Car park

· Facility hire during peak times

· Separate shower area for female/males

· No food from home allowed in cafe area

· Family offers/ promotions

· 3 month contract of membership-

 Monthly contracts are a turn away for many member of the public at the moment with recession and job cuts, budget gyms are offering pay and go session and no contract memberships. Leisure faculties such as DCL are offering corporate/family memberships to try and target a greater demand from the population.

 Opportunities

· Ladies only swim

· Functional training programmes

· Sports massage

· More daytime classes

· Aquatic launches

· Links with local business i.e. slimming world

· Olympics 2012 initiatives/events

          Threats



· Village halls providing cheap fitness classes

· industrial gyms offering no contract memberships

· Private gyms in same regions (competitions)

·  competitive prices i.e. 24 hours fitness centres

Goals, aims and mission statement for DC Leisure.

DC Leisure Management Ltd (DCLM) specialises in the development and management of leisure facilities in partnership with the local authorities throughout the UK. Working with the council cliental optimises the performance of public leisure centres providing a better server to the local community whilst achieving both economic and social objectives.

DCLM invests in the councils facilities through full refurbishments and then management of the facilities through a PFI long term contract. DCLM also take on the management of leisure facilities that are either in the current state or have been a funded refurbishment from council and external bodies (e.g. national lottery funding) sourcing the building improvements. These contracts are naturally a shorter term in contract length with options to extend at the end of each term in management.  

DCLM have a company mission statement ‘To generate optimum profit through high quality leisure management ’ 

DCLM employee mission statement is ‘we aim to provide a level of service that impresses our staff at every opportunity. We shall achieve this through commitment to train, developing and supporting every member of our team, whilst remembering what is really important in life’

Both mission statement relate to the service and the high quality of leisure management throughout the company, and support the mission statement of reaching optimum profit though high levels of quality service in every department.

The companies demonstrate their commitment to quality through industry recognised accreditation such as Quest, FIA Flame Awards, FIA auditing sources, Net Promoter Sources and internal Health and Safety, Fitness, Food and Beverage and Customer Advisor Audits on a regular basis. Quest is the main scoring system of the Leisure market place and DCLM through PFI and bounded partnerships with local authorises have always showed an excellent delivery in leisure management.
www.dcleisure.co.uk [accessed 13/01/12] DC Leisure management LTD. Development and Managment of leisure facilties in partnership with loacl authorites thorughout the UK.