Multisport How we developed a map application for 180,000 users with CRM integration that saves tens of hours per month
We have created a lucid map application that draws data from CRM Microsoft Dynamics. Users can find a badminton court or a Thai massage across Czech Republic and Slovakia in a few seconds. MultiSport employees manage data on 2,700 sports facilities from a single location, saving tens of hours per month.
integration crmcustom web applicationms dynamicsmap application
With what MultiSport addressed us and why
MultiSport has a CRM system with a lot of data about sports facilities - it contains, among
other things, addresses, contact details, description of the services offered, category labels
and photos. It also had a web application with a map in which users chose where to go for
sports or relax after work.
Since CRM was not linked to the map application, MultiSport employees had to
enter the same information in two places. Duplicate work took them a lot of time and the
complexity increased due to the fact that the system did not allow changes in bulk - for
example, if you wanted to add information that 30 partners added air conditioning to their
facilities, you had to update it for 30 items, first in CRM, then in the application.
There were also gaps in the application itself. The user first filtered a category from
the menu - for example, racquet sports. Only then did they see a map of tennis, squash and
badminton courts in their area. If they didn't choose from the menu and decided to go to a
pool instead, they had to filter from the beginning.
That's why MultiSport wanted to:
make the application easy to navigate,
allow continuous changes in filtering parameters, and
improve UX as a whole.
People from Multisport found out that we have experience with the integration of various
IS and map applications, so they decided to contact us.
„We would like a new sports facility search engine solution
over the map. We want it to be linked to our existing website and CRM MS Dynamics, where
we have the facilities. The goal of this integration should be to regularly update the
data between MS Dynamics and the facility search engine so that we do not have to change
the facility manually in both CRM and the search engine. Can you handle it? If so, let's
meet and discuss the options.“
Excerpt from the first email communication from MultiSport
About MultiSport
A network of employee benefits, supported by the multinational company Benefit Systems
operating in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Greece, and other countries.
MultiSport cardholders can visit the partner sports and relaxation facilities free of
charge. Users will find a pool, yoga or gym via the web application with the map we
created for MultiSport.
2 700+
sports facilities in the network
600+
Czech and Slovak cities where the card is valid
180 000+
users in the Czech and Slovak Republic
At the beginning of the cooperation, we clarified the goals
Together with MultiSport, we defined the project assignment; from the end users' point of
view, we primarily focused on two types of users:
a user who already has a MultiSport card and wants to quickly search for sports facilities
in their area,
a newcomer who wants to get acquainted with the offer of sports facilities close to their
home, work or, for example, cottage.
Together we defined the following goals:
it will be possible to change the search parameters simultaneously with the map view,
we will exchange map materials, instead of Google Maps, which are
expensive with higher traffic, we will use map layers from Mapy.cz of the same quality but
free of charge,
we will create a data bridge and connect the application with CRM,
we will design a responsive solution so that the search works both on a computer and on a
mobile phone,
we will create a simple administration that will allow data for multiple countries to be managed from one place in the future,
we will build the application to work in multiple languages.
Users can find a pool or gym in a few clicks, on their computer or mobile.
Large-scale web application with integration always requires preparation and technical
analysis
At COex, we care about developing software that effectively solves customer problems. In order
to approach the project correctly, we specified the assignment by technical analysis and a feasibility study.
Before writing the first line of code, we made clear:
CRM connector and web application design, and
web application design.
Then we reached for proven technologies:
Python - the programming language we love. Applications such as Spotify, Instagram
or Uber are created in it.
Open-source library K-means for Python to search and sort results by distance on the map.
Django web framework
JavaScript
Open-source library LeafLet for JavaScript allowing us to create interactive maps on mobile phones.
You can find out more about the tools and technologies we use at COex on the web technologies page.
Smooth project progress thanks to agile development and coordination with the client
We involved MultiSport employees in the project team, including managers and specialists who
will work with the application on a daily basis. In this way, we facilitated communication, speeded up decision-making and, above all, we always had control over the development of software that will
work as it should.
2018
June
MultiSport addressed us with the first request
2018
September
start of development of a new map application
2019
Fabruary
launch of a map application for MultiSport CR
2020
May
analysis and development of a multidomain application for the Czech Republic and Slovakia
2020
October
launch of a new map and Slovak sports facilities
2020+
To this day
project updates, server maintenance and monitoring
Workflow on the web application for MultiSport.
What can a map application integrated with CRM do?
We have developed a customised import module that automatically adds new CRM
data to the map and updates obsolete data.
Users now search for sports facilities primarily on the map, which is more pleasant for
them. They can see the list of partners in the sidebar.
The data is updated according to the section of the map that the user is currently
viewing. This makes data retrieval brisker.
Thanks to smart filtering, users are able to more quickly find sports
facilities with air conditioning, a partner offering activities for children, or can
search by another key.
The autocomplete feature takes into account the current section of the map that the user is currently viewing.
When searching for a specific sports facility or city, the user does not retrieve
information about other partners. This makes map retrieval faster.
If the type of sports facility you are looking for is missing in the given locality, the
map will automatically zoom out and show the nearest partner offering the
given service.
Web application that will grow with MultiSport
The architecture of the application enables operation on multiple domains (currently
CZ/SK); MultiSport manages both language versions via one interface.
If MultiSport decides to expand to another country, the application architecture will allow expansion without high development costs.
The application distinguishes from which country (via which domain) the user is searching,
and based on this data it will preferentially display sports facilities in the Czech
Republic or in Slovakia.
If you browse the map from an IP address in the Czech Republic, you see sports venues in the Czech Republic by default, and vice versa - Slovaks see partners in Slovakia.
Project results
We have created a functional web application in which MultiSport customers can easily
find their sports facility - there are more than 2,700 of them in the database.
We have reversed the search logic. Instead of scrolling through the lists, users choose a
sports facility from a map or activity catalogue. The map itself received a new base from
Mapy.cz, which is as good as the one from Google and more than that, is free. So everything
is faster, more natural and cheaper.
Thanks to the connection with CRM, MultiSport saves tens of hours monthly when entering new
sports facilities or editing existing ones.
One multi-domain application works for two countries - Czechia and Slovakia. The solution
has at least two advantages. First: after expansion into a new market, Multisport will add
a new country more easily. Second: we saved MultiSport costs of server operating and maintenance.
2 700+sports facilities in the network
600+Czech and Slovak towns
180 000+users in the Czech and Slovak Republic
„Cooperation with COEX has gone smoothly since the beginning.
Thanks to extensive experience, they helped us define what such a map with a search engine
should contain at the beginning of the project. The development itself was quick and
flexible. Regular meetings on the current state of development were a matter of course.
Several minor or major modifications have been made since the project was launched. All
service went smoothly and everything is always resolved quickly and efficiently. I also
consider monitoring, which enables load monitoring and analysis, very helpful. We can
respond quickly without limiting users.“
Tomáš Wohlmuth, IT & CRM Administrator at MultiSport
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