VivoAquatics Updates

Managing aquatic facilities, whether at a large resort or a small community pool, is a challenge. 

So much can (and does) go wrong. Poor water chemistry. Failing equipment. Leaks. The health department inspector onsite looking for records. A team member not showing up for work. And of course, the biggest challenges always seem to happen on the busiest of holiday weekends.

What Happens Without Reliable Expert Support?

The consequences of equipment failures or other challenges at a commercial pool or aquatic facility can be serious. The swimming pool is a top amenity for hotels, apartments and resorts. For community and fitness clubs, members see the pool as a core part of the experience.

A shut-down, for any reason, can mean a loss of revenue. On the flip side, such challenges can lead to increased costs through higher equipment costs, additional labor time and fees to cover service providers.

Unhappy guests and members leave bad reviews, thus impacting your reputation. What’s more, unanswered pool management problems can be dangerous. Incorrect water chemistry can do more than just bleach a swimmer’s bathing suit. It can affect pool users’ health and damage surrounding property.

No industry professional wants to experience these problems, but until recently they didn’t have many support options.

What Makes a World-Class Support System? 

Many organizations are known for their amazing customer support. Nordstrom, Ritz Carlton and Chick-fil-A to name just a few. As we built out our support platform, we looked to emulate some of the industry leaders before deciding to focus on three core concepts: expertise, technology and accountability.

First and foremost, we believe world-class support starts with the team and expertise that can be shared locally, nationally and globally. Many companies provide “automation” or “pool programs,” but then staff such programs with generalists who don’t have the training or interest in truly adding value to a property.

We take great pride in our team members, who understand the specific requirements of the commercial pool industry and can quickly diagnose and solve most any issues. Our commitment to the industry was recognized by the CMAHC as being one of the few companies certified for managing aquatic facilities in alignment with the CDC safety standards.

Second, world-class support in this age requires leading technology. This technology must not only monitor, but also provide predictive analytics to help each property and portfolio make better decisions, as well as communication tools (video, chat, Slack, etc.) to directly connect with clients.

Finally, support can truly only be effective with the right metrics and reporting. We measure everything. Call time. Response time. Time to close tickets. Time to replenish equipment. Every KPI helps us understand how well we’re solving problems, and more importantly how best we can improve.

How Did We Approach “Monitoring” as Part of the Broader Support Offering?

While we monitored some of the basic components of an aquatic area, including chlorine, PH, flow and temperature, we recognized that a broader set of sensors was required to truly help a property. As such, we created a modular network of IoT connected sensors to monitor so much more, including water usage (leaks), chemical tank levels, backwash control, energy usage and more to come.

And while the VivoPoint platform was already more modular and offered more sensor integration than any other available product, we also recognized we needed to surround the IoT sensor network with a software platform built on AI technology and workflow, offering clients:

1. Dashboard view of all their bodies of water at once (whether 1 or 1,000 bodies of water). This means that instead of checking every pool one by one, operators can check the dashboard and determine which pool is experiencing trouble right away.
2. Industry and portfolio benchmarks to help properties improve operations.
3. Proprietary AI scoring and analytics, including our industry-leading water safety score.
4. Automated event tracking that allow properties to take action (i.e., refill containers, check water levels, etc.) to stay in front of broader challenges.

Bridging Technology With People

Our team works side by side with properties each day to make their facilities more efficient. This comes not just through answering questions directly, which we do, but also through overall consultations and training to help them get to the next stage of their journey.

The network of sensors and the software-enabled monitoring provide the infrastructure for our support platform. But we continue to believe the people and the personal touch contribute to the overall customer experience. We need to capture data, develop predictions and recommendations, and ultimately drive action for our clients. Technology helps. But people and relationships are what ultimately make it work.

And we’re never done learning. We stay up-to-date on all the latest trends and regulations in the industry and foster relationships with other innovators and health departments to keep our clients ahead of the game. 

We’d love to hear what you offer to provide great support! Don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’re looking forward to hearing (and learning) from you!