Virgin Active membership migration & mobile innovation

Virgin Active was on a mission: align its membership systems, while launching a user-friendly mobile app packed with new features.

To pull this off, they needed to overhaul their crucial middleware layer, 'va-api.' The business partnered with PALO IT to meet the unique demands of their users in Australia and the health & wellness market as a whole, and hit their ambitious rollout goals.

We teamed up with Virgin Active to tackle their challenges head-on:

• Codebase Modernization: We used our unique approach to software engineering Gen-e2 (Generative AI Enhanced Engineering) to breathe new life into the existing va-api codebase. This transformative approach focused on end-to-end delivery and legacy re-platforming, tackling technical debt and setting a strong foundation for what's next.

• Feature Enablement: With the revamped middleware in place, we improved 'va-api' to support Virgin Active's local business needs, seamlessly integrating with their global app.

• Accelerated Delivery: We established streamlined workflows that cut feature deployment cycles from weeks down to hours. This crucial shift put Virgin Active’s development team in the driver's seat, enabling them to quickly adapt to customer needs.

• Smooth Migration, Milestone Launch: Thanks to enhanced 'va-api' middleware, Virgin Active Australia successfully migrated their membership systems and launched their mobile app, keeping pace with fast-evolving standards in the health & wellness market. What's more, PALO IT delivered 40% cost savings by the project's end.
  
  
• Feature Development Efficiency: The overhauled codebase meant new features, like crèche bookings and personalized training programs, could go live in hours—compare that to the weeks it previously took for such development, and it's easy to imagine the ripples impacting the team's efficiency.
  
  
• A Future-ready Business: The project set Virgin Active up to quickly respond to customer demands, and grab hold of new business opportunities—all while reducing development overhead. Next stop? Expansion of the innovation into APAC markets, with plans to roll out further in the UK and Europe.

As part of Virgin Group, Virgin Active is a worldwide health club brand dedicated to providing fresh and exciting fitness solutions. With 220+ locations across the globe, they aim to elevate member experiences and promote a healthier lifestyle across their network of clubs.