Case Study : Arizona State University

With more than 6,000 visitors a day, Arizona State University’s Student Recreation Center was in need of significant upgrades. The University wanted to overhaul its aging fleet of cardiovascular equipment but needed an efficient and economical solution to move forward.  AFP worked with ASU to implement a strategy that revamped the facility’s entire cardio offering with over 100 state-of-the-art flat screen enabled machines.  In addition, AFP put into place an extended service plan that will help maintain and update existing equipment over the long term. The result is a revitalized Student Recreation Center, long-term cost savings and a partnership with AFP that maximizes ASU’s fitness investment.

Project Summary

Arizona State University (ASU) recently sought out a comprehensive upgrade of its existing and significantly out-dated Student Recreation Center. This high-traffic location serves more than 6,000 students and University staff daily. Therefore, the importance of maintaining a state-of-the-art facility was critical. The facility had, to date, been a composite of varying types of machines from various manufacturers randomly compiled over the years. The result was an outdated equipment selection bearing the result of years of extensive wear and tear to the fullest, lacking in any sort of continuity or sophistication in either design or function. Furthermore, the advent of mainstream entertainment components for cardiovascular machines had long come and gone, yet the facility featured none of these industry-standard entertainment amenities. Most critical was the fact that ASU was facing daunting annual costs associated with the maintenance required to keep these aging pieces of equipment up and running efficiently, to the tune of a projected $75,000 annually in parts and labor. Despite these challenges, the University wasn’t in a position to replace its entire lineup of cardio and strength-training machines. In order to find efficient and cost-effective solutions to improve this important University facility to the level of quality it warranted, ASU turned to the experts at AFP.

Results

Led by Key Account Manager, Nels Nelson, AFP determined that in lieu of a full replacement of the facility’s existing lineup of equipment, the best solution would be to focus on specifically updating its cardio equipment. Another critical strategy would be to outsource the costly ongoing maintenance and upkeep within a long-term service agreement relieving ASU of this management responsibility and creating a more economically sound financial model over time. The importance of outsourcing the ongoing maintenance should be emphasized, as it alleviated ASU of the costly, painstaking and time-consuming responsibility, allowing it utilize this valuable time and related funds for other initiatives.

AFP provided a three-year residual lease on a full selection of new Precor cardiovascular equipment, complete with personal viewing screens to bring this critical cardio offering up to date. Furthermore AFP provided proprietary ClubCom software, allowing ASU to advertise and promote its various University initiatives through these personal viewing monitors intergrated into each new piece of equipment. The residual lease allows for the cardio equipment to be replaced with new equipment every three years, ensuring that the latest models are featured.  Within the lease, AFP packaged an extended three-year parts-and-labor warranty and a three-year quarterly preventative maintenance contract. In short, AFP now assumed full responsibility not only for updating the facility, but more importantly, for the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of the equipment to effectively maximize ASU’s investment in fitness. AFP will utilize innovative Insite wireless tracking technology, where wireless devices within the equipment transmit data relative to ongoing usage (errors, service codes etc.) and upkeep to AFP, allowing them to schedule timely service visits and literally prevent problems before they occur. ASU’s only responsibilities are now basic daily cleaning of equipment and paying the monthly lease fees. AFP handles the rest. At the end of the day, AFP will provide significant cost-savings over the life of the facility and as a proud partner will remain devoted to maximizing ASU’s investment every step of the way.

Key Stats

• All Experience Series Equipment with Personal Viewing Systems
• 31 Treadmills
• 34 Elliptical Trainers
• 10 Adaptive Motion Trainers
• 18 Recumbent Bikes
• 11 Upright Bikes
• 6 Steppers

Advantage Fitness and Gordon Stirling represent the level of professionalism we expect to receive when upgrading our Fitness and Spa Amenities. From planning to execution, our demanding properties always received the finest care from AFP.

Without hesitation, I highly recommend Mr. Scott Lenz and AFP. As we move ahead with future purchasing, I will continue to rely on Advantage Fitness Products and have the utmost confidence in their being an asset second-to-none.

Advantage Fitness Products has been instrumental in helping us launch several successful health clubs. Their expertise in equipment selection and optimum site layouts coupled with their ability to provide unparalleled pricing makes them the perfect one-stop shop for any health & fitness needs.