Increased reliability and availability at Malkars

Malkars Training Center currently has 15 facilities around Småland, where over 10,000 members use the Parakey app to get into the gym. We have met CEO Lars Malkar, project coordinator Daniel Fisch and reception manager Jonathan Römberg to talk about mobile access and accessibility.

When Malkars Träningscenter was founded by Göran Malkar in 1983, a traditional key was used to enter the first facility in central Kalmar. Today, the family business is run by Göran's children Lars, Maria and Anna, and after various card-based entry solutions have been used over the years, a transition to mobile access from Parakey as access control system is now underway. This means that new members get access via Parakey instead of a physical "gym card" and that members whose cards expire gradually switch to Parakey. Daniel Fisch, project coordinator at Malkars, says that at Malkars' latest opened facilities, only mobile access from Parakey is installed and used.

Modern and customer-focused solution

Let's back up a bit: Malkars started using Parakey in 2018 and CEO Lars Malkar explains that a decisive factor was to be able to sell memberships online and at the same time solve the logistics of giving new members immediate access and being able to start training.

Membership has thus become more accessible. Malkars uses the business system Gym Control, to which Parakey has an integration. This means that new members who sign up online automatically receive a mobile key sent to them and can directly enter the facility.

The automated flow has saved a lot of time, while availability is something Malkars emphasises in its communication to potential members.

Lars also says that Parakey has been an important factor in increasing web sales and sales of temporary memberships, for example to tourists during the summer. Reception manager Jonathan Römberg also sees it as an increased service to be able to offer membership without people having to come in and get a physical card, and believes that this is the greatest value of mobile access.

"I think it is also a signal value. Today you expect simple solutions and our members think that Parakey is great", says Lars. He also highlights that there is a demand among existing members with cards to switch to mobile access. "Then there are those who do not have a smartphone, but they are counted on one hand and there we find a solution."

Jonathan also highlights that many people find it convenient to have the "key" available via the smartphone:

"Very reliable" 

"Since then, reliability has improved," says Lars. "For example, we no longer have mechanical problems with cards that have become demagnetised and we experience very good reliability with Parakey's product."

Daniel agrees. "I would definitely recommend Parakey. I think it's a very good system, it's very reliable - rarely problems for members to get into the facility."

"It's also an easy system to install," continues Daniel. "And then there's the price aspect, it's much cheaper than a traditional system with cards and such."

"We have a good dialogue with Parakey, who are responsive to our needs as customers and what kind of development we see as important," Lars concludes.