Six common mistakes when gym chains buy new software, and how to avoid them

Most system replacements that go wrong are determined long before go-live, in the way the procurement is set up. These are the six mistakes we see most often, and some practical ways to avoid them.

When a system project runs into trouble, it is easy to blame the software or the vendor. Sometimes that is fair, but when you look a little closer, the cause can often be traced back to the procurement itself. A requirements list that copied the old system, a demo nobody had prepared for, or a price comparison that left out half of the real cost.

Research on large system projects points in the same direction. More than a quarter of projects go over budget, most often because a poor fit is discovered too late, and poor requirements are named as the cause in a large share of failed projects. The good news is that this is the part of the risk a chain can actually control.

1. The requirements describe today's system

This is the mistake I see most often, and it is a very human one. When a team sits down to write requirements, they naturally start from how things work today, including all the workarounds that have grown up over the years. The result is a list that describes the current system rather than the chain the management team wants to run in three years.
A well-known example comes from retail. In 2018, one of Europe's largest grocery retailers stopped a system project after seven years and around €500 million. One of the reasons reported was that the software was adapted to the retailer's existing way of working, instead of the processes being adapted to the software. Starting from business objectives and the member journey, and writing requirements as needs rather than features, helps avoid the same trap.

2. Too few users are involved

When a procurement is run by a small group at head office, the people who use the system every day often discover the gaps only after go-live. Reception staff, club managers, marketing and finance all see different parts of the member journey, and each of them knows things the others do not. Including representatives from the clubs, marketing, finance and IT from the pre-study onwards makes the requirements more complete and the decision easier to anchor.

3. A standard demo instead of your own script

A standard demo is designed to show what the system does well, which is understandable, but it rarely shows what you need to see. Sending your own scenarios to every vendor in advance, asking them all to show the same scenarios and scoring them in the same way gives you a much fairer comparison. Selection specialists also recommend letting staff from the clubs test the system themselves, since they will quickly notice what works in a busy reception and what does not.

4. The licence price drives the decision

It is tempting to compare quotes side by side and choose the lowest licence price. Industry experts estimate, however, that the licence often makes up only 20–30% of the total cost. Transaction fees, which differ between payment methods and draw directly from the bottom line, integrations, migration and internal time do not show up in the quote at all. Comparing the total cost over five years, calculated the same way for every vendor, gives a far more honest picture.

5. Migration is underestimated

Moving a chain to a new system means moving membership agreements, payment mandates and years of history, without missing a single direct debit. It is one of the most sensitive parts of the whole project and one of the easiest to underestimate during procurement. Asking for a migration plan, and running a pilot migration of real member data before the contract is signed, is the best insurance a chain can buy.

6. Choosing a supplier instead of a partner

A management system is often used for many years, and over that time the chain will open clubs, make acquisitions and perhaps enter new countries. If the vendor treats the chain as one customer among many, it can end up waiting for the features it needs for its next expansion. Evaluating the governance model, meaning who you talk to, how you can influence the roadmap and how escalation works, says a lot about what the partnership will be like in year three.

A quick self-check

Before you send the RFP
☐Our requirements start from business objectives and the member journey
☐People from the clubs, marketing, finance and IT are part of the project team
☐Our demo scenarios are written and will be sent to every vendor in advance

Before you choose a vendor
☐Our cost comparison covers five years and includes transaction fees
☐A pilot migration of real member data has been carried out
☐We have evaluated the governance model and the roadmap, and references have been contacted

All six mistakes, and how to avoid them, are described in more detail in our BRP Guide How gym chains procure the right management system, together with a step-by-step framework, a checklist and a question bank.

Download the full guide here!

Sources
1. Panorama Consulting – 2026 ERP Report – https://4439340.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4439340/Reports/ERP%20Report/2026-erp-report-panorama-consulting-group.pdf
2. SelectHub – The best way to screw up a software selection project – https://selecthub.com/technology-selection/best-way-to-screw-up-a-software-selection-project/