Bryan Baker, CEO
Oparc, Inc
Bryan Baker has been involved in computer and software technology since 1974. Starting in 2014, his expertise has been on reservation systems. In 2018, he applied the expertise to a reservations niche – organizations that have members who share facilities or services. Membership types of organizations do not thrive with conventional reservations technology.
Prior to 2018, he developed a docent reservation system for museums. From 2008 to 2014, he was the CTO of a small company, ParkingCarma, that specialized in parking reservations.
Bryan started his career in Wyoming with Burroughs Corporation from 1974 to 1980. From 1981 to 1990, he was VP of Sales and Marketing for a software company specializing in accounting systems running on Tandem Computers. In 1990, he jointed Tandem as an Area Manager to review and manage the executive relationships of large system integration customers for Tandem. From 1994 until 2008, he started two technology companies that specialized in call center technology (1994 – 1998) and then in gunshot recognition and location (1999-2007).
MyClubLives.Com
MEMBER-FOCUSED PLATFORM TO BUILD AN INCLUSIVE CLUB CULTURE
​
By Rich Neher
I came across MyClubLives a few weeks ago when our contributing writer Rod Heckelman, an industry veteran and owner of Mt. Tam Racquet Club in Larkspur, Northern California, who is not easily impressed by new "gadgets" told me how his member Bryan Baker developed a management platform that at first helped him with just one big member challenge and then turned into much more.
I asked Bryan about the premise for his work. He says, "Club culture was disrupted by the pandemic and needs to be reinvigorated. How? By promoting business approaches that optimize how the highest number of members win by being a member."
​
But I wanted to know more and asked about the essence of his system in just a few words. His answer:
​
MyClubLives
-
Offers a member-focused platform for a club to build an inclusive culture.
-
Replaces first come first serve reservations on high demand time slots as a crucial step forward.
-
Provides a communication infrastructure to facilitate member-to-management engagement which helps build a club culture.
THE CHALLENGE FOR MT. TAM RACQUET CLUB
​
Mt. Tam Racquet Club identified 56 high-demand court time slots. Analyzing several months of data collected from their reservation system, 28 members were dominating the most desirable time slots every week because they were able to log or call in first.
​
Those 28 members represented only 5% of their tennis membership and only 15% of the regular players. The question was, "How many of the other 85% of players wanted prime- time but were being left out?"
The hypothesis that a sizeable number of the 85% wanted prime time was tested first with a prototype. After two months of tests, the results were stunning.
Instead of 28 members dominating the prime time, 50 different members gained access to the 56 high-demand time slots.
The hypothesis was proven to be true.
​
Primetime slots were in high demand by a large segment of the membership. The member experience is improved by improving access to prime time for everyone.
Most clubs have high-demand, prime time slots. When a reservation system gives the access advantage to first-come-first-serve, a small portion of the membership benefits. Most members lose! Engagement by the broad membership is jeopardized.
​
MyClubLives provides the solution.
How does it work?
How does a member-focused reservation system achieve the spectacular results?
1.
MEMBER REQUEST
A simple start by the member to make requests a week in advance and the system does the rest.
2.
SYSTEM COLLECTS REQUESTS
The system collects the requests for several days without prioritizing based on date of request.
3.
SCHEDULER STARTS
At a club determined date and time, the scheduler fires up.
4.
SYSTEM SCORES
Member requests are scored based on rules and prior member reservations history.
5.
RANDOM LOTTERY
Score ranges in the top tier are scheduled first with a random lottery.
6.
RECALCULATION + REPEAT
After first tier, request scores are recalculated, and the process repeats.
7.
RELEASE OF RESERVATIONS
When completed, the "scheduled reservations" are released.
8.
CONFIRMATION NEEDED
Members have several days to confirm.
9.
OPEN TIME SLOTS
Time slots that were not requested and therefore not scheduled are listed as "open."
Open time slots are selected as "instant reservations" made by going online.
A proprietary algorythm works like a lottery by taking all the requests, scoring the requests based on club rules and prior reservation history of the member, and then allocates the time slots based on member requests.
​
Unassigned time slots are then available for instant reservation.
The scheduler runs once a week and makes assignments for the following week.
The schedule displays the remaining days of the current week plus the entire following week.
MESSAGES
​
There are system-generated and admin-generated mesages. Unlike most of the other reservation systems that are instant and favor first come first serve, myclublives.com, processes all the requests as a batch so to speak, and then assigns scheduled times based on the requests. The members then go online or use their mobile device to view and confirm those assigned times. Unassigned times are then available for instant reservations.
​
Example for a system-generated messages
Message that reminds a member of a reservation for the next day:
Hi Bryan Baker
Please remember you have an assigned timeslot for Indoor Tennis on Court 10 on June 22 at 05:45:00 PM
Message to remind the member that they have not confirmed their scheduled reservation so they can go online to confirm it before the system cancels it.
Hi Bryan Baker
You have unconfirmed schedule(s) for Indoor Tennis at Mt.Tam Racquet Club on June 22, 2021 and if you don't confirm schedule, it will be canceled on June 21, 2021 automatically. Please check your schedules.
Example for an admin-generated message
It broadcasts thru the system an email to everyone about any changes or updates. The message is created by the admin to say whatever is desired and can also have URLs like a Zoom link embedded in it. It can also be sent as a text message to the members who have the app installed.
​
Hi Everybody
Welcome to MyClubLives
"Mt.Tam Racquet Club" has scheduled "Open Swim" on Monday-Friday from 11am-2pm. Reserved lanes for lap swimming until 11am and after lessons end at 6pm.
View Club Event
​
ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS
-
Calender and club events
-
Virtual access for Zoom for remote activities
-
Membership types and access privileges
-
Member/Management communication infrastructure
-
Finding other players
​
Set up your online reservations so that all your members are WINNERS!
​
Do you like our content? If you do so, please consider supporting us. For as little as $1 a month, you can help ensure the long-term future of TENNIS CLUB BUSINESS.
Click here to support and please share this with all the tennis lovers you know.