CenterEdge Taps GoodData to Help Clients Amid New Challenges

CenterEdge Software Helps the Entertainment, Amusement, and FEC Industries Through the Pandemic With GoodData

CenterEdge partnered with GoodData to bring business intelligence (BI) to its global customers in the entertainment, amusement, and family entertainment center (FEC) industries. CenterEdge Business Intelligence, its flexible and intuitive BI platform, has helped businesses navigate challenges associated with COVID-19 and equipped them with the insights necessary to adapt quickly to new and evolving rules and regulations.

CenterEdge has a unique origin story. It began as an entertainment company that saw a need within the industry for a more integrated suite of software –– so it built a platform that could help with everything from point-of-sale to online ticketing, party booking, and targeted marketing. Steve Reilly is a data analyst at CenterEdge Software, where he manages both the company’s internal use of GoodData and CenterEdge Business Intelligence, a cloud-based tool powered by GoodData and designed for CenterEdge customers.

After nearly a decade at the company and after using another BI tool for a short period of time, Reilly suspected CenterEdge and its valued customers would benefit from a more advanced BI platform. In 2017, he began investigating the market for a new solution that would effortlessly and accurately illuminate key trends and insights for business owners.

According to Reilly, “CenterEdge surveyed competitive offerings, but we were impressed with how easy it was to integrate GoodData into existing applications. He also stated that the onboarding process with GoodData “went off without a hitch” and that “the team collaborated exceptionally well with our internal developers to bring our vision to life.”

With GoodData, the team developed CenterEdge Business Intelligence, which helps park owners and general managers visualize myriad data points including weekly ticket sales, profitability, headcount, employee efficiency, and more.

Setting Customers Up for Success Despite Closures and Lockdowns

In March 2020, many of CenterEdge’s customers were forced to shut down business entirely. Sustained closures threatened customers’ ability to break even, let alone turn a profit, but the CenterEdge team saw an opportunity.

“We really care about our customers at CenterEdge, so to see them suffering through the early days of the pandemic was especially hard,” said Reilly. “But since all in-person attractions were closed, we could more easily connect with the general managers and park owners who are typically strapped with day-to-day responsibilities of running a business. We believed we could utilize this moment in time to help fix their reporting and analytics problems, and luckily, that’s exactly what happened.”

First, CenterEdge ensured all customers had access to and were utilizing their BI tool. According to Reilly, “Our customers were thrilled with how intuitive the platform was and amazed by how granular they could get on certain metrics.”

Historically, CenterEdge Business Intelligence was not included in every customer’s contract –– but after seeing how impactful it could be and knowing how much of a selling point it is for prospects, the company now includes it in all new business proposals.

Driving Data-Based Decisions Amidst a Pandemic

During the spring and summer months of 2020, CenterEdge customers endured varying stages of reopening depending on location and newly imposed restrictions to keep their facilities safe and clean in the wake of the coronavirus. CenterEdge Business Intelligence helped park owners and general managers make tough decisions like how to stagger admissions and best prepare facility staff, which attractions to keep open in order to attract enough guests to remain profitable, and how to account for increased costs associated with sanitization and new safety measures.

Having quick access to precise and accurate BI has helped entertainment owners and general managers identify potential inefficiencies and areas for improvement, as well, which is especially important while foot traffic is temporarily reduced. For multi-attraction facilities, CenterEdge Business Intelligence helps visualize which parts of the business are profitable, or have the potential to be, and should be kept in operation.

“Some of the stories we’ve heard from customers are pretty incredible,” said Reilly. “We are, of course, not out of the woods yet, but many have shared with us how CenterEdge Business Intelligence has helped them better optimize their business to stay afloat during these challenging times. And I believe the skills our customers have learned using BI more regularly will be helpful for future challenges, too.”

CenterEdge Looking to the Future With GoodData Analytics

In the near term, CenterEdge is focused on continuing to help its customers leverage data through the pandemic. Reilly is looking forward to predictive modeling capabilities, which are on the horizon for GoodData. In the years to come, he believes this will be a market differentiator for customers and imperative for their continued success.

“When you start utilizing predictive analytics, you can help answer questions clients didn’t even know they had,” said Reilly. “And that’s a whole new ballgame –– one we’re eager to begin.”