Integration That Connects the Customer Journey
How Durham County Council is bringing systems, data and people together with Aspire and Xn
For Durham County Council, transforming its leisure service has meant more than investing in buildings.
Across an estate of 15 leisure centres, major refurbishments, a new facility and investment in digital functionality have transformed the physical experience. Alongside this came another challenge: how do you create a better, more joined-up journey for every customer?
The Challenge
Connecting the customer journey
Durham County Council had no dedicated system for managing customer enquiries. Prospective members could call or email, but there was no consistent way to record enquiries, track what happened next or ensure every opportunity was followed up.
“We didn’t have any enquiry CRM system for our customers. There was no way to manage those enquiries, no way to document how they were dealt with and some obviously slipped through the net.”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
But Durham didn’t simply want a better way to record enquiries.
The goal was to create a connected journey from initial enquiry through to becoming – and staying – a member.
Building a structured journey (Phase 1)
Working with implementation partner Aspire CRM, Durham introduced Salesforce to manage enquiries and create a more structured onboarding process.
The ambition was to ensure an enquiry didn’t simply get marked as complete and disappear. Instead, communications and information could help customers understand what to do next, how to use the service and how to get more from their membership.
But one important gap remained.
Memberships were being sold through Xn Leisure Hub and other channels, creating the potential for double entry between systems.
More importantly, customers purchasing memberships themselves online weren’t necessarily entering the same onboarding journey.
“The customer who was buying a membership at home was just not getting any journey whatsoever. They’re just sat out there on their own.”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
The next step was clear: connect the systems and connect the customer journey.
The integration (Phase 2)
From separate systems to one journey
Aspire and Xn began working together to connect Durham’s Salesforce environment with Xn, bringing information that had previously existed across separate systems together.
The objective wasn’t simply to move data.
It was to give Durham’s teams the information they needed to support customers throughout onboarding – regardless of where or how their membership journey started.
For Aspire, the project also demonstrated the wider potential of integrating Salesforce with Xn.
“We know there is an integration with Xn and this is how we have used it before. We know we can get X, Y and Z data. We know this is a connection. So we know that technically it’s possible.”
Natalie Sharpe, Aspire CRM
A Flexible Approach
Solving the problem, not forcing the technology
Not every piece of information needed to move between systems in the same way.
Some data needed to be available quickly, while other information could be synchronised on a scheduled basis.
Rather than forcing Durham’s customer journey to fit the technology, Xn and Aspire worked together to find the right approach for each requirement.
The resulting integration combines scheduled synchronisation with on-demand information, alongside APIs, authentication and Single Sign-On.
“We’ve kind of had this: let’s get Durham what they need for the perfect solution. I don’t think we’ve ever really said no to anything. We’ve just sussed out what the perfect route is for the end user for Durham.”
Mark Morris, Head of R&D, Xn Leisure
For Durham, however, the technology isn’t the outcome. It’s about removing friction for customers and teams.
Removing friction for customers and staff is.
Streamlining the process
Less admin.
Less duplication.
Less friction.
The project also encouraged Durham to take a closer look at its existing onboarding process.
Were all the fields necessary? Was the information actually being used? Did customers really need to provide it?
The answer wasn’t always yes.
“We were just collecting information for information’s sake, never using it, never reporting on it.”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
By simplifying the process and connecting systems, Durham is reducing unnecessary data collection and tackling the double entry previously experienced by staff.
Single Sign-On has the potential to simplify things further.
“Single Sign-On, that’s just going to be a bit of a game changer… but for the staff as well, removing some of the pain points, double entry, all of that type of stuff.”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
One Journey for Every Customer
Bringing online customers into the experience
The integration gives Durham something it didn’t previously have: a more complete view of customer onboarding.
Sales made through Xn Leisure Hub can feed into Salesforce, allowing more customers to become part of the onboarding journey Durham has designed.
For staff, that means better visibility.
For customers, it means their experience doesn’t have to depend on whether they enquired in person, spoke to a member of staff or purchased their membership online.
And that’s where the value starts moving beyond efficiency into better engagement and stronger retention.
Retention by Design
Connecting technology, people and purpose
Technology hasn’t shaped Durham’s onboarding journey alone.
Retention specialist Paul Bedford designed Durham’s original onboarding journey and is involved in training alongside Aspire, helping staff understand both how the process works and why it has been designed that way.
“Ultimately, yes, we want to sell… and the proof is in the money that comes in and in the retention of customers.”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
The aim is to connect the system, the process and the purpose behind it.
Success isn't simply measured by whether the integration works.
It's measured by what happens to the customer.
Durham can now start asking a much more valuable question:
What happened before and after someone became a member and did we give them the journey they needed?
Collaboration
Three organisations. One shared goal.
Connecting three organisations could easily have introduced its own complexity.
Instead, regular communication between Durham County Council, Aspire and Xn has become one of the project’s strengths.
Weekly touchpoints have helped keep development moving, resolve questions quickly and ensure everyone understands what needs to happen next.
This hasn’t been a fixed, off-the-shelf integration.
Requirements have evolved. Challenges have emerged. Different solutions have been considered.
“I’ve absolutely no complaints on the work, the response, the relationship, the discussions, all of that type of stuff.”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
The teams have worked through them together.
Key Learning
Keep it simple
One of the biggest lessons from the project isn’t technical at all.
“Try not to overcomplicate it. Think about the customer’s needs… how many forms do they need to fill out? How many fields do they need to fill out? Do you need to collect that data?”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
Durham’s approach provides a simple blueprint:
Start with the customer. Understand the staff experience. Decide what information genuinely creates value. Then use technology to make the journey easier.
What’s Next
Building on connected data
The integration gives Durham foundations it can continue to build upon.
The next opportunity is to make greater use of information already available within its systems – including visits, swipes and class attendance – to create smarter, more relevant communications.
That could help Durham identify changes in behaviour, recognise customers who may be disengaging and communicate with them at the right time.
AI could eventually support that process too, particularly by handling appropriate enquiries and reducing administrative pressure.
But the human element remains essential.
“We don’t want to automate everything because that human interaction really matters. It’s what helps create a genuine sense of community within your gyms and leisure centres.”
Adrian Dee, Durham County Council
The goal isn’t automation for automation’s sake.
It’s using technology to give teams more time for the people in front of them.
Integration With an Outcome
For Durham, Aspire and Xn, this project hasn’t been about connecting systems simply because they can be connected.
It’s about:
- Removing gaps between enquiry, sale and onboarding
- Reducing double entry and unnecessary administration
- Giving staff better information
- Bringing online customers into the same journey
- Removing unnecessary data collection
- Creating stronger foundations for engagement and retention
For Xn, it demonstrates what’s possible when integration starts with the operator’s problem rather than the technology.
Because the best integration isn’t the one the customer notices. It’s the friction they no longer experience.
