Case study/Leisure
SaaS modernization for Paddle Sports Center in California
A kayaking and paddleboard rental business in the Santa Barbara area wanted one system for equipment, customers, time and billing. That system is Adventure Rental System.
unicrew built the Adventure Rental System (ARS), a rental tracking platform that uses NFC and RFID wristbands to handle check-in and check-out for a paddle sports rental business in Santa Barbara. The client reported a 15-20% increase in revenue.
- Client
- Adventure Rental System
- Focus
- Leisure
- Market
United States- Engagement
- Rental equipment and client tracking platform
- Stack
NFCRFID
PHP
Yii2
Java
Outcome at a glance
What this project delivered, in numbers.
- 15-20%Increase in revenueClient-reported, from efficiency gains and accurate time tracking
Project Overview
Adventure Rental System is a kayaking and paddleboard rental company in the Santa Barbara area, and it is also the name of the software unicrew built for it. The client set out to run the business more efficiently by building a rental management system, with the primary goal of simplifying the rental process for both equipment and customers.
Challenge
Several problems were holding back the client’s operational efficiency:
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Lack of an integrated system: there was no unified system that could handle billing and time tracking with precision. The existing legacy tools could not support the growing demands of the business, especially real-time tracking and accurate billing.
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Need for modernization: the client wanted a modern solution built on advanced technologies such as NFC (Near Field Communications) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) to streamline check-ins and check-outs, aiming for minimal human intervention and maximal accuracy in rental durations.
Solution
unicrew stepped in to craft a bespoke end-to-end solution. The Adventure Rental System (ARS) is rental tracking software built around NFC and RFID technologies embedded in wristbands.
Key elements of the solution:
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Wristbands with NFC and RFID technologies: check-in and check-out with minimal human intervention, plus precise tracking of rental durations.
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API from Mindbody Online: sync with the third-party systems the business already ran on. (Mindbody Online is a CRM widely used in the fitness and wellness industry.)
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NFC reader: a Java-based application for the NFC reader.
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Web application: a PHP and Yii2-powered backend.
By harnessing APIs from Mindbody Online, unicrew’s engineers kept ARS in sync with those third-party systems. That integration streamlined implementation and boosted the system’s efficiency. The technology stack was chosen for reliability and performance: a Java-based application for the NFC reader, NFC-based tags, and a PHP and Yii2-powered backend for the web application.
Result
Implementing the Adventure Rental System improved operational efficiency and revenue generation. The client reported a 15-20% increase in revenue, attributed to efficiency gains and the system’s ability to accurately track time (moving away from less precise quarter-hour or hourly tracking).
Co-founder Garrett Kababik described the day-to-day side of it in his Clutch review: “The efficiency from the CRM standpoint has been valuable.” Rating the work on quality, he added: “It’s a really useful and practical system.”
This is the kind of build that pays off when someone is willing to change how staff work at the counter from day one. Where the process cannot change, wristbands and integrations only move the manual step somewhere else. unicrew builds operational software for hospitality and leisure businesses on that basis, and Garrett Kababik’s full review sits with the rest on our client reviews page. The engagement began under our former Artelogic brand.
What the client says
We’ve seen a 15-20% increase in revenue, which is through the efficiency gains and the ability to accurately track time on a permanent basis rather than just by a quarter hour or an hour. I’ve worked with a lot of development teams over the years and these guys have been the best. It’s nice to finally find a team that we can work with.
06/Quick answers
The questions behind the project
What did unicrew build for Adventure Rental System?
unicrew built Adventure Rental System (ARS), a rental equipment and client tracking platform for a paddle sports business in Santa Barbara. The centerpiece is NFC and RFID technology embedded in wristbands, which handles check-in and check-out with minimal human intervention and tracks rental durations precisely. Around that sit a Java-based application for the NFC reader, a PHP and Yii2 web backend, and an integration with the Mindbody Online API so ARS stays in sync with third-party solutions.
Why NFC and RFID wristbands instead of legacy tracking tools?
Because the bill depended on knowing exactly how long equipment was out. Checking a wristband in starts the rental clock and checking it back in ends it, so the duration is measured rather than estimated. Before that, the client had no unified system that could handle billing and time tracking with precision, and the existing legacy tools could not support real-time tracking or accurate billing as the business grew. The client reported a 15-20% increase in revenue, attributed to efficiency gains and accurate time tracking rather than less precise quarter-hour or hourly tracking.
What is ARS built with, and what does each piece do?
A Java-based application drives the NFC reader, NFC-based tags sit in the wristbands, and the web application runs on a PHP and Yii2 backend. The other significant piece is the Mindbody Online API (a CRM widely used in the fitness and wellness industry), which unicrew's engineers used to keep ARS in sync with the systems the business already ran on.
What experience does unicrew have with rental and leisure operations software?
Our engineers have built and supported operational software for hospitality and leisure businesses: equipment and customer tracking, the hardware, time-based billing rules, and integrations with the CRM and booking systems those operators already run. What carries from one engagement to the next is that experience, not the software.