The Royal Air Force Club
Transforms Operations with PolyAPI

PolyAPI empowered the Royal Air Force Club to seamlessly integrate legacy and cloud systems, transforming operational efficiency and enhancing member experiences while paving the way for future technological advancements.

A Prestigious Club Faces a Modern Challenge

The Royal Air Force Club (RAF Club), an esteemed private members’ club offering accommodation, dining, and social spaces exclusively for ranked officers of the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom, has always prided itself on exceptional service. However, their ambition to modernize operations hit a significant roadblock during their planned migration to Opera Cloud, a property management system (PMS) developed by Oracle Hospitality.

The heart of their operations are two critical platforms,

1. Concept – managing membership and guest profiles, and
2. Opera – handling property management.

Without a way to integrate these systems, RAF Club faced a critical challenge: the potential derailment of its Opera Cloud project, inefficiencies in operations, and an inability to meet its long-term goal of leveraging technology to enhance member experiences.

Why PolyAPI?

Recognizing the situation’s urgency, RAF Club evaluated several solutions, ultimately selecting PolyAPI for its unmatched middleware capabilities and solutions engineering expertise. PolyAPI’s ability to connect on-premises systems like Concept with cloud-based platforms like Opera Cloud offered a lifeline. Its adaptability and hands-on support further cemented the decision.

“We spent months struggling with Opera integration. One call with PolyAPI, and in an hour, they helped us solve our challenges. The efficiency and support were incredible,” shared RAF Club’s Director of Operations, Katariina Reissaar.

Turning Roadblocks into Results

The PolyAPI team collaborated closely with RAF Club, as well as the Shiji and Oracle teams, to map workflows and configure the middleware, ensuring seamless data synchronization between Concept and Opera Cloud. This integration reinstated the Opera Cloud project and restored confidence in RAF Club’s modernization efforts.

PolyAPI acted as the intermediary, handling diverse data formats and enabling real-time synchronization. This modular approach ensured that the integration process did not disrupt daily operations while laying the groundwork for future system connections. Additionally, the solution was tested over two months against real data, allowing all types of failures to be identified and addressed before going live, ensuring a seamless and reliable deployment.

In addition to connecting Concept and Opera Cloud, PolyAPI will begin facilitating integrations with ResDiary, Sage 200, and the RAF Club’s website, which Propeller manages. These connections will streamline booking processes, enhance financial operations, and improve the member experience. 

Operational Efficiency and Member Satisfaction

The adoption of PolyAPI has already delivered measurable benefits:

• Efficiency Gains: Manual data entry was drastically reduced, minimizing errors and freeing up staff to focus on enhancing service.
• Future-Proofing: With PolyAPI in place, RAF Club can integrate additional systems, including digital check-in and event management solutions.
• Seamless Troubleshooting: An easy troubleshooting experience for when synchronization fails, helping identify misconfigurations and gaps in member data in real time.

Unexpected Benefits

The integration process revealed additional advantages beyond expectations. PolyAPI’s flexibility solved the immediate problem and inspired confidence in exploring further technological opportunities. While there were minor challenges in adapting legacy workflows, PolyAPI’s team provided ongoing support to address these issues, ensuring alignment with RAF Club’s needs.

A Foundation for Growth

The success of the Opera Cloud integration has positioned PolyAPI as a central component of the Royal Air Force Club’s technology strategy. Plans include expanding integrations to digital check-ins and enhancing event management processes.

“PolyAPI has been a game-changer for the Royal Air Force Club. They not only provided a seamless middleware solution but also restored hope in our ability to modernize and future-proof our operations,” Katariina reflected.

RAF Club also envisions enhanced reporting tools and advanced analytics as valuable additions to PolyAPI’s capabilities, further supporting decision-making and operational insights.

Why PolyAPI Works for Complex Systems

For organizations navigating the challenges of integrating legacy systems with modern cloud solutions, PolyAPI serves as both a solutions engineering partner and a robust integration platform. We work alongside teams to bridge gaps, minimize disruptions, and empower them to focus on delivering exceptional experiences.

With PolyAPI, the Royal Air Force Club has transformed a daunting challenge into an opportunity for growth, modernized its operations, and laid the groundwork for ongoing innovation.