Saved ROLLER's internal payments team days of manual data aggregation work per week, reducing the task to minutes
Enabled more than 3,000 venues to access self-service embedded analytics without needing third-party BI tools
Eliminated engineering bottlenecks by transitioning from manual SQL scripting to a self-service data model
Facilitated the launch of ROLLER iQ, a conversational AI chatbot that queries Looker APIs for consistent data
ROLLER transitioned from manual SQL reporting to a robust, embedded BI solution with Looker and BigQuery, enabling more than 3,000 global venues to optimize operations and guest experiences through real-time, self-service data.
ROLLER transitioned from manual SQL reporting to a robust, embedded BI solution with Looker and BigQuery, enabling more than 3,000 global venues to optimize operations and guest experiences through real-time, self-service data.
Breaking the manual SQL cycle
For nearly a decade, ROLLER has operated as a rapidly growing leader in the attractions industry. As it scaled to 350 employees and supported thousands of venues, the company identified a powerful opportunity to modernize its data culture. Previously, customers relied on basic reports that lacked visual depth needed for high-traffic environments like a trampoline park, while internal staff often depended on engineers to manually run SQL scripts across 20 different databases. The leadership team recognized that to truly ride the upcoming AI wave, the company needed to move away from these manual task management cycles and empower every employee with immediate, self-service data access.
The decision to adopt Google Cloud marked a transformative step in ROLLER's evolution.
After evaluating the market, Looker stood out as the premier solution for our customers. It delivers exceptional BI capabilities directly within our platform, providing an elegant surface where our users can finally master their own data and craft sophisticated, custom dashboards with ease.
Andrew Brodie
VP of Data and AI, ROLLER
While the team initially implemented Databricks, a strategic consultation with Google revealed that BigQuery and Looker offered a much more seamless, integrated fit for their vision of world-class embedded analytics. This shift allowed ROLLER to build a definitive 'source of truth' that serves both internal teams and a global customer base. By following this path, ROLLER provided a professional, intuitive BI surface where customers can now craft their own dashboards, while departments like finance and payments have the freedom to move at the speed of the business without waiting for technical intervention.
This migration successfully turned what was once a technical bottleneck into a significant competitive advantage. The team now fully embraces the BigQuery environment, and the establishment of a new enterprise data warehouse team in Austin ensures that the high standards set by this new stack will continue to scale. By breaking the manual cycle, ROLLER has not only reclaimed hundreds of engineering hours but laid the groundwork for a future where data is a primary driver of innovation and customer satisfaction.
Giving global venues the VIP analytics experience
ROLLER's adoption of Looker and BigQuery has fundamentally transformed how the organization converts raw data into actionable growth. By leveraging Airbyte to pipe data from approximately 20 SQL Server databases across three global regions into BigQuery, Roller established a centralized data powerhouse. This sophisticated infrastructure integrates data from core platform operations with essential business systems like Salesforce and Chargebee. This foundation enabled the launch of 'ROLLER Analytics,' an embedded BI experience that provides over 3,000 venues with professional-grade insights. Customers who may have struggled with static Excel spreadsheets can now use Looker's intuitive interface to monitor performance in real-time, focusing their energy on creating exceptional guest experiences rather than manual data entry.
The impact on our payments team was instantaneous. By connecting to Looker, we turned days of exhausting manual aggregation into mere minutes of automated insight. It’s been a total game-changer, allowing our analysts to focus on high-level strategy for our senior leadership and board.
Andrew Brodie
VP of Data and AI, ROLLER
The internal impact of this transition has been equally dramatic. The payments team, which manages a critical revenue stream, saw their primary administrative burden, weekly data aggregation, drop from several days of manual labor to minutes. This newfound efficiency allowed ROLLER to hire dedicated analysts who utilize LookML to craft 'gold level' models for leadership and go-to-market teams. Beyond operational improvements, this strategy has unlocked a thriving new revenue stream. ROLLER monetizes these advanced capabilities through subscription tiers, offering specialized dashboards as high-value incentives for premium plans, and charging for custom analytics as a separate add-on for large-scale franchisees.
By providing a comprehensive one stop shop, ROLLER eliminates the need for venues to invest in expensive third party tools like PowerBI or Tableau. Features such as scheduled alerts and automated exports make high-level business intelligence accessible to all staff, regardless of technical proficiency. This democratization of data ensures attraction managers have the trusted metrics they need to hit their goals and run their businesses smoothly. This strategic use of Looker as a platform has not only increased customer loyalty but also positioned ROLLER as an indispensable partner for attraction venues worldwide, ensuring they stay ahead of market trends while maximizing their long-term profitability.
The future of BI at ROLLER is
conversation and answers
With a robust data foundation established, ROLLER is now leading the attractions industry into a future defined by generative AI and seamless data accessibility. The team recently launched 'ROLLER iQ,' an innovative conversational AI chatbot built on Google Cloud, using Vertex AI that brings data to life through natural language, with Gemini 3 Flash + Gemini 3.1 Pro for deeper questions and insights. This project was a major focus for the data engineering and ML teams, who leveraged their deep knowledge of ROLLER's data to build a tool that outpaced traditional product development timelines. By integrating directly with Looker APIs, ROLLER iQ ensures that every answer provided in a chat is perfectly consistent with the official dashboards. This breakthrough allows venue managers to ask complex questions and receive immediate, trusted answers, making data interaction more intuitive than ever before.
ROLLER sees the future of BI as conversational, and they are ideally positioned to lead this charge. While beautiful visualizations remain key for human understanding, the ability to have a direct conversation with the data empowers managers to uncover hidden trends and insights they might otherwise miss. For example, a venue manager could ask, "How much revenue did I make each month last year?" while the AI automatically generates a corresponding chart. ROLLER is also actively exploring Looker's latest conversational features and private previews for embedded dashboards to stay at the cutting edge of this technology. This transition from manual SQL to AI-driven, conversational insights solidifies ROLLER’s reputation as a forward-thinking innovator that is truly changing the game.
The partnership with Google Cloud continues to be a cornerstone of ROLLER's success, providing the tools needed to turn ambitious AI visions into reality. Beyond simple Q&A, the future involves the BI tool proactively identifying trends and insights that a user might not readily see, acting as a strategic advisor for the business. As ROLLER explores new ways to integrate conversational analytics into the daily lives of venue staff, they are defining the next generation of attraction management. By reducing the friction between a question and an insight, ROLLER is helping its customers dream bigger, act faster, and deliver more joy to guests at every leisure and attractions business across the globe.
The team remains committed to staying updated with the latest innovations from the Looker platform, including exploring new CI/CD tools and performance updates to enhance the user experience. With more than 3,000 venues already benefiting from this data revolution, the reach of these tools is significant and continues to grow as more users access insights through the ROLLER iQ chatbot. This journey from a digital agency to a global AI-driven software provider highlights ROLLER's relentless pursuit of excellence and its dedication to empowering the leisure industry through the power of data.
We believe the future of BI is definitely conversational, but the ability to still visualize in a way that makes sense to the customers, having that conversation with the data.
Andrew Brodie
VP of Data and AI, ROLLER
ROLLER is the cloud-based venue management platform for modern attractions, purpose-built to remove friction from the guest experience at every touchpoint. The company's all-in-one platform simplifies its customers' business processes, improving efficiency and maximizing revenue. ROLLER's comprehensive solution includes: Online Checkout and Ticketing, Point-of-Sale, Integrated Payments, Memberships, Gift Cards, Waivers, Self-Serve Kiosks, Cashless Wallets, Guest Surveys, and more.
Industry: Technology
Location: Australia
Products: Google Cloud, Looker, BigQuery
