Achieving world class performance off the pitch
Getting the basics right
Digitising sport
Digital transformation was in focus long before the pandemic and ESG initiatives increased the spotlight. Public scrutiny makes sport organisations reluctant to be first with new technologies. That’s a good thing when it preserves the longevity of the ecosystem.
We’re seeing the digital infrastructure of sport under development right now. Every day a new platform to increase fan engagement, optimise ticket sales or deliver Web 3.0. Driving commercial revenues is a significant priority after the tough times in 2020. Commercial outcomes sometimes seem more important than sporting ones.
But saving money also leads to profit. Bloated costs will mean falling behind in the increasingly competitive landscape. Until now, digital transformation strategies haven’t generated the savings that make C-Level or Ownership sit up and take notice. Ensuring sport organisations remain lean and efficient will require a better understanding of workspace trends.
Sport organisations still rely on multiple software tools which creates different problems to solve. Poor collaboration between siloed departments amplifies the issue. When you scratch under the surface, how much work is actually getting done?
We’re seeing the digital infrastructure of sport under development right now.
Foreword by James Kitching
Member Of The Supervisory Board FIFA Clearinghouse
What's the fuss?
Well, only 60% of working hours are productive! A dependence on email means the average colleague checks their inbox 36 times per hour. No wonder getting a new initiative off the ground is an uphill battle.1
Department heads are often unaware of the issues because slow moving teams find a way forward. That’s typically a new recruit to take up the slack. Sadly, it’s never as simple as that.
In a McKinsey survey, only 16% of respondents believe their organisations’ digital transformation had successfully improved performance and helped them sustain benefits long term.2
Only four components are needed for an organisation to guarantee a 300% greater chance of their digital transformation project being successful:2
1
Sharing a clearly explained rationale for transformation with employees
2
Digital tools that make comms more fluid between departments
3
Self-serve tech for employees and partners
4
Senior managers providing a sense of urgency for the transformational changes
Holding back the Front Office?
Constant emails. Endless meetings. New initiatives. Distractions from every angle.
10 IQ points are lost when a daily routine involves managing an inbox. The same effect as missing an entire night’s sleep! 1
More than $3.5 billion each year is spent in unnecessary meetings at US sport organisations. That’s a chronic lack of focus on off-field performance.3
Let’s shine a light on the bottlenecks
1
Emails
Colleagues waste $3050 on spam and unnecessary emails each year and $3000 on poorly written comms.1
2
Meetings
Colleagues spend 33% of their time in meetings although 47% believe meetings are the biggest time-waster.1
3
Interruptions
Colleagues interrupt each other 8 times per hour with triviality then spend 2 hours each day recovering from these distractions.1
Tip: Work Smarter
How do I upload hundreds of passport copies for an overseas tournament? I’ve got thousands of athlete surveys to complete, share and store. Help please!
Hitting targets needs everyone on the same page. Less emails and no more unnecessary meetings.
Without
Cluttered inbox
Repeated conversations
Deadlines missed
Alexa, do we have a problem?
76% of executive devices are actively leaking data and 87% have no security installed. Spreadsheets remain at the centre of sport operations. The first port of call for athlete data storage, performance reporting and event management.4
Weren’t spreadsheets supposed to help?
Flashing red lights
1
Slow performance
Over time spreadsheets get bigger, slower and are more likely to break.
2
Version control
How do you collaborate with no version control? Incorrect data means poor decisions.
Tip: Boost Security
Do I need to use manual tools to collect member information?
Information security isn’t the main priority for spreadsheets. That’s what makes them risky.
Sport organisations should ensure docs aren’t circulating without necessary access permissions. Busy departments must avoid sensitive data ending up in the wrong hands. But only 8% of the C-Suite implement Multi-Factor Authentication. It’s time to take action.4
It’s never One Drive?
Digitisation was meant to make every doc accessible. But shared drives created their own issues. Painful uploading, incomplete search and a culture of duplication.
16% of colleagues repeat tasks because they can’t find the original doc! 6
1
Are my files safe?
Accessing folders via an emailed link makes things very hard to control.
2
Where are they?
Who's the administrator? Colleagues spend 24% of working time searching for docs! 6
3
Is it ready?
Tracking workflow completion for thousands of athletes needs advanced tools.
Tip: It’s Time To Try Something Else
Managing the day-to-day activities of a sport organisation is hard enough. Further upheaval when a colleague with data moves departments or quits.
Should I be storing my athlete information in Excel? Or OneDrive?
Sport organisations that embrace the right solution heighten security, deliver projects 70% faster and reduce costs by 80%.7
Without
Inadequate data security
Incorrect data
Lost documents
Transactions in focus
The transaction departments take on more stress than anyone. High drama condensed into a brief time period. Preparation is key because securing the right talent changes fortunes. Make or break.
So why take the risk on old tech? When missing a deadline can prove so costly.
Big business needs the right tools!
Automating contracts closes them 30% faster. Without email leading the process.8
1
Who’s there?
Invite and exclude transaction participants in seconds. Secure chat rooms capture every discussion.
2
Is the price agreed?
Rapid term sheet builder with version tracking, integrated clause library and in-built approvals.
3
Is it done?
Participant tasks project managed to the deadline. A secure data room tracks every doc and signature.
Tip: Reimagine Transactions
How can email, Dropbox and DocuSign hold us back? How to stay on top of 25 simultaneous negotiations? Or track version history across dozens of docs?
A single dashboard is all it takes to stay on top of critical activity.
Without
Deadlines missed
Lost contracts
Missed conversations
Looking ahead
Reimagine your team
The implications of digitisation is significant and organisations may need to hire additional skills and knowhow.
Upgrade the hard wiring
Dedicated training can support leaders and colleagues to make the necessary mind-set and behavioural shifts.
Improve the comms
Leave behind traditional channels and move towards interactive platforms with concise messages to enable dialogue across the organisation.
Secrets of success
1
Adopt digital tools that make information more accessible across the organisation
2
Implement self-serve tech for employees and business partners to use
3
Modify standard operating procedures to include new technologies
Digital transformation made easy
The next decade will bring rapid developments in disruptive tech like the internet of things, artificial intelligence and VR. The time to get the basics right is now. We know the best organisations will collaborate seamlessly. They will need a best of breed tool.
Giving day-to-day tools a digital upgrade
League.Exchange streamlines athlete comms, events, docs and transaction operations. It's an alternative to MS Word, Google Forms, DocuSign and Dropbox that speeds up everyday tasks.
No platform matches the flexibility deploying custom workflows or the reduction in stress completing transactions. The centralised data room saves resources and increases visibility across departments.
Comms
Phone calls, e-mail,
WhatsApp,
Slack
Docs
DocuSign, Dropbox,
OneDrive, MS Word,
SharePoint, Google Forms,
Survey Monkey
Events
Email,
Google Calendar
WhatsApp
Transactions
Word, PDF, e-mail,
phone calls, DocuSign,
Google Drive
Jay Kaufman
ex-VP Insights NBA
Modern sport organisations looking to reach the workplace of tomorrow faster should consider League.Exchange. No tool provides as much flexibility completing custom workflows at scale and none are as effective in reducing time, errors and stress managing transactions. Ideal for a busy team completing multiple initiatives on top of their business as usual activities!
No tool provides as much flexibility completing custom workflows at scale
Something I’ve seen missing from the sports industry
James Kitching
Supervisory Board FIFA Clearinghouse
League.Exchange revolutionises off-field management for large sport organisations by streamlining paperwork, athlete comms, sporting events and transaction operations. Colleagues access a secure and centralised data room which increases visibility and saves resources across the organisation. Something I’ve seen missing from the sports industry.
Simon Thorp
Founding Partner Onside Law
Having been involved in hundreds of transactions in sport, I have often thought that technology should be able to do more. League.Exchange is an impressive product helping parties be more efficient and save considerable time in the negotiation and agreement of contracts.
Save considerable time in the negotiation and agreement of contracts
References: