Is Transformative Technology Your New MVP?

After working with Brentford FC during their maiden season in the English Premier League, Feico Mol, SafetyCulture’s General Manager of EMEA, explores how technology can help facility and stadium managers stay match fit for years to come.

The game is changing when it comes to stadium management. In the last three years, there’s been a fundamental shift in how people are using shared spaces and as thousands of spectators have returned to their seats, there’s less room for error.

The good news is tech is here to help. But with so many new technologies and what can seem like infinite possibilities, where do you start?

Start With Simplicity - Mastering The Humble Checklist

Before exploring the possibilities that come with harnessing your data, it’s worth exploring a simple ingredient for success. The humble checklist.

Working with Brentford FC this season, we’ve seen firsthand the power checklists can have and it’s worth investing some time in digitising your pre and post-match procedures. Standardised checklists can help you and your operations team to stay on top of the moving parts involved in hosting thousands of fans.

At Brentford Community Stadium, the team has now implemented digitised checks for things like setting up barriers, installing additional seats, briefing marshalls, ensuring brand standards, managing broadcasters and even responding to unexpected events like rogue drone flights and the occasional streaker. Even more involved procedures — like making the transition from hosting a football game to resetting for a rugby match — become seamless when broken down into a step by step checklist.

There are low-cost mobile-first solutions readily available and you can put them to work in a matter of hours. Once you’ve set them up, you’ll reap the benefits of consistently high standards and fewer mistakes. It creates a simple win for you and a better experience for the fans.

Creating A Data-Driven Stadium With Transformative Tech

If you’ve digitised checklists for your procedures, then it's worth exploring how you can better harness the power of data through transformative technology like IoT, sensors, and automation.

Arguably creating the greatest buzz, the continued rise of intelligent building technology gives you a relatively accessible opportunity to get smarter with your data. From sensors and monitoring systems, all the way through to building information modelling (BIM): new solutions are entering the market almost every day.

You should consider that every asset in your stadium, from HVAC and lighting systems to hand sanitiser dispensers and bins, is a potential (or existing) data input. And from this data, you have the ability to make your operations more efficient, create predictive models and even identify potential problems before they escalate. There’s a huge opportunity to reduce manual checks and free up your time for more valuable work.

While cost can be a barrier for some organisations, the entry point for smart technologies is improving all the time. Solutions that are competitively priced and offer strong ROI are things like HVAC or lighting sensors. Others still have a way to go. However, it’s clear intelligent technologies are a long-term investment that can future-proof operations - so it’s worth weighing the risk and looking into options.

Building information management or automation systems (called BIM and BAS) are on the rise and getting smarter, but if they’re not already on the horizon for your facility, you should still keep them in mind, especially when investing in other smart tech options for your facility. Look for solutions that will ‘play nice’ with others: that is, those offering integration or APIs so you can be sure your data will eventually flow where you need it to.

What’s My Top Tip?

If your goal is to create a data-driven stadium then you need to try and think long-term. For any tech you’re investigating, you must consider if it will feed into any existing systems through integration. Before you sign-up, make sure you have a considered plan for roll-out, adoption, and proof of value.