The world of sport changes every day, and so does the way we develop champions. Although fans may not realize it, operations management has as much on-field significance to their favorite sports teams as it does to their day-to-day jobs and businesses. On-field success in the modern sporting industry is far too valuable to rely on the subjective whims of coaches and scouts to find talent of a high enough caliber and develop it. According to Hamford Professor Jim Bamford, who has done extensive research for the World Academy of Sport and has partners in numerous different sports’ teams, it is important for owners not to neglect this by focusing on their bottom line only: “There is a direct correlation between what happens on the pitch and the users’ experience. So the next stage is to see how we can use numbers, metrics and business analysis to improve the on-field performance. This should create a virtuous circle of improvement.” That is why the top organizations in the field of sports analyze performance metrics, stadium management, and organizational structures and practices to improve their return on investment and ultimately augment the profitability of the business. Although it is impossible to utilize theory to predict the actual demands in traditional business or like here in the spontaneity of sports, Professor Bamford states: “Operations management can aid the athlete and players by ensuring they are at the right place, with the right kit at the right time to turn in a winning performance,” and “….Operations management has the potential to increase the satisfaction of the spectators even further.”
Performance metrics coupled with the rise in technology are reshaping the role of the scout and the formula for success for coaches and players. Teams are tracking everything with their players down to the finest of details. The movie Money Ball is a great example how the Oakland A’s, a professional Major League Baseball team, used saber metrics and mathematical modeling to form a highly successful baseball team even with their low levels of revenue. The San Antonio Spurs, according to an ESPN article, utilize “Stats’ SportVU’s high-speed photography, using real-time acceleration stats” which can”more tangibly measure game-play execution.” Advanced stats such as “Who isn’t getting back on defense” and “Who can shoot a jump shot with defense in their face” are replacing the eye and ear tests. Today, hard numbers are preferred. For top professional athletes, performance off the court is also analyzed just as much. With team psychologists and frequent physiological tests measuring all aspects of athletes’ bodies, the analysis never ends.
Organizations can profit from efficient configuration and planning of their stadiums to improve fan experience and their return on investment. Jumbotrons and Wi-Fi at some stadiums are calculated efforts at this. Also the physical layout and organized personnel within the stadium is crucial for experience and fan safety as tragic events can be avoided such as the Hillsborough disaster, where 96 people died due to poor stadium design and training of staff.
Effective integration of operations management into the often un-orchestrated world or sports is a tough formula to devise. However, those organizations that achieve this balance and invest their resources correctly into technology aimed at analyzing and improving all aspects of their operations on the field as much as they do off the field are positioned to succeed more than their foes. Well, on paper at least.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120724104141.htm
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9980160/nba-how-analytics-movement-evolved-nba
http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/18402/new-studies-change-how-you-see-sports
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-19545126
Managing athletes on sports teams is definitely becoming essential to success. One of the examples I immediately thought of as I read this post was the Philadelphia Eagles. Everybody hears of analyzing stats like in Moneyball, but something the Eagles do takes it a step further. Each player on the team has a personal blender used to make a specialized smoothie after practice. The trainers have created an individual program that has a specified diet per player. The staff monitors how the player reacts to the smoothie and if it rejuvenates them after a tough workout to ensure that they have the energy and endurance to handle the NFL season. At first, I thought this was a bit extreme, but it turns out the players love the smoothies and claim they have made a huge difference. This proves that even managing the smallest details of a team can lead to big impacts.
While reading this I instantly thought of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs recently hired Joe Maddon who much like the Oakland A’s uses saber metrics as much as possible. I also thought about Theo Epstein who along with Billy Beane of Oakland was one of the first front office personnel to incorporate numbers into baseball management decisions. I also agree that organizations can benefit from looking at numbers in a variety of ways like saber metrics in baseball or like Brenna has explained the Eagles do in football. Even though the numbers do not tell the whole story I believe they do tell a large portion of that story that the regular eye test can assess.
Interesting read, I completely agree that sports management is key to success. When you look at the teams that have been successful for a long time one of the many things that they all have is a coach who can manage the team well. Grep Popovich is considered a great coach and he has been with the spurs for a long time winning 5 championships in the last 14 years. Bill Belichick is another example. He has managed the Patriots to 3 Super Bowl victories. When a company or team finds a great manager, they should hold on to them as long as they can and reap the benefits.
Poppy Playtime a horror game with puzzle elements, which has made a name for itself since desktop computers. The game tells the story of an abandoned children’s toy factory, you will be in the role of a former employee controlling in first person to discover the truth about the mysterious disappearance of all its employees. As you make your way through the working rooms you may suddenly lose power, restore power as soon as possible so you won’t be discovered by Huggy Wuggy.