GLOBAL INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS

SPORTS VENUE MANAGEMENT

Global systems house Data Factors Ltd has created a unique range of IT solutions for sports venues called DeFacto. These integrated systems are designed to help sports and leisure facilities make the best use of their management information and in so doing, improve their bottom line. In this marketplace, it is usual for the supplier to provide hardware, software, training, installation, commissioning and on-going maintenance. Most importantly, the systems need to offer complete reliability and integrity of data. DeFacto offers intelligent management of database and membership data. This enables information to be used to optimise many business areas. These include retail and other direct selling, ticketing, customer promotions and the management of access control and smartcard systems.

Data Factors have become renowned as an innovator in this business sector and have attracted clients from amongst the biggest names in the leisure industry. These include Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough Football Clubs, Harlequins and Saracens Rugby Clubs, and Nottingham Ice Stadium.

David Sheepshanks, Chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club and Chair of the English Football League, once described Ipswich's rapid move from loss into profit as 'largely due to investment in IT'. Data Factors are obviously delighted to see one of their longest-established clients benefiting from their work. Working closely with Ipswich Town, Data Factors have developed a large, geographically diverse network, backed by resilient and fault tolerant file servers, which provide: a telephone call centre remote from the ground and on-line for telephone ticket sales in-house match day and season ticket sales and ticketing management integrated customer loyalty management retail electronic points of sale, with stock and merchandise management mail order sales, including picking and dispatch management on-line multiple warehouse control The system is continually being expanded and updated to enable the club to make even better use of the marketing data accumulated across its systems.