CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 44

a data architect, a sports-oriented CRM analyst, and

designed CRM applications, leading-edge reporting

business analytics and reporting specialists.

tools, and the integration of the data warehouse with a

In addition to creating the data-services group,
we had to evolve our IT organization. Like any

sophisticated, third-party fan-engagement platform.
When you start focusing on the data, a very

championship-caliber team, we needed to adapt

important aspect of digital transformation becomes

to changes in expectations, team chemistry, and

clear to everybody in the organization: quality beats

our portfolio of skills. To accomplish this, we took

quantity every time. Until you can effectively harness

a page from how successful baseball teams are

the data, analytics is just a dream. In our case, there

built. We designed our team by emphasizing strong

are more than ten different ways for someone to buy a

leadership and coaching, and by building a roster

ticket to attend a Red Sox game. This means we have

made up of a few all-stars, free agents in the form

ten ways by which an error can occur. Add to that

of consultants, utility players with key differentiated

the duplication of customer data, and you have the

skills, new experienced players from outside of our

makings of a serious data-quality problem.

club, supported by a young and hungry farm system
comprising part-time resources and select interns.
It's worth noting that because in today's digital age

We have made progress in our data governance and
quality management efforts, but it's a journey that
is never complete. What's critical is that we have a

IT teams need to be lean, adaptable, and skilled in

commitment to data integrity and a process to identify

using leading-edge solutions, sports organizations

and address data inaccuracies at both the beginning

increasingly look to outside industries for their

and end of each data ingest and integration process.

technology professionals, rather than relying on the
traditional internal farm system. The Oakland Athletics'

Enhancing the Fan Experience

Billy Beane, the central character of Moneyball,
was absolutely right when he told the Wall Street

Digital transformation also means adding a digital

Journal a couple years ago: "Increased demand

layer on top of the physical reality of your enterprise.

for technical skills required to interpret the 'big

For us - and most importantly, for our fans-the

data' will dramatically change the composition and

physical reality is America's oldest and most loved

demographics of front offices... [S]port will no longer

ballpark, Fenway Park. We started there with the

be the exclusive domain of 'insiders,' and the business

basics-collaborating with the Major League Baseball

will be better for it." In other words, insularity is your

organization (MLB) to install a Wi-Fi network

worst enemy in a fast-changing digital world.

throughout the park. By the mid-season All-Star

Accordingly, at the Red Sox we rounded out our

break of 2015, working through the snowiest winter in

"virtual" team by cultivating key relationships with

Boston's history, we finally completed the installation.

local colleges and universities to provide critical

Connectivity is like oxygen in today's digital age.

external insight, and we engaged with a few key

Customers everywhere expect connectivity to

strategic partners to effectively balance the buy-

be ubiquitous, in high concentrations, and readily

versus-build equation.

available. Connectivity, however, is but a means to

A Focus on Data Collection and Analysis

an end. It's what you do with it that determines user
satisfaction. We are still early in our digital journey
when it comes to creating compelling digital products

In parallel with our people changes, we significantly
upgraded the infrastructure supporting the
collection and analysis of our data. The nucleus of

44

and services that will both simplify and enhance the
fan experience.
We are leveraging the capabilities of the MLB

this infrastructure investment was a state-of the-art

Ballpark mobile application, which supports digital

enterprise data warehouse, complemented by custom-

ticketing, in-game seat upgrades, offers and



CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8

Contents
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - Cover1
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - Cover2
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 1
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - Contents
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 3
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 4
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 5
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 6
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 7
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 8
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 9
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 10
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 11
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 12
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 13
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 14
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 15
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 16
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 17
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 18
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 19
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 20
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 21
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 22
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 23
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 24
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 25
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 26
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 27
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 28
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 29
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 30
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 31
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 32
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 33
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 34
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 35
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 36
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 37
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 38
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 39
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 40
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 41
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 42
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 43
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 44
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 45
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 46
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 47
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 48
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 49
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 50
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 51
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 52
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 53
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 54
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 55
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 56
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 57
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 58
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 59
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 60
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 61
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 62
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 63
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 64
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 65
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 66
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 67
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 68
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 69
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 70
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 71
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 72
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 73
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 74
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - 75
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - Cover3
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 8 - Cover4
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https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue8
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https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue5
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue4
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue3
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue2
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue1
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