The NFL hasn’t expanded since 2002, and likely won’t consider the possibility of a new franchise in the near future. The world of professional football is constantly shifting and adapting to market forces and advancements in technology. Teams can use IT consultants to help keep their tech solutions and IT infrastructure up to date in a hypercompetitive industry, and this consulting is even more important when teams move into new facilities that may not be as advanced as a typical NFL stadium. This is the case for the two teams that recently moved to Los Angeles; the Chargers are sharing the StubHub Center with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer for the year while the Rams split time with USC in the Coliseum.

To demonstrate the value of IT consulting in getting a business up to speed, imagine for a moment that you’re the owner of a brand new NFL  franchise. Go ahead and pick a city and team name if you’re feeling creative. You have the funding, you have blueprints for a stadium, and you’re already targeting players for the expansion draft. For all your successes, however, you’re not sure how to go about assembling the technology you need to make your new team successful. If you hire an IT consultant, what are some of the things they’d tell you?

Invest Heavily in the Cloud

Cloud services play an essential role in modern business, and might be even more important to professional sporting clubs. The cloud can be used to create a collaborative workspace in the front office. This allows employees to share files at a moment’s notice and work on them together in real time. Data in the cloud can be accessed from off-site as well, enabling you to transfer files quickly between the front office and the stadium or employees working from home.

Cloud services will make life easier for your scouts and analysts in particular. Game footage can be cut and uploaded directly to the cloud, where it can be viewed in-browser. This is a huge improvement over just a few years ago, and will help your team reach its potential as soon as possible.

IT Infrastructure Is Essential

It’s common knowledge at this point that NFL stadiums are cathedrals of technology, but building such an advanced structure takes a lot of time and expertise. Building a new structure with technology in mind is the best possible way to integrate new technology into your organization. If you’re working with an older or pre-built facility that’s okay; a great IT infrastructure architect can work around almost any structural objects.

Many stadiums are incorporating full-stadium guest Wi-Fi for fans. Others are incorporating gameday apps and in-seat concession ordering. All of these amenities that fans are beginning to expect at games require IT consulting to properly implement.

VoIP Can Be a Lifesaver

Communication is important both on and off the field. You need the best communications technology to run your team properly. Traditional phone lines are outdated, expensive, and hard to scale in order to fit your organization’s needs.

Going digital with your office phones is one of the fastest and easiest ways to streamline communications and can empower your employees to do great work with less stress. Sales personnel and account managers will be able to make more effective calls.

Running an NFL team is a unique experience that very few business owners can directly relate to. But the same technologies that professional sports teams rely on are also essential for even small businesses.

If you’re curious about what technology can do to empower your organization but you aren’t ready to fully commit to an IT service provider, IT consulting might be right for you. If you’d like to learn more about PRO OnCall’s IT consulting services, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.