Having lived in New England my entire life, I have no love for the New York sports teams. However, I can set that bias aside to appreciate the New York Jets use of active information (fresh, analyzed in-context, actionable) to manage game day business operations in their New Meadowlands Stadium.
As a recent article in Fast Company describes, the Jets have implemented “a first-of-its-kind "Command Center," which will help executives and merchandisers track customers in real-time.”
“…Built by digital design firm Roundarch, the new system enables managers to keep by-the-second tabs on operations through a touchscreen dashboard. …Command Center monitors ticket sales, concession and merchandising information, and parking, all in real-time.”
During the game, executives and operations personnel can monitor the flow of sales, people and traffic and make adjustments to maximize profits and game day experience.
“The stadium is heat-mapped too, so if lines are getting to long, mobile vendors can be directed to help ease the burden". You might realize, hey, this part of the stadium has more sun in the fans’ eyes, and is selling more hats," says Geoff Cubitt, chief technology officer of Roundarch. "We’re running out of inventory there, but the other side has plenty. In real-time, you can be smarter about how to allocate."”
“…The Command Center won’t just help managers and executives, but will soon aim to improve the fan experience as well. Cisco has invested $100 million into the stadium, and one rep estimates the company’s technology could provide fans with estimated wait times in the near future. The dashboard will also warn of choke points at stadium gates and concession stands, so fans can be informed of how to avoid the longest line for a burger, or the best way to exit after the game.”
Shortening beer lines, reducing traffic and maximizing profit all in real-time, sounds like a winner to me.
Check out all the Command Center graphics in the Fast Company article.
