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San Francisco 49ers
Removing Game-day Barriers in Real Time by Utilizing Technology
As a Director of Business Intelligence & CRM for the San Francisco 49ers, Noele oversees the maintenance and expansion of the team's data environment, the strategic development and execution of the team's CRM system, developing automated reporting and data visualizations for the organization, as well as the lead on fan feedback initiatives including surveys and Happy Or Not. Specifically, on game day, she runs the Executive Huddle powered by SAP, a real-time SAP Analytics Cloud data center in a suite used for 49ers games. Before joining the 49ers in 2018, Noele worked for the Atlanta Hawks for six seasons, primarily in CRM and business analytics.
What role does data play on 49ers gamedays?
Our data flows into SAP HANA cloud and all data sources update every 1-5 minutes. This enables us to keep an eye on several dashboards and visualize the data to identify problems. For instance, we introduced our Member-Inclusive Menu (MIM) last season, a perk for season ticket members (STMs) on gamedays. STMs receive stadium favorites like hot dogs, pretzels, chicken tenders, fries and more at no extra cost on gameday. The Executive Huddle experimented with this last year to evaluate how many individuals were utilizing their new benefit, telling us how MIM was being received by fans.
Are there any specific examples of how you have used the Executive Huddle and data to improve the fan experience on gamedays?
A major example is how we’ve been able to monitor ticket scan data. From this, we can see when and where fans are entering the stadium. By seeing entry data in real-time, we can help direct fans to specific entrances, ultimately getting them inside faster. For example, if we see too many fans are entering at Gate A, we can start directing more of them to Gate C to alleviate wait times. We also use HappyOrNot terminals to pinpoint locations where fans are having negative experiences. When we see a large amount of negative feedback clustered in one location, we will send staff to identify and solve the issue. Using this data has helped us improve operations to a point where we can now solve fan experience issues in 10 minutes or less.
How do the Executive Huddle's interactive dashboards work for you?
The Executive Huddle's interactive dashboards provide real-time updates on event-day metrics for parking, ticketing, concessions, retail, and fan feedback. By monitoring the volume of concession transactions and fan feedback concurrently, we are able to reallocate staff to increase the speed of service at the busiest stands. After a game is over, we combine HappyOrNot data with postgame survey data to identify what adjustments need to be made for next time.
By constantly monitoring all of our data feeds like ticket scans, concession sales and fan satisfaction, we are able to solve fan experience issues in real-time
What does the future look like for the San Francisco 49ers?
The Executive Huddle is an outstanding piece of technology that has been very useful for us, but it can always be improved and enhanced. This season we have added a new sustainability element to The Huddle, allowing stadium operations and business strategy staff to monitor automated data visualizations displaying gas and water usage throughout the building. By seeing this information in real-time, we can identify utility problems and make more informed decisions on new conservation practices. This marks a second way in which we are working with SAP to use the Executive Huddle to benefit more than just Levi’s Stadium. Last season, we announced that the space would be added to the 49ers Foundation’s 49ers EDU presented by Chevron curriculum as a way for local high school students to learn about data science. This year alone, 49ers EDU expects to bring 450+ students through the Huddle for lessons.
