Why every business should use data like a Premier League club

After decades in Business Intelligence and consulting independently, then founding Seriös Group in 2020 to challenge the traditional data consultancy model, I’ve spent a lot of time not only extracting the transformational value of data, but explaining it, too. 

Every organisation generates data, but very few play to its strengths. In many great, innovative organisations, I’ve found data can still feel too abstract and technical, sitting solely with the data team, instead of recognised as a strategic asset. Few partnerships have made that translation more visible and accessible than our work with Sunderland AFC. 

To have the opportunity to explain the value of data within the context of the great cultural leveller that is football, is a bit of a dream come true, especially as a lifelong Sunderland AFC fan. 

Over the past four years, the Seriös Group team has supported the club in taking data from the sidelines and into the spotlight. We’ve brought together data from customer systems, ticketing, hospitality, retail and performance analytics into a single, governed platform. This has helped the club operate smarter, move faster and build competitive advantage both on and off the pitch.  

As Sunderland AFC progressed from League One to the Premier League, the importance of joined-up insight only increased.  

Coaching staff now access consistent, real-time dashboards to support match preparation, training and tactical planning. Commercial teams benefit from live match-day insight, while marketing operates from a unified view of the fan, enabling more personalised engagement and targeted campaigns. 

At a time when AI is often presented as a universal solution for growth; our work with Sunderland AFC has focused first on maximising the value of its existing data, not instantly operationalising AI. Establishing governance, consistency and usability first has laid the foundations for more advanced innovations like AI-driven forecasting and enhancing fan experiences. 

Central to the project has been the implementation of a our AI data solution technology, Seriös ONE, built to accelerate data integration while maintaining strong governance. Deployed directly into the club’s own cloud environment, it ensures Sunderland AFC retains ownership and control of its data and feed future data ambitions. 

The result is a club better equipped to compete in the Premier League, not only through performance insight on the pitch, but through enhanced commercial strategy and fan engagement off it. When everyone else is focused on what AI can do, Sunderland AFC has kept its eye on the ball and focused on the underpinning foundations, which every business should.  

Football is decided by players and coaches, but better information leads to better decisions, and better decisions create the conditions in which success becomes more likely. I’ll let the correlation speak for itself. 

The original version of this article was published on BDaily here.

Seriös Group are experts in data solutions as we specialise in systems, data integration, data analytics and data solutions test and QA. 

If you would like to find out how we can help your data team deliver more and deliver it faster, get in touch.