Data Management for Recreation Facilities
Data management can be a daunting part of operating any large business, whether a recreation facility, sports complex, or any other situation where significant information needs to be kept on file. Data about clients, customers, and employees all needs to be stored depending on the business, and it needs to be kept organized and secure. In the digital age, this is more important than ever. Sports Facilities Management offers some professional guidance on how to improve and secure your data management practices.
Identify the Data You Need
If you are looking into options for data management for your recreation facility, a good place to start is to identify the kind of data you need to store. This includes data for both employees and service users. The reason you need to think carefully about this is the potential sensitivity of a lot of personal data.
You need to strike the right balance of collecting enough to know your users and your employees well enough to know what they want, but not be overly invasive. Now more than ever, people value their privacy — especially when it comes to digital data. Names and email addresses, transactional data, information about what they use in your facility are all useful, but you probably do not need to be finding out which political party they typically vote for.
Train Your Employees in Storing and Protecting Data
All of your administrative staff, or any staff members who collect or handle data, should be properly trained in any systems they use. This includes everything from just the basics of how to help customers fill out surveys and how to enter that data, to good practices like regularly changing and updating passwords or using two-step authentication. While the majority of data breaches have occurred as a result of coordinated hacks, still too many have happened simply due to user error.
Data Organization and Safety
Keeping customer and employee organized and safe is not just about making things easier. It also helps to keep that data safe. Inconsistently updated information and poorly organized access present a risk of data loss or leaks. If you are a larger recreational facility, you should consider employing dedicated staff for handling and organizing data. You should also look into storage systems that can encrypt information in case of an emergency or unauthorized access.
Clarity for Your Users
It may seem like overkill to take data management for a recreation facility this seriously, but data security and privacy are at the forefront of the minds of many of those using your facility. This is especially true of younger users who have grown up in a world where always-connected devices are common.
Not only do you need to be careful about handling data, but you also need to be clear. Take every opportunity to let customers and employees know when you are collecting their data, explain why, and give them options to opt out if they would prefer. Pay attention to tech developments in this field, as it can have major effects across all kinds of industries — including leisure and recreation.
Talk to the Team at Sports Facilities Management
Proper data management practices are just one part of running a business. For more advice on recreational facility or sports complex management, contact the team at Sports Facilities Management today.
