Kicking off with a new IT system

Success can bring its own problems, especially if a rapidly developing business quickly outgrows its IT capabilities.

Six years ago, Fulham was an under-achieving Third Division football club, but three promotions bankrolled by club chairman Mohammed Al Fayed's millions, hailed the club's return to the top echelon of English football.

Off the field, it has been hard for the club to grow at the same speed.

"IT was obviously left well behind," said Chris Holder, Fulham's IT manager. "And in the past two years, we've had to catch up on systems and processes."

Holder took over the role in February 2000, having previously managed IT operations in Al Fayed's world-famous retail store, Harrods.

"Working for a football club is a completely different atmosphere to retail," he explained.

Holder benefits in a number of ways from his working environment. Fulham needed to play catch-up with its technology, and the IT manager was given a blank canvas to design and implement the appropriate network.

"I ripped out the old infrastructure and put in a new one," he said. "And that's every IT manager's dream, isn't it?"

The need for new technology meant that Holder was also given money to spend, a rarity in a prolonged IT downturn.

"Once an audit says that technology has to be brought in, you tend to get the money to do it," he said.

Holder is responsible for Fulham's video-editing suite, which allows the coaching staff to study football matches in closer detail. He also manages the playing staff's IT requirements.

"I've set up more AOL accounts on laptops than I care to remember," he said.

And because the IT function is based at Fulham's south London training ground in Motspur Park, Holder and his IT team mix with the playing squad on a daily basis.

"We see the players all the time," he explained. "Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager, encourages us to say 'good goal on Saturday' to keep up the confidence."

Day-to-day technology management involves two main areas: general office, such as sales, marketing and finance; and customer relations, which includes systems to run the ticket office, call centre and retail operations.

"This is a small business, but we have a world-famous brand name. Effective management of the club requires IT to run retail, ticketing, event management and stadium organisation," said Holder.

The first priority was network restructuring, as Holder began to rebuild Fulham's IT infrastructure.

The IT team looked at policies and procedures for disaster recovery and found that data was backed up on local digital audio tape drives on local servers.

Holder has replaced this network and implemented a larger, enterprise digital linear tape storage system, powered by Computer Associates' ARCserve back-up software. Secure mirrored data is backed up daily and stored in an off-site safe.

After the network was set up, the IT team considered connected match-day systems.

Holder explained that plans for smartcard ticketing are on hold while Fulham decides on the football club's full-time base.

Fulham currently shares Loftus Road with Queens Park Rangers, but intends to return to Craven Cottage at the start of next season.

The club, however, is considering membership cards for retail which will provide benefits and discounts.

The cards would probably be simple strip cards initially. But Holder indicated that Fulham will also analyse the possibilities of chip and Pin technologies from next July.

"The club is trying to service the fans in a much better way. We want them to feel that when they phone us, we know them," said Holder.

Fulham is planning to upgrade its customer relationship technologies to support its membership card plans.

The club is aiming to consolidate customer data and then generate suitable marketing campaigns.

Holder will introduce a database to capture information over the next 12 months from Fulham's various operational systems, including ticketing and retail, and is currently analysing the strengths of three database systems.

He will also begin to capture data from the club's website, and has initiated a revamp of the site.

The aim is a single view of the customer, making it easier to collect web-based data and to present new and appropriate offers to individual fans.

To support internet use within the club, Holder has introduced Websense's internet management software to provide protection for the Club's Academy trainees.

The software interfaces in real time with a database of 4.6 million websites, which is used to verify all internet users' requests based on the organisation's acceptable use policy.

"It was felt that parents needed to be able to trust the Academy when their children are here," explained Holder.

Finally, with its plans to return to Craven Cottage next season, Fulham will need to reconsider its Wan set-up.

The Loftus Road stadium will, at that point, be pushed off the network and Craven Cottage will then be joined via a secure connection to the ticketing database at its Motspur Park training ground.

"Our aims are all down to money," said Holder, adding that spending levels depend on club chairman Mohammed Al Fayed. "He's supported the club fantastically over the past five or so years."