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Some football teams look at key statistics to work out their approach to a game. This includes anything from the likely penalty placement from individual players to the way a team deals with corners and other set pieces.

Traffic and location data can show you the best approach for your drivers. It makes it much easier to find out which available driver will be quickest arrive to a particular job, send them their task and find the quickest route with the least congestion.

Occasionally, data analysis leads to a sport being played in entirely new and more effective ways. The long-ball game in football was pioneered by the analyst Charles Reep, an RAF commander and accountant, who starting collecting and processing statistics about football matches in the 1950s.

Optimisation is the main aim of good data. But you should never forget its ability to uncover radical new ways of doing things in your industry. Always have one eye out for the unexpected stories your data might be telling you.

Rugby Union is working with IBM to get data about player health, including heart rate. They can use this data to work out when players’ bodies are sending out unusual signals and take action to prevent them from developing an injury.

Fleet managers can generate maintenance reports with telematics systems. These can tell you exactly when your vehicle needs a check up, giving you the chance to catch faults before they become too serious.

A number of football clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester City, use data analysis to work out which players they are going to buy or sell. This data looks at a range of factors, such as shots on target, balls won in the air and tackles made.

Data can identify the best drivers in the field, based on more than just jobs completed, for example. Companies can find the drivers who both make their job targets and drive in the safest and most fuel efficient way. The same data can also identify who needs training and exactly which skills need improving.

Statisticians and analysts are not the type of people you would traditionally expect a football club to hire. But football clubs are increasingly looking for these type of people to help them get great insights from their data and improve their performance. Take Manchester City, who now employ 10 full-time analysts.

Good analysts might not necessarily be people you would associate with a fleet management team either. But increasingly, you might need an analyst who can get the best out of your data. You also need a sophisticated fleet management system that provides intelligence and insights, rather than just presenting the raw data. This means anyone can work with your data, minimising the need for full-time analysts.

Sports clubs across the world are using data to get the best out of their teams.

Moneyball, which show how the Oakland Athletics baseball team used data to reverse its dismal record. Measuring new factors to judge a player’s skill, the team were able to beat the record for the highest number of consecutive wins in baseball, on a fraction of the budget their competitors could access.

In the UK, football, rugby and other sports teams are increasingly using statistics about behaviour on

approach to keep their best team on the road?

Sports teams and now individuals - use wearable devices that record personal activity data. Products on the market include sensors woven into clothing, which monitor things like acceleration, heart rate and posture. Other devices, such as the TomTom GPS watch gather data itself or from sensor bands worn on the body. This data is presented to the athlete or coach in an App or online to give feedback on how to improve performance.

Making the best use of energy is essential for a fleet. Improving fuel efficiency is a great way to improve margins, without spending a lot of money. Data can show you where factors such as poor driving behaviours are costing you fuel. Systems such as TomTom’s Active Driver Feedback provide drivers with instant alerts on how to make their driving safer and more fuel efficient.

Injury Prevention

Find The Best Players

Energy Levels

MONEYBALL for Business

Tactics

Changing The Game

Working With Your Data