England and Wales Cricket Board wants to bowl over millions of fans using Microsoft

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is using Microsoft’s products to encourage cricket fans to play the sport more.

Dynamics 365 CRM – implemented and managed by Advanced, a Microsoft partner – will help coaches organise training sessions as well as allow the ECB to connect with recreational players, umpires and volunteers, providing a seamless and connected experience.

Damian Smith, Head of IT at the ECB, said: “The digital transformation process aims to deliver detail around business intelligence (BI) by interrogating the data. It is hoped the innovative way in which the Microsoft CRM Dynamics platform will be integrated into the ECB’s current infrastructure will help to achieve this.”

Real-time data, used to spot trends, will provide the ECB with a better understanding of how cricket is seen by fans compared with other sports.

The project will be implemented in stages – initially focusing on areas that will have the biggest impact on customer experience, followed by newer services such as memberships that reward loyalty.

The project will also look to increase productivity and effectiveness within the ECB team, by providing them with the tools to enable them to drive participation in the sport.

Mark Dewell, Managing Director of Specialist Solutions at Advanced, said: “We’ve talked about the value of the connected fan in personalising engagement with clubs, as well as the connected stadium in driving an enhanced experience and incremental revenues. The work that the ECB is undertaking takes this vision a step further, putting data and analytics at the centre of its operations with every stakeholder, participant or fan.

“Our partnership will place CRM technology at the hub of its operations, ensuring that the ECB transforms cricket into a connected sport, with real-time data across all its processes, operations and touchpoints. We are proud to partner with the ECB on this exciting journey to help them transform and reimagine every opportunity for participation in cricket.”