Managing your data properly is one of the most important things you can do as a race director. The data is not only important to you but is also required for the timer, photographer, and possibly the medical staff. The question is how do you handle that data?
Before online registration platforms were prevalent, must of us simply used spreadsheets to keep track of all the participant information. What is surprising and disappointing though is how many race directors still rely on spreadsheets to manage their participant data. There are so many opportunities to mishandle the data using a spreadsheet that it simply does not make any sense. We have seen race directors sort the data incorrectly, lose spreadsheets, drop columns, duplicate bibs, etc. It can create a real nightmare for everyone involved.
Since Athlete Guild was formed, we have been on the cutting edge of managing participant data. We go beyond what the online registration providers have and supplement with other race management tools to make handling participant data as pain free as possible. With our online tools, there is very little to no need to actually pull a spreadsheet except to possibly print out for packet pickup. Even that task though can be done using our tools without having to resort to spreadsheets.
Reviewing the number of events we do every year, without a doubt the biggest issue we run into is working with race directors and their custom spreadsheets. We always find data that is missing or simply wrong. When a race director hands us a spreadsheet for our use, we always have to clean it up before we can import it. One advantage we have though with our platform is that we can import spreadsheet data directly to our platform and then manage everything online from there. For our race directors who utilize our registration platform, data is automatically online and ready to go. For others though, we can import data from other platforms and then work with it from there. This gives you the power to provide insights into your data, review shirt counts, view demographic information, enter new athletes, and email your participants. You also have the ability to assign bibs, print labels, and print your packet pickup roster without ever having to use a spreadsheet again. You can also do dynamic bib assignment which can be really powerful for your event. The ability to do all of this online eliminates any problems that spreadsheets can cause.
If you are not familiar with our tools, please give us a shout and we can assist you.
