Data-Driven Financial Planning at Bundesliga Level
Fortuna Duesseldorf relies on a digital dream team with Qlik and Data+
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Use Case I
THE CHALLENGE
Fortuna Düsseldorf aimed to modernize its financial planning by leveraging advanced digital solutions — to address a typical challenge in corporate management: While the organizational structure with clearly defined cost center responsibilities was well established, this structure was not reflected in the IT systems. As a result, collaborative planning was largely handled via Excel files.
Each cost center manager prepared their own spreadsheet and submitted it to the controlling team, which then faced the complex task of consolidating all the individual inputs into a unified overall plan. One of the biggest pain points in this Excel-based approach was access control. With no central governance over who could view or edit which data, the process became labor-intensive, error-prone due to multiple file versions, and lacked transparency throughout.
The Complex Reality of Financial Planning in Professional Football
Professional football clubs like Fortuna Düsseldorf face additional challenges in financial planning. Revenues are tightly coupled to on-field performance: league standings and international qualifications impact broadcasting rights and bonuses, while league affiliation and match schedules influence ticket income.
Fixed costs — especially those tied to long-term player contracts and infrastructure such as stadiums and training grounds — allow limited flexibility for rapid adjustments. Volatile transfer markets make planning even more complex, as fluctuating player valuations cause unpredictable revenues.
On top of that, external shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and economic dependencies in areas like sponsorship and ticketing create further uncertainty.
Qlik Sense and Data+ as Drivers of Modern Financial Management
Accurate and efficient financial planning starts with data. In Fortuna Düsseldorf’s data analytics lineup, Qlik has been a key player for several years. The club relies on a merchandise app, a ticketing app for matchday sales, and a management dashboard for the executive team.
CRM, ERP, and merchandise system (WWS) data – as well as data from local fan shops – are analyzed centrally. Qlik Sense is also integrated with a sponsor management system and an online shop platform.
“All departments work with the same data foundation and can generate detailed analyses down to the smallest level,” says Jens Terliesner. “For example, we analyze merchandising sales down to the level of specific player jersey prints. Another example is membership data, including age, geographic distribution, and stadium attendance.”
Entwickelt wurden die verschiedenen spezialisierten Anwendungen von LeitArt, einem erfahrenen Qlik Elite Partner mit Sitz in Berlin, der sich auf datenbasierte Unternehmenssteuerung spezialisiert hat und bereits mehreren Bundesligavereinen zu mehr Agilität durch Qlik basierte Analyselösungen verholfen hat. Auch Fortuna holte sich daher das LeitArt Team auf die Trainerbank, um die Herausforderung derFinanzplanung zu meistern.
Digital
Workflow
“The ability to expand our familiar Qlik analytics environment with Data+ so easily, allowing us to map the entire planning process directly in Qlik, was the ideal solution for us,” says Jens Terliesner. “It’s the same interface, the same data foundation – just with more functionality. We can now collaborate on a single app in real time. With Data+, it doesn’t even feel like we’re working with an extension.”
Cost center managers no longer need to prepare Excel spreadsheets, and the controlling team no longer needs to consolidate data manually. Instead, they can focus on what really matters – the financial management of the club.
Where planning used to be done annually, it is now performed on a quarterly basis. Best-case and worst-case scenarios can also be easily modeled thanks to the integrated planning process.
Another major benefit is technical flexibility. “We recently implemented a new online shop and migrated to a new CRM system,” explains Jens Terliesner. “To continue using our Qlik apps, we simply needed to ‘switch a few wires’ in the background to connect the new data sources. LeitArt takes care of that for us – along with the entire maintenance, support, and further development of our Qlik application landscape.”
“One call or email is all it takes – and our two dedicated contacts at LeitArt handle everything. That way, we can focus on what we do best: professional football.”
The (Digital) Future
“Financial planning based on Qlik and Data+ has fundamentally accelerated and simplified our planning processes,” concludes Jens Terliesner. “And moving forward, we will continue to drive our digital transformation with Qlik technology and LeitArt’s expertise.”
Next on the agenda is the integration of Microsoft Teams via Data+. This will not only allow Fortuna to send messages directly from Qlik, but also to trigger live requests directly from within the extension. Approval workflows and budget requests can be handled seamlessly within the Teams chat — fully integrated into the existing digital planning structure.
Also on the roadmap: the implementation of rolling forecasting and budgeting, as well as an ESG reporting solutio
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